“Thanks.”
I closed the door before he could say anything else, wondering why he thought it was so strange that I’d asked for it. Maybe sentries didn’t use alcohol as a disinfectant? If they had healing properties of their own, perhaps they usually didn’t need it.
“This is going to hurt,” I murmured, uncorking the bottle. The smell of pure alcohol assaulted my nostrils.
Disgusting.
“What is?” he asked blearily.
“This.”
I poured the liquid on his chest. Every muscle in his body seemed to jump in reflex, and he took a sharp hiss of breath before grinding his teeth.
“Ah!” he choked. “That.”
I smiled. How was Tejus being so good-humored with all this? He was taciturn and grumpy normally. Did extreme pain cheer him up or something? Weirdo.
Now that his wounds were disinfected I could start removing the rest of the blood. I set about cleaning him up, making sure my touches were as light as possible. Soon the liquid in the bowl was bright red, but his chest already looked better, the blue tinge of the skin returning to Tejus’s normal hue.
You can stop now, I thought.
I really didn’t want to. Unrestricted access to Tejus was rare. I was having trouble containing my imagination as I wiped the towels over his six-pack and biceps. His entire body looked like it had been carved out of marble—it was hard and unyielding…but I could all too easily recall how soft and tender his touch could be.
Get a grip.
I looked away guiltily.
His eyes were closed, and his face now relaxed in sleep. I hoped that meant some of the pain had eased, but I didn’t want to wake him to ask. I discarded the towel, pleased to note that the wound was no longer seeping blood. His healing powers were impressive—that type of cut should have bled for hours.
Leaning forward on my knees, I brushed a few stray strands of hair away from his forehead. Unable to help myself, I gently placed my lips over his. The kiss lasted for less than a moment, but the after-effects lingered long after that—a warm glow suffusing my body.
“Do you always kiss your patients?” His mocking voice broke the silence of the room.
I glared at Tejus, a hot flush rising in my cheeks from being caught red-handed.
“I didn’t mean to wake you,” I muttered.
“You didn’t. I wasn’t asleep.”
He smirked at me, knowingly.
“Whatever,” I huffed. “You should probably syphon off me now anyway.”
The smile didn’t leave his face, but he closed his eyes again. A moment later I could feel the pleasant tingling sensation of our mind-meld beginning. I leaned against the sofa, my body relaxing as I let Tejus take what he needed from me. We didn’t share images or memories this time, just focused on the energy that was passing from my mind to his. It felt hazy and comforting, like I was drifting down a river or something, lost to the world.
Eventually the connection started to fade. I thought something was wrong, but when I looked up at Tejus, I realized he was truly asleep this time—his chest rising and falling with deep breaths.
I watched over him for a while, a tight, knotted sensation building in my chest. I cared for Tejus too much. Without me realizing it, he had slowly become just as important to me as my brother and Ruby and Julian. I worried about him, worried that I asked too much of him—it wasn’t right that he was having to continually hunt down my friends, to be preoccupied with my safety while he was trying to compete in the trials. In the past I had felt that it was a fair deal—he and his brothers had brought us here, they should do everything in their power to keep us safe. As Tejus was the only one capable of doing that, the task was left to him alone. But that feeling was gone. He had more than repaid the debt.
And I loved him.
I knew he felt the same way. I knew Tejus well enough now to know that the way he treated me was completely different from how he treated all others, that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. We had a connection beyond mind-melds and the fact that we had been flung together by chance.
I just needed to persuade him to get over whatever was holding him back from allowing him to let go, to admit that we would be good for one another—that this could be so much more.
Ash
I had been an idiot.
Why hadn’t I listened to Ruby when she’d told me how dangerous Queen Trina was? I wanted to think that it was because I’d been determined to make a difference in Nevertide, to help people like me who never got a fair chance. The truth was, it was probably a lot more to do with my pride and arrogance—wanting to rise up against the Hellswans and prove that I was more than just a kitchen boy. The honestas hallucinations had been right—I would stop at nothing, not even bothering to listen to the girl I was in love with when she told me I was making a mistake.