Page 155 of Mikoto and the Reaver Village
“Right, then.” It was clearly up to her. “Tell me what todo.”
“Remove his bandages. Clean him up. Reapply ointment.” Withhis gaze firmly fixed on Gregor’s face, he gruffly added, “Better check hisleg, too. Fend bit him.”
Lilya studied Sinder, who looked increasingly wilted. “Whatdid youdo?”
“I messed up.”
“Anyone can make a mistake.” Lilya located the medical kitand pointed to the foot of the bed. Sinder scooted to the edge and sat witheyes downcast.
“Mistake?” Timur’s accent thickened. “This was a debacle.”
“You know the rules.” Lilya patiently quoted, “You can’tpoint to consequences without weighing them against intentions.”
“He made a grievous error.”
“Unintentionally?”
“Carelessly.”
Lilya propped her hand on her hip. “That falls under simplestupidity, and you know it.”
Sinder blurted, “What are you two on about?”
“Uncle Argent says there are levels of stupidity, but thosewho climb them sometimes achieve genius.” She gestured for him to remove histunic. “There are also depths of stupidity, and those mired in them rarely getby without help.”
“That’s probably why I need a partner,” Sinder muttered.
Lilya placed a hushing finger over his lips. “That was asecret, yes?”
Sinder winced. “I’m sorry.”
“Sayingsorryis a good start.” Lilya eased gauzeaway from an injury that was healing nicely. “What did you do?”
“Confess,” ordered Timur. “Tell my sister the tale of yourthoughtlessness. You can spare Kyrie that much, yes?”
Lilya gave her brother a hard look and went into thebathroom to fill a basin with hot water. She sometimes helped the mares and Mumwith this kind of thing. Everybody at Stately House learned the basics of thehealing arts. She wasn’t completely hopeless, so long as she was following orders,but she didn’t like seeing people in pain.
Right now, both Timur and Sinder were in pain. And shewanted to help.
She quietly cleaned Sinder up. He endured it while stealingglances at Timur.
“You are depleted,” Lilya said. And to Timur, “He needstending.”
“I am in no fit state,” her brother said firmly. “Is Mikotostill around? Or Tenma. He’d be best.”
Lilya was tempted to ask his opinion of Tenma. But shewasn’t about to bring up her impending contract while Timur was angry. Instead,she busied herself with ointment and gauze. “Sinder, what does Kyrie have to dowith what happened?”
He met her gaze. “I blabbed a secret, and he overheard. Itwas about his biological father.”
“Why would that be bad?” She risked a look at Timur, whoseexpression was unreadable.
Sinder sighed. “How much should I say?”
“Nowyou weigh your words?” asked Timur.
“She’s just a kid.” When Timur offered no guidance, Sinderlooked ready to be sick. “We’ve been training battlers to hunt dragons. Becausethere’s this one dragon. He’s a very bad person.”
Lilya helped Sinder into a clean shirt. “Kyrie’s actual dadis some kind of criminal?”
