Page 25 of Tales of a Deadly Devotion
‘Bloody saints, Kat.’ The boys smile wobbled on his lips as he looked over me with disbelief, before throwing his arms around me, his breath not quite steady under the crushing pressure of his embrace as we tumbled backwards a step. I couldn’t help the small laugh that slipped free – no matter how it tugged painfully at my ribs – as I pressed my palms against his back, holding onto him.
‘Hello, William.’ I used my finger to untangle a curl from around his horn, finding a small dry leaf stuck there from his work.
He tipped his head back, tears in those warm brown eyes as his smile wobbled on his lips. ‘You’re back.’
I swallowed down the emotion building within me. How stupid I’d been and how he deserved to suffer none of it.
‘I feel much better. I just wanted to stretch my legs.’ I ignored the weight of the lie as he pulled back, rubbing his cheeks with an embarrassed flush, realising my state of undress.Only the minute William stepped back to release me, a weakness ate into my bones, almost buckling my knees.
‘Easy!’ William cried out, arms coming around me as if I was an oversized doll he was attempting to carry.
‘I’ll be all right.’ I flushed, grasping onto his shoulders and trying to find my balance.
‘The bloody house shouldn’t have let you out,’ Gideon cursed, striding around the table. The floor raised to trip him on his way to help William, forcing him to stumble as he took my arm once more, the cupboards rattling as the jars inside clinked as if in reprimand. ‘Fuck’s sake,’ he cursed again at the floor. ‘Behave.’
‘Come on. Let’s get you back to bed,’ William huffed, taking a firm hold of my other arm. ‘Gideon, don’t fight with the house. It’s still annoyed about you ripping up the east flooring.’
‘Why would you do that?’ I demanded, turning to look at the healer. Concerned as to why he’d go so far out of his way to annoy the house.
Gideon kept his gaze ahead, jaw tight with displeasure, clearly keeping his disagreements with the house to himself. I wanted to press for more but then I realised they were both guiding me back into the hall. Back to bed.
You gave your blood too freely, little troll.A dark, horrid voice mocked in the back of my mind. The memory of that pit, waiting to devour me as I slept.
‘I don’t want to go back to bed.’ Panic tightened my throat, making the words sound like a squeak from my lips. I was too scared to go back to the nightmares. To remember, digging my heels into the hardwood floor – jarring them both.
‘You need to rest, Kat,’ William tried to reassure me as they continued to guide me through the door.
‘The house also needs to stop—’, Gideon choked on his words. ‘Youinterfering menace!’
I looked up. We weren’t in the bedroom. The house had taken us to the study.
A relieved breath escaped me before I filled my lungs again with the familiar and comforting smell of books. The stacked bookcases. Pointed arches and decorative carvings instantly putting me at ease. How low the fire sat in the hearth, the wooden carved griffins peering down from the beams above in curiosity.
Home.
‘Let’s sit you down anyway,’ William offered nervously, eyes moving to Gideon whose jaw was clenched so tight I worried if he’d have any teeth left as he glared at the ceiling.
William dutifully guided me to a chaise before the fire – one that had never been there before and was oddly cleared of any clutter.
‘I’ll be fine here for a little while,’ I tried to reason as William helped me sit. The cushions rearranged themselves behind my back at the house’s command as a thick blanket slid off the arm and across my lap.
‘I’ll be the bloody judge of that,’ Gideon huffed, moving to rifle thought his desk like an ill-tempered thief.
The house gave a clatter of the desk drawers in answer. Clearly unbothered by Gideon’s annoyance.
‘You do look pretty awful, Kat,’ William added, biting his lip anxiously as he fussed with the blanket on my lap.
‘Thank you, William.’ I grimaced, as another biting twinge consumed my side. Then Gideon was back in front of me, a murky vial of liquid in his hand.
‘Drink all of it.’ He uncorked it, making me almost retch at the stench, like rotten eggs. Even William went a bit green. The healer’s eyes narrowed, anticipating resistance from me.
I could have refused, only I had a horrid feeling Gideon Swift would have no issue with plugging my nose and forcing the mixture down my throat like I was a petulant child. I decided to save William from the harrowing sight.
I took the vial and did as I was told. Thankfully, it tasted far better than it smelt. Finding the mixture sweet on my tongue.
‘Well done, Kat.’ William grinned. ‘I can make you some nettle tea, that’ll help with—’
Only he didn’t get to finish.
