Page 78 of Once the Skies Fade

And I was alone again with a new tangle of questions.

Eventually the world faded back into my consciousness. I didn’t open my eyes immediately, but the first thing I noticed was the pungent scent of smoldering herbs. Second was my pants were missing, followed shortly by the realization that someone was fondling my thigh.

Slitting my eyes open just enough to verify someone was actually there and I wasn’t dreaming it, I pulled my chapped lips apart. My mouth had gone uncomfortably dry, but I managed to croak out my words.

“I prefer to be awake when a female’s touching me.”

She didn’t pull away as I expected—didn’t even seem surprised to hear me speak, as she continued to rub something warm on my wound.

“You needed your rest, general,” she said, her voice an odd combination of sweet and sharp. It reminded me of Mrs. Bishop’s actually, where in the same tone she could both commend and reprimand quite effectively.

I pried my eyes open more, thankful for the dim light, though my head pounded all the same. Dark stone surrounded me—on the walls, the ceiling, and presumably the floor as well. My lips curved downward when I realized the female beside me wasn’t the queen, but some fae I didn’t recognize. Maybe it had just been my imagination.

Or maybe you’ve been out so long she left, because she had better things to do than sit around and wait for your sorry ass to wake up.

Either way, for whatever reason, it wasn’t her dressing my wounds now.

“And you’re a healer? I hope?” I asked, resting my head back and staring at the ceiling.

“One of the three here in Arenysen, yes. Along with my sister. I’m Brit,” she said.

“How long have I been here?”

She hummed for a moment, as if calculating the time that had passed. Had it really been that long?

“Five days. While the antidote to the poison took effect rather quickly, it took quite a while for your body to recover from the damage done. Thankfully, Jocelyn is quite adept at dealing with toxins. Without her…”

“I’d still be out,” I finished her thought, but in my periphery I noticed she shook her head.

“You’d be dead,” she said matter-of-factly.

I breathed out an empty laugh. “Is she here? I should probably thank her.”

“No, she’s busy elsewhere.” A heavy sigh fell from the healer. “She could use it, honestly. She’s beaten herself up pretty badly for not being able to help more with the other male.”

Oryn?

Jerkily I propped myself up on my elbows, a wince pulling my face tight as fresh pain shot through my hip. I ignored it—and ignored Brit’s hand flying to my chest as she attempted to force me to lie back down. I glanced around the room, turning my head this way and that but finding nothing but a handful of empty beds and cluttered work tables covered with bottles and bandages at the far end.

“Mr. Lain is not here.”

“But he was? What happened? Did he?—”

“He’s been taken to his room upstairs. We felt it better to have him in a more comfortable environment for his last days.”

“His last days?” I asked. “I need to see him.” I shifted toward the edge of the stiff cot. Again, the healer tried to stop me, her hand pressing firmly against my shoulder.

“You need more rest,” Brit said, though not as forcefully as I expected.

I slid my legs over the side. “I’d prefer to rest in my room, like him.”

Brit slumped in defeat, her hands falling to her sides as she shrugged. “Fine. I’ll let Her Majesty and the general know your decision.”

Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I offered the healer a half-smile. “You give in too easily.”

She shrugged again. “I have better uses of my energy, and you’re a grown male, supposedly.”

Her eyes flashed down quickly to my waist before lifting again, this time to the ceiling rather than meeting my gaze. I twisted my lips into a smirk. “Quite grown.”

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