Page 42 of The Demon's Delight
Peacefulwas the word that came to mind as he crossed back in front of me with the wet clothes, then laid them all out on some of the larger stone formations.
There was no resting for him, it seemed. Once that was done, he stoked the fire and started some tea in the big pot. Then he wandered off toward the trees, still barefoot in just a towel.
“Won’t your feet get dirty? Or cut up? What will we do then? I’m not sure I can carry you!” I teased.
I was rewarded with a rich laugh. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Hailon! You’re dangerous, remember? That includes strong.”
He vanished into the trees, and I finished up, getting out and into my own towel as quickly as I could, all too aware that he would be within his rights to look his fill at me as I had of him.
As I turned around, my eyes met Seir’s, the pile of berries he’d collected in the end of his towel spilling to the ground at his feet.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up,” he rushed to say, one hand out defensively. His eyes darted up and down my form, then over to the trees, a fierce blush lighting up his cheeks. But everything stopped when he dropped his gaze toward the ground again. “Hailon, what’s happened to your leg?”
Chapter 20
Seir
“It’s nothing,” she said casually, as though the black and purple streaks were completely normal.
“That is not nothing,” I said, dropping to my knees to take a better look. The injury was fresh, angry. I worried briefly about blood poisoning as I examined the damage, but the red streaks were contained enough that seemed unlikely. “Why do I feel as though that’s something I’m going to be repeating often with you?”
“Seir, truly. It doesn’t hurt much at all.”
I glanced up at her, finding a cross between annoyance and amusement on her face as she held the knot in her towel together with her fingers.
“How can something that looks like that not be painful? And where did you get it? Were you hurt yesterday?” Guilt pressed in, fierce and hot. She’d been so concerned about me, about my healing, that she’d neglected her own injuries completely. And so had I. “I’m sorry, I should have?—”
She heaved a sigh and put her hand against my mouth to silence me. Her doing that while I was on my knees before her sent a riot of thrills through my veins. I tensed, worried shecould see right through me, and considering a hasty escape back to the trees so I could take a private moment to… relax.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m fine. Honestly.”
I narrowed my eyes and started collecting the berries I’d dropped. “Explain so I can understand. Please. I’ll beg if need be, I’m already on my knees.”
“You’re absolutely ridiculous.” She finally let go of her towel, the knot holding steady as she put her hands together to make a bowl and accepted the berries.
As we walked over to the fire, I was unnaturally aware of her stride, the way she favored her injured leg a tiny bit. She’d had a limp for most of the time I’d known her, and that, too, was my fault. There were hot embers trapped under my ribs, burning in a way that was increasingly worrisome.
She tipped one of the water flasks to her mouth, shaking it after only getting a few drops. “It will be gone in a few days.”
“Something like that will not resolve in just a manner of days, Hailon. Saints, it looks like you hurt yourself the same place—” I choked on the air in my throat, understanding pressing down on me like stones. I reached for her towel, pulling the edge to the side with a finger, exposing a similar mark on her stomach. I spun her, finding bruising on her shoulders, some old and yellowing, leftover from when I first helped her escape. Others the same fresh red and purple.
“Hey! Stop that!” She yanked the cloth from my fingers and pulled it back tight, cheeks reddening as she stared me down.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be forward,” I apologized, suddenly mortified at what I’d done. “I wasn’t trying to see?—”
“It’s fine,” she snapped, knuckles white where she clung to the fabric wrapped around her.
Understanding dawned, and ice slipped down my spine. “That’s the cost, isn’t it.” Her lips thinned and she wouldn’t meet my eye as she dug around in her pack. “Your magic, theway you healed me—that’s what it cost you to do it.” An almost imperceptible nod. Cold rage rumbled under my skin, my chest aching. “You should have told me, Hailon. I wouldn’t have let you?—”
Her head snapped my direction, fury burning behind her eyes. “It wasn’tupto you. You needed healing, there was no time to waste discussing such things. I helped you. I fixed it. I knew the cost and willingly paid it. Just like I did for the frog. Just like I did for Widow Callahan, though I had to be clever about that so she thought it was the ointment. It’s no different than what I’ve done for the hundreds of others before that.”
I struggled with what might be the right response. If I let the brash words of frustration I held behind my lips burst free, I would surely lose any goodwill I’d built with her. If I said nothing, I was sure to go mad. My demon was close to the surface but was stifled from releasing. My horns ached to be let out, and my eyes were almost certainly glowing. Hailon squinted at me but showed no fear over my outburst. If fact, she’d put her shoulders back and raised her chin, her indignance prepared to go to war with my accusation.
I reached out, grabbed onto her shoulders and pulled, folding her into my arms.
“What—”
“Shh.”
