Briar exited the back room with a bundle of herbs and paused. “You should be resting, Callum.”
“Yeah, Cal.” Giving him the side eye, I lightly bumped his uninjured arm. “You should be resting.”
He peered down at me and bumped me right back, smile still in place. “I feel fine. The elixirs healed me. I would’ve gone mad spending all day in bed.”
“You sound just like another knight I know.” Briar pushed his glasses farther up his nose. “Lack of selfcare must be in your code. Pigheadedness too.”
“What do pigs have to do with this?” Callum asked. “Although, I do enjoy bacon.”
I slumped against the kitchen counter and laughed. Good thing he was pretty.
“Allow me to check your wounds,” Briar said, gathering fresh wrappings. As he and Callum went into the medical ward, I followed. “Are you in any pain?”
“No.” Callum sat on the cot. “Only a bit sore.”
I coughed. It took all my willpower not to say that was why he shouldn’t have been whacking a tree with a stick. Light drills the day after being mauled by a demon? I should’ve spanked him.
“The wound on your neck concerns me most.” Briar carefully unwrapped the bandage. “Your artery was nearly severed. It’s a miracle you didn’t bleed out before reaching the clinic.”
My playful irritation lifted, and a deep chill took its place.
“I remember very little after the attack,” Callum said as his eyes glazed over. “But I vaguely recall the captain holding me against him during the trek home, his hand around my throat.”
A sense of awe touched Briar’s expression. “He must’ve applied pressure to the wound. It saved your life.”
That explained the blood on Maddox’s armor. He’d held Callum and did all he could to make sure he made it home. There was a quiver in my throat, and I left the medical ward just as tears flooded my eyes.
Busying myself in the kitchen was the best distraction. It calmed my nerves and slowed my racing thoughts. As the muffins cooled, I cooked bacon and eggs, then grabbed plates from the cupboard.
“It’s a miracle you didn’t bleed out.”
My chest felt tight, and it was hard to breathe. I rushed over and flung open the window, hoping the fresh air would help. It did.
The front door opened.
“Evan!” Thane beamed just as he always did when seeing me. A satchel hung over his shoulder, and he carried a glass jar with a familiar terror inside.
“Morning,” I greeted him, then looked at the beetle. “Hello, Holly. Nice to see you. As always.”
Thane gave a toothy grin, stole a strip of bacon, and disappeared into the back room. Probably to work on advanced potions and tonics. I wasn’t allowed in that room. Everything in there was either highly toxic, poisonous, or sharp.
The heavy thumps of boots neared the door before it swung open again, this time bringing a group of knights. My captain in front.
“Morning, sweetheart.” Maddox greeted me with a soft kiss. “We can’t stay for long.”
“Long enough to eat, I hope.” I nodded to the food on the counter. “Muffins, eggs, and bacon. But you have to save some for Callum.”
“How is the lieutenant?” Baden asked.
Normally, the knights would’ve been attacking the food. Instead, they all stared at me, waiting for an update. My boys were so worried.
“He’s much better.” Briar exited the medical ward, wiping his hands. “However, I insisted he stay in bed for the remainder of the day. The elixirs healed the worst of his injuries, but his body needs time to recuperate.”
Quincy expelled a breath. Duke nodded to himself. Baden’s shoulders relaxed. The relief in the room was palpable.
Maddox had already known Callum’s condition. He’d slept in the medical ward last night, using the cot beside me, and had woken when I did. Before leaving for the barracks, he’d kissed me silly, then told me to watch over his lieutenant.
“If there’s one thing Callum despises, it’s being confined to a bed.” Maddox pulled me into his arms and pressed his mouth to my ear. “I’m sure a muffin would lift his spirits.”
