This was all her fault.Tears blurred her eyes as she ran to her garden. Without thinking, she stuck her hands into the soil, letting her magic take over. The Forest was lacking its usual power, so her magic did not flow so freely. The connection felt weak, but she couldn’t think about that now. She pushed her magic, and a surge of energy poured from her hands.
Something like an aloe vera plant sprouted from the ground. It was what she needed; she knew it. She plucked the thick leaves and ran up the stairs, grabbing a knife from the kitchen then heading straight for her room.
Xander was lying on her bed, the skin of his cheek, neck, and chest an angry red. His waistcoat and shirt had burned through in the attacked area, and the skin beneath was blistered.
‘Bis,’ he said, lifting his hand to reach for her.
‘I’m here.’ She squeezed his hand. ‘I’m going to take this off,’ she explained, using her knife to cut off his waistcoat, then doing the same with his shirt, discarding both.
‘Not quite how I imagined you undressing me playing out,’ he said, gasping with pain yet still attempting levity.
She wasn’t amused in the slightest.
‘Shut up,’ she said, her voice stern.
He nodded. ‘Right away.’
Once he was disposed of his shirt, Bisma cut open the plant she had grown. Inside the leaves was a slippery, clear jelly threaded through with marigold-orange lines. She sliced out the jelly, warming it in her hands with magic until it became a thin gel.
Xander closed his eyes, nodding. His hair was matted with sweat, his throat working hard as he swallowed. He was trembling.
‘This will heal you,’ Bisma said, applying it to his cheek first. Her voice broke on the words, but it seemed to be working; his skin immediately cooled, the blisters withering away.
‘Mmm,’ Xander said. ‘That feels better.’
Bisma continued spreading the gel, working her way carefully across his skin, making sure to get every affected inch. As she moved down to his neck, he stopped shaking, and by the time she reached his chest, he was breathing deeply, asleep.
Only when Bisma had finished applying the salve did she stop to catch her breath. Her hands were quaking, and she closed them into fists. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from Xander.
He was fast asleep now, shirtless in her bed. Standing, Bisma pulled a blanket over him, tucking it under his body. He didn’t even stir.
That was normal; she knew that. He needed rest to properly heal, but, even so, she couldn’t help the hot tears that filled her eyes and fell down her cheeks, as she looked at his still form.
The attack had been meant forher. Why had he stepped in front of her? Why had he risked himself? She was so angry with him!
But deep down she knew she was really angry with herself. Every time she felt she had moved forward with him, something threw her off course, again.
She had been so concerned about what people would think of Xander having her by his side that she hadn’t even paused to consider the danger he was opening himself up to by associating withher.
26
Xander slept for the rest of the day. She knew the potion was doing its work, but, even so, she couldn’t bring herself to leave his side. Which was why she was there when he woke later that evening. He stirred, blinking slowly.
‘Oh thank goodness,’ she breathed.
‘G’morning,’ he said sluggishly.
‘It’s evening,’ she told him.
‘Ah, no wonder it’s so dark.’ He tried sitting up, then groaned.
‘Do you remember what happened?’ she asked, lifting the pillow for him to lean against. As he got comfortable, he thought about it—then his eyes widened.
‘Oh god, yes,’ he said. His gaze trained on her. ‘Bis, are you alright? You didn’t get hurt, did you?’ He scanned her face, her hands, searching for signs of injury, and a lump formed in her throat.
‘I’m fine, nothing happened to me,’ she managed to say.
He released a breath. ‘Good.’ He seemed perfectly alright, then, while she was still left feeling frayed, even more uneven than when he had been asleep. Wasn’t he angry with her? It was her fault, after all.
