“Ye need the healing waters. Let me take ye there, aye?” He nudged a tender kiss to Lyla’s forehead, but made no move to go to the bathing solar. She would choose, and whatever she wished, that was what he would do. Above all, she needed to see and feel that she was in control. “Shall we have a good soak to help our wounds heal?”
“You’ll stay with me, right?” she whispered, clutching at the straps of his armor so tightly that her bleeding knuckles whitened. “You won’t leave me alone?”
“I’ll not leave ye, dear one.” He swallowed hard, struggling to control the bloodlust and rage for justice pounding through him. Even though he’d killed Kcirred, it was not enough. Never would it be enough. “I’ll stay right at yer side. If ye wish, I’ll cradle ye in my arms whilst ye float in the waters.”
“I don’t want to take off my clothes.” She drew her knees closer to her chest, attempting to curl into a ball even though he held her in his arms.
“’Tis fine, my own. Wear yer clothes.”
“But you said the healing waters were for bodies only.”
As he slowly walked with her into the bathing solar, her trembling became more violent. “The healing waters can be purified when we are done. We shall do whatever ye need done. Ye may wear yer clothes, aye?” The water dragons wouldn’t be pleased, but they would understand. If they didn’t, they would no longer be required to serve at Kindred Fortress and would be replaced.
With the help of his magic, he shed his boots and armor, but remained clad in the thin tunic and trews he wore beneath the protective heaviness of the black leather plating. He didn’t wish to cause her the slightest distress or stir the memory of that devil mauling her.
“I shall have the Weavers summoned and fetch more herbs,” Albionna whispered, “whisky, honey, and wine, as well.”
Magnus nodded as he eased down into the water. Maybe old Mairwen would know of a way to help Lyla overcome the darkness she had just experienced. He went into the deeper water, willing it to become warmer to offer his precious wife more comfort.
She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes, but held her white-knuckled fists tightly to her chest, and kept her legs bent, still attempting to curl herself into a ball as if trying to disappear. “The warm water helps,” she said, her voice broken and weak.
“I am glad.” He settled into the seat built into the wall of the pool. “We shall stay here as long as ye like.”
“My face hurts. Ice would help.”
Ice? It was still too early in the season for natural ice or snow, but one of the ice dragons could provide some shards.“I need ice from the ice dragons,”he thought to Talon.“That unholy demon gravely harmed my precious one.”
“Ye will have ice immediately,”Talon replied,“and Tern and Inuk are cleansing the bedchamber, ensuring it will never again remind the Divine One of this terrible day. It will be ready whenever she is.”
“I thank ye, brother.”Magnus gently ladled handfuls of the healing water across Lyla’s clawed and bruised arms.“I wish I had killed him slower,” he added to Talon.
“Ye sent him to death eternal this time,”Talon said.“That is all that matters.”
The door creaked, and Tern entered bearing a bowl of ice chunks. She placed it on the table nearest to the pool and motioned for Albionna to see to it. The maid hurried to bundle several of the smaller pieces in linen and handed it down to Magnus.
With the greatest of care, he rested it against Lyla’s swollen jaw.
She took it and moved it to cover her eye that had swelled shut. “Thank you.” Shuddering in a deep breath, she shook just as badly when she released it. “I think he broke my ribs.”
“I gutted him, slit his throat, ripped out his heart, and turned his body to ash,” Magnus said, “but somehow, that is not enough to repay him for his evil.”
She adjusted the ice on her face. “I don’t understand how he came back. I saw you behead him.”
“Nay, my love. I beheaded the shadow he created, the twin of himself. One of his poor prisoners, more than likely, and sadly, we shall never know. He set the feckin’ trap, and we walked right into it.”
“So he didn’t really use his powers to come back from the dead?”
“No. Even he was not that powerful. He used his powers to play me for a fool.”
“That makes me feel better.”
He noticed that she was gradually relaxing in his arms and was glad of it. The more she relaxed, the faster she would heal. “Yer feeling better gladdens my heart more than ye will ever know. I myself will never feel better for how I allowed him to hurt ye. I will regret it for all the rest of my days.” He tipped a curt nod at Albionna to fetch a fresh bundle of ice.
Lyla pulled in a deeper breath, then let it ease out as she handed off the linen of melted ice and took the fresh one. “You didn’tallowhim to hurt me.” She peered at him with her eye that wasn’t swollen shut. “Back in my world, evil, especially evil with money, tends to rise to the top and overpowers everything else. But you stopped him here.” She worked her shoulders as if trying to rid herself of a burden. “At least, I hope you stopped him. I hope he really is dead.” Terror returned to her. Her bottom lip quivered, and her eye filled with tears. “I’m so afraid he’s going to come after me again. I know it’s not rational, but I can still see him. Still hear him. Smell him. What if I’m never able to get past this?”
“Shh…” He took a small piece of ice from the bowl Albionna had set within reach and touched it to the bloody split in Lyla’s swollen lip. “We shall face one minute at a time. That is all we must conquer. One minute. Then another. As we face each minute, we gain strength, but we shall give ourselves as much time as we need. All we must conquer is one minute, ye ken?”
The faintest pucker of a frown appeared between her eyebrows. “We?”
