Page 84 of The Red Woman and the White Bear

Aisling braced herself when Elasha pulled a jar of thick paste out of the satchel that hung from her shoulder. Its smell was harsh, but it was similarly soothing to the salve Methild had applied to the wound she’d sustained to her head at Nyctara. As she rubbed it into Aisling’s skin, the blood congealed and the pain rapidly subsided to a dull, throbbing ache.

“Who was he?” Kael nudged Tadhg’s body with the toe of his boot.

“Niamh’s brother,” Raif answered.

“One of Laure’s pets,” Rodney added. “Her court artist. He’s painted dozens of portraits of her. She’ll be furious—Laure and Niamh both.”

“You need to take her away from here,” Kael ordered Rodney. “Now.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Aisling said through gritted teeth while Elasha bound the poultice wraps tightly. Despite her protest, he still refused to look at her. He’d angled his body away from hers, only glancing briefly at Rodney to give his order before turning his attention back to the two bodies that lay at his feet.

“It may be wise for you to accompany her—for her protection, and yours. Until we determine what sort of retribution this will bring,” Raif posited.

“My presence will hardly do her any good.” Kael’s jaw was taut and his tone clipped, but the cool detachment he attempted to display was painfully transparent, and Aisling wasn’t fooled. She felt that guilt building in his chest, the heaviness of it. The anger he wanted to mask, but couldn’t.

With some effort, Aisling worked her way back to standing. Though she felt unsteady on her feet, she ignored the way the room spun around her and walked as surely as she could to step in front of Kael.

“Look at me,” she said. Aisling lifted his hand from where it hung by his side. She pried his nails from his palm and ran her thumb across the marks they’d left there. He hesitated, and when he finally dropped his gaze, he didn’t look at her, but through her. His jaw was clenched so tightly now she thought his teeth might crack.

“Look at me,”she said again, more forcefully this time. “I’m fine.”

Finally, he softened a fraction and drew in a shaky breath. Kael’s attention slid to the cloth that bound her shoulder, a brief flash of anguish coloring his expression. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the bandages just above where the dagger had bitten into her. The light pressure there felt even better than the poultice itself. It was the first time they’d acknowledged each other this way in front of any members of his court, the first time they’d so obviously demonstrated what had grownbetween them before an audience. Aisling could feel their eyes on them now, but she couldn’t bring herself to pull away from his touch.

“I am sorry,” he whispered against that same spot on her shoulder. He kissed it once more before raising his head.

“I’m not leaving here without you. Come with me,” Aisling insisted.

Kael nodded. “As you wish.”

They moved quickly then, Rodney collecting their bags while Aisling changed into a fresh shirt and leashed Briar. Kael met them at the base of the spiral staircase. He’d changed, too, into a plain shirt and loose black pants that would be passable in the human realm—just. His silver hair was tied back into a bun at the nape of his neck and he’d glamoured away the points of his ears. Still, the tilt of his eyes and the angles of his face would set him apart on the island.

Rodney’s car was frosted over when they reached it where he’d left it parked off the side of the road, partially obscured by brush. Kael looked about as comfortable in its backseat as Aisling looked on horseback. She sat close to him so their legs touched; she could feel the tension his body was under. Briar kept a wary eye on him from the passenger seat.

It was evening on Brook Isle, though not nearly as dark as Aisling had hoped it would be to conceal their arrival. As they drove into the trailer park, there were still children playing outside, bundled in heavy winter coats and brightly colored scarves. Rodney pulled up as close to his trailer as he could manage.

“Miss Morrow!” Cole called from behind them.

Aisling groaned and Rodney cringed, swearing under his breath.

“Are…are you hurt? Did this man do something to you?” Cole demanded as he drew closer. Aisling looked down at herself, realizing for the first time that more than a little dried blood was still crusted down her arm and up the side of her neck. “I’ll call the police—”

Kael bit off the end of his sentence with a vicious, chilling snarl that stopped Cole in his tracks. Aisling smoothed a hand over the bowstring-tight muscles of his back and urged him on towards the trailer.

“Mind your business, Cole. We’re fine here,” Aisling assured him.

Inside, Aisling cleaned herself off over the kitchen sink while Rodney moved the coffee table aside to inflate an air mattress on the living room floor. Despite Rodney’s offer for she and Kael to share his bed, Kael had insisted that he needed to remain where he could see the door. He took an armful of blankets and pillows from Rodney and made up the couch for Aisling.

She was tired, almost sick with tired, but she couldn’t will herself to sleep. Over and over she replayed their conversation with the Diviner. And when she shut her eyes, she saw Tadhg’s body lying crushed beside the headless soldier. Frustrated and sore, Aisling rose from the couch well after midnight. She stepped over Briar and tiptoed past Kael to the bathroom.

Stripping down to her bra, she balanced fresh bindings and a jar of salve Elasha had given her on the edge of the sink. The poultice had dried out; the bandages were stiff and tugged uncomfortably at her skin. Aisling peeled them off gingerly, wincing when they stuckin places. The wound underneath had already begun to heal—it looked now to be several days old, rather than just several hours.

“Does it hurt?” Kael appeared in the bathroom doorway. He was leaning against its frame, watching her examine herself in the mirror.

She shot him a rueful smile. “Only when I breathe,” she teased.

He approached and swept her hair back over her shoulder to check the wound, long fingers prodding at it gently. She tried not to pull away from the sting. “It will leave a scar,” he said.

Aisling grimaced, imagining it already marring her skin. “I know.”

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