Page 91 of Bane of the Wild Hunt

“We feel the heat, we just have better resistance to it,” answered Sage, looking over his left shoulder. He seemed to have finally resigned himself to being treated first.

Ciaran handed me one of the hot strips which I had to juggle back and forth between my hands until it cooled enough for me to handle it comfortably.

“It’s a handy gift,” I muttered as I began to drape the strips over Sage’s shoulder. Once they were all wrung out and ready for use, Ciaran dumped some of the water that was infused with Ichor of Airmid over Sage’s back.

Myanamhissed, but he remained still as much of his blood was washed away from the wounds.

“Ready?” I asked him, gripping the shaft of an arrow, and he nodded as his hands braced on his knees.

I began to pull, making sure to move at the angle at which the missile had pierced him. I also went slow so as not to cause any more damage than necessary. His breath came harder, and it hurt my heart to cause him such pain, but I kept going until the arrow was freed from his flesh, and then I threw it away in disgust.

Ciaran had been chewing more of theIchor of Airmid into a gummy paste. He splashed some water on the wound to wash away the freshly welling blood, and then pressed the paste into the wound to stop it from bleeding. He also boiled Sage’s outer shirt to cleanse the blood from it while I was removing the other arrows and dried it by heating it in his hands without setting fire to it. So I had a clean, warm shirt to tug over Sage’s head once the arrows were removed and his wounds were tended.

“Better?” I asked him, but I could already tell that he was more comfortable by the fluid way he was moving.

“Much, thank you,” he said, offering me a warm smile, but he was preoccupied with Serafin and his wounds.

Soon, both rider and mount were free of arrows and properly bandaged. Sage might not heal as quickly as me, but by the time we had finished tending to Serafin, he was already moving much easier.

“You really do look good in the armour,” Sage told me, and I glanced back to see he had watched me squat over his saddle to put away our supplies.

“It fits really well,” I admitted as I stood and pivoted, twisting to look down at myself. Particularly the way the suit had molded so perfectly to my ample bottom.

“It changes to suit the shape of the rider,” he explained with a smirk when he saw me checking myself out.

“Hmm. What was it you said before about me walking around in tight armour? It would be too distracting?”

Sage’s eyes widened at me before he glanced at Ciaran who merely rolled his eyes.

“We will portal back to camp,” declared the other rider with a glance at the night sky.

Sage froze, looking reluctant as if he understood there was more meaning in Ciaran’s words.

“I need to go back and tell my mother about the village and the Fuath first,” he responded finally before he bent down with a wince to collect his saddle.

“I have it,” I assured him and seized it before he could, lifting it over my shoulder.

“Then we go straight to Rian,” Ciaran insisted.

Sage glanced at me in reluctance, and I remembered what Ciaran said about all of them knowing who I was. Myanamhad been trying to be patient to garner my trust by granting me the time and space to feel comfortable and safe enough to sharethe truth with him myself. And now Rian was about to close in around my throat and force me to confront my past.

“She is not merely youranam, she will also be a rider under Rian’s command, and a valuable instrument in our endeavours to protect feykind,” Ciaran maintained.

Sage bristled, and I knew they were about to get into an argument, so I stepped between them quickly.

“I don’t have the luxury to avoid Rian indefinitely with threats converging on Ahnnaòin, and you shouldn’t have to either! He’s your family, and he needs you right now.”

“Summer, you don’t understand—” Sage began.

“I do. Iknow,” I admitted significantly.

Sage searched my eyes, looking to see if I really did realize what awaited me when we faced Rian. Seeing that I did, I could tell he had many things he wanted to say, but he refrained while Ciaran was in hearing distance.

“I still need to go and inform my mother about the fate of our village,” Sage maintained. “The Fuath did not need to return to their warded cave in the daylight which means they could move for Aes Mirr sooner than expected.”

“Then let’s move quickly,” said Ciaran, and he opened a portal behind me. “I need a hot meal and my bed.”

Something we could actually agree on.

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