Page 132 of Upon Buried Embers
“I didn’t take you for a liar.” Neither did I.
She sighs and comes over to me, placing a kiss on my head like a child. “Rest.”
And then she’s gone.
I rinse the cloth and grab more water, wiping sweat from her face, and then add more wood to the fire before coming back and sitting next to her once more.
“Come on, Little Whisperer. We need to get up, there’re things to do.” She breathes deeply, but her eyes don’t open. “Escor misses you, even Drogonah has been more grumpy than usual.”
I sigh and look at the medicine and back to her, a plan forming.
“Don’t hate me for this.”
I take a drink of the medicine, barely tasting the rancid thing, before I grab the back of her head and gently lift her up.
Once satisfied it’s enough, I place my lips to hers and gently nudge them, coax them open.
It takes a little while, but she parts them a little, and then I place my lips on hers, letting some of the medicine flow in.
Touching her this way should excite me, but my sole focus is on getting this medicine inside of her, in any way I can.
This isn’t how I’ll kiss her for the first time.
So I continue like this, taking it slow, and eventually, she has taken all of it.
I lay her gently back down, stroking a finger down the side of her face.
“There, that should make you feel better.”
I clean up, and watch her shivering in her sleep, hating myself more and more.
She burns up once again, sweat dripping down the side of her head and I grab a fresh cloth.
Bath.
That’s what Asseya said will help.
After making sure the water’s ready, I peel the furs back, preparing to lift her.
“I’ll keep the tunic on, don’t worry, and then I’ll change the bed—”
I frown as I look down at her arm.
There are dark marks on her, five of them, and I place my hand on it, trying to wipe it away.
It doesn’t.
I grab a damp cloth, rubbing over it, and once again, it doesn’t go away.
What the fuck?
Sitting now, I lift her arm and get a closer look, running my finger over them.
They aren’t dark, they’re a deep purple.
I look further down and see another mark on her forearm, this one larger. I quickly check the other one, and there are two small ones there.
I sit back, fury building as I pull the furs back more, eyes glued to her legs as more marks appear, one looking to be the shape of a boot.
