Page 52 of Crimson Kingdom
He didn’t want to risk them seeing him heal me.
“Theo, could you fetch Gal’s medical kit from his horse.” Avani gave Gwyn a pointed look, and she directed Theo toward the clydesdale.
“Evander--” Gallagher began.
“No.” With one simple word, Evander cut off whatever errand my cousin had been about to send him on.
His gray eyes bored into mine, and I knew there was nothing anyone could say or do that would make him leave my side. If I was being honest with myself, I wasn’t sure I even wanted him to go.
“It’s fine, Gal.” I bit out the words. “It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before.”
And it wasn’t.
He had seen my body. Had seen me wounded. And he knew perfectly well that my skill with predicting the weather went deeper than an interest in cloud patterns or a weather-toe.
My cousin looked dubiously between the dagger and Evander, but he nodded. He made me take several more sips of the whiskey before taking the flask in one hand while wrapping his other around the hilt of the dagger.
“Keep her steady,” he told Avani and Evander.
I braced myself as he removed the blade. Rivulets of blood spilled down my side. Gallagher poured the whiskey over his hands, apologizing before he did the same thing to my wound.
White-hot agony lanced through me. I fought to keep still, but my body writhed as something between a groan and a whimper escaped my lips.
Evander held me down with one firm hand, but the other closed around mine, squeezing it gently.
Warmth flooded through me, some combination of Evander’s hand and Davin’s whiskey and Gallagher’s healing. Evander was watching Gallagher work, his eyes widening slightly before he looked back to meet mine.
It was dangerous to let anyone know about our Fae heritage with people still out hunting the fae down, but I knew I had nothing to fear from him. Whatever else was between us, I did trust him with my life, and with theirs.
By the time Theo made it back with the medical supplies, Gallagher was ready to stitch me up.
He apologized before driving a needle into my skin in short, quick movements. I clutched Evander’s hand tightly, my vision going spotty until Gallagher finally tied off the sutures.
Theo’s expression was pained as he watched me. Then again, that might have been the cut on his cheek and the bruise blooming around it. It appeared Evander wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stay out of the fight.
“All right, cousin. We need to get you home to rest.” Gallagher looked at me pointedly.
I already felt the exhaustion sinking in. His gift of healing wasn’t an all-encompassing cure. Rather, he could encourage my body to heal itself faster, which took a lot of my energy.
“Thank you,” I offered, and he nodded, wrapping a bandage around me to protect the sutures.
Then I was moving.
Without a word, Evander’s hands slid beneath my legs and behind my back as he picked me up. Avani narrowed her tear-stained eyes at him and tore off the part of the blanket that wasn’t covered in my blood. She stood to cover me with it.
“It would appear you have trouble obeying orders, Lord Stenvall,” she said.
Evander shrugged. “I didn’t draw my weapon, nor did I spill anyone’s blood.”
“Indeed.” She almost sounded amused. “I suppose we should be grateful, in any event.”
Her gaze flitted from where my fingers were fisted in his shirt to where his arms cradled me against his chest, and she nodded to herself.
“If I can impose upon you further, perhaps you wouldn't mind taking Rowan on your horse, so she doesn’t reopen that wound.”
“Of course.” He said it like it was obvious.
I shot her a grateful look. Evander would have insisted on taking me either way. By asking him, though, she had effectively preempted any tension surrounding that decision...from anyone.