Page 27 of Tempting the Fae Lord
But when he finally returns, I forget all that and gasp at what I see.
He’s disheveled, covered in blood, and clearly favoring his left leg. One arm holds the bawling, red-faced infant while the other white-knuckles a filthy dagger.
I jump to my feet. “Smoldering ashes, what happened to you?”
“Not now, Gale. Fetch Eulayla.” He glances down at himself and sniffs. “On second thought, don’t get her yet.”
“Were you in a fight? Are you okay? That’s a lot of blood.” The closer he comes, limping with each step, the more I smell him. An awful scent wafts from his dirtied clothes. Death.
“I’m fine.”
He’s not, though. “And the baby?”
“She’s terrified but unharmed.” He stalks past me and makes for the kitchen. “Put water on to warm, and fetch a stack of clean linens.”
I hurry to complete those tasks, jittery hands fumbling with the water. The more I stare, the more he doesn’t look fine to me. He looks injured. Gravely injured.
Fear crawls under my skin, making it itch. I’ve never seen him get so much as a splinter. I thought him invincible. Thatsomething could happen that would cause him to limp is unfathomable.
Linens in hand, I rush back to his side. “What can I do to help?”
“Nothing, at the moment.”
I reach for the baby. “Let me take her to Eulayla.”
“Wash her first.” He unwraps her from the grimy swaddle and hands her over. Her nightclothes are damp with whatever mix of blood and filth covers them both. I undress her as he peels off his layers.
“What happened?”
“I said not now, Gale.”
I drop it because “not now” implies he’ll tell me later, and I’m willing to settle for that. But my mind runs wild with possibilities. Other fae or other vampires, maybe even humans? Who could do this to him?
Oh!
There are pirates on the other side. I’ve read stories. Maybe it was pirates!
“Was it pirates?”
“No.” He grunts and tugs off his boots.
“Damn.” Pirates would have been neat. I soak a clean rag in warm water and coo at the baby as I wash her. “You’re safe now, little one. Don’t cry.”
She cries.
Poor thing. I mix a bit of soap with the water and take care of the worst of it while watching him out of the corner of my eyes. “What’s her name?”
“She doesn’t have one anymore.” He doesn’t sugarcoat that in the slightest.
How sad. To be so young and already experience such a great loss. “She’ll need a new one.”
“You choose.”
“Me?”
He’s down to his underclothes. The rest lies in a stinking pile in the middle of the floor. He strips off the last upper layer, leaving his chest bare. “Why not?”
I forget what we’re talking about and stare. I’ve never seen him undressed before. Even covered in blood, he’s alluring. I shake off the stupor. “You said there’s a couple in the village who want her.”
