Page 471 of Coal Hearts

Ily moaned in my arms; her eyes cracked open a little.

Rose caught her hazy gaze and smiled. “Welcome back. How’re you feeling?”

“Sore.” Ily winced, trying to get away from my arm pressed against her ribs.

I shifted immediately, swallowing a hiss as her hair stuck to my stab wound.

Melanie darted forward, snatching the vial out of Rose’s hand. “Now you’re awake...you can make the choice.” Smiling thinly, she added, “As you know, Peter’s in a bad way, and we need to tend to him first. But...you’re also in a state. Your Master has agreed to do the initial clean-up and tend to your bruises. It will hurt. You really shouldn’t move. Rose has suggested you take a micro-dose of GHB to keep you still, and...I tend to agree with her.”

Ily stiffened. “No, I can’t—”

“You shouldn’t have any symptoms like you did last time. All you should feel is drowsy and free from pain for a while. Does that sound okay?”

Ily laughed, then bit her bottom lip with a moan. “Is that a trick question?”

“Okay then.” Unscrewing the vial, the doctor sucked up the barest amount into a pipette.

“Wait.” Ily blinked and tried to be more coherent. “Are you sure it won’t make me hallucinate? I don’t think I can go through that again.”

“No.” Melanie shook her head. “You should just be a little spacey. However, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I also didn’t advise that it might cause feelings of euphoria and increased sex drive. In too high a dose, it could cause tremors, nausea, breathing difficulties, and or death. So it’s not one I regularly—”

“No way.” I bared my teeth. “No drugs. Give her some damn Panadol.”

“Panadol won’t touch the sort of pain she’s suffering.” Her hate-filled eyes met mine. “And it’s not your choice, is it?”

Ily trembled as if the thought of existing for another moment in pain was too much. She didn’t look at me. Didn’t ask me to put her down. She just nodded. “If it will give me some peace for a little while...then, yes please.”

I sucked in a breath. “Ily, no—”

“I’ve made my choice.” She refused to make eye contact.

Melanie sucked in a breath and squeezed out all the liquid in the pipette until only a few drops remained. Holding it over Ily’s mouth, she murmured, “Open.”

Hesitantly, Ily parted her lips and grimaced as the medicine was administered. Hardly anything at all. A thimble size. Minuet really.

Catching my eyes, the doctor ordered, “If she falls unconscious again, I expect you to monitor her. Roll her onto her side and keep her airway clear. Seeing as Ily has a history of being a lightweight when it comes to substances, it’s your job to keep an eye on her and request us if her care requirements exceed your capabilities.”

“We’ll pop by as soon as we can.” Rose smiled, her eyes far kinder. Either she was far better at hiding her true thoughts or she didn’t hate me as much as Melanie did.

“Fine.” I gritted my teeth. “You have my word. I’ll never take my eyes off her.”

“I can walk, Hen—” Ily cut herself off. “Please, put me down, Master H.”

“No. And don’t ask again.”

Melanie huffed and tucked the vial into her scrub pocket. “Two doors down. Make yourself at home. And Ily...don’t fight the effects, okay? In ten to twenty minutes, you should feel a lot more relaxed and able to ignore the pain.”

“Sounds wonderful.” Ily nodded with a wince.

Spinning on my heel, I strode out of the room before the doctor could say anything else.

* * * * *

Obeying the doctor’s commands, I guided Ily into the spare guest chamber and flicked on the lights. Slightly smaller than our room below, this one glowed in autumn colours. A bed frame made of dull copper, white blankets edged with burnt orange, and curtains a dark shade of bronze. A dresser lined most of the wall with a workstation, minibar, and TV. The view from the small Juliette balcony displayed more of the gardens, allowing us to look down upon the battlements in the distance and the beetle-sized guards patrolling with their spotlights.

The bathroom glittered with modern mosaic tiles, pearlescent white with burnt orange, making everything seem as if we were inside a crystal tangerine.

It felt odd to be in a different room, but Ily didn’t seem to care as she turned on the shower and adjusted it to her preferred temperature of Hades.