The blonde pulled me back in surprise and my head swung in a way that I got a full view of the Prince. He was standing above the brunette, with one hand aimed at him, the other at the blonde—at me. His hands were holding orbs of fire. His face was set in stone, zoned in on the kill.
He sent white-hot fire towards the brunette, showing no mercy as the man screamed in pain. Flames licked at the back of the man’s neck. He tried to cover his head with his hands, producing an even higher octave of frantic cries. A truly terrible sound… to hear a grown man’s agonized sobs.
Galen’s flames sputtered out and smoke filled the air. The man’s hair and skin were gone where fire had touched. All that remained were bloody blisters from only seconds of flame. He was shaking and retching. The smell of burnt flesh singed my nostrils. I bit my tongue to keep from vomiting on the spot.
The blonde seemed to consider his options before letting me go and sprinting away. As soon as I was free, I approached the shaking woman. “Are you okay?” I asked.
Her eyes were wide as she glanced at my chest and said, “Yes, thank you. I didn’t mean to cause trouble. Areyouokay?”
“I’m fine,” I breathed.
“You’re covered in blood,” Galen gasped, running over and steadying me.
I peeked down. My top half was soaked in dark liquid. It looked shockingly bad, but I felt fine.
Melisandre approached me carefully. “I’m a healer, Miss. May I look you over?”
“It’s nothing.“ I waved her off, but she ignored me, inspecting the cut under my collarbone.
“Theres a lot of blood, but your wound appears to be scabbed over…” She continued to investigate.
“Scabbed over? But how—” I touched my chest and felt no open wound—only a thin line of raised, rough skin. I released an astonished gasp.
Last night in the bath, I’d been perplexed when I found no swelling around my ankle from my fall—no scratches from the thorny brush I’d been running through, but I’d been too exhausted to give it much thought.
The slice from the sword had been much more substantial—and it hadjusthappened. A wave of dizziness rolled through me, making me slow blink and stumble.
“Hold onto me for support. Robert, bring her some water,” Galen barked.
“Are you a healer too, then?” she asked. Galen turned towards us with pricked ears.
“No, not that I know of,” I said, shaking my head aggressively.
She looked towards the Prince. “Forgive me, Your Highness. They wanted my human. I wouldn’t tell them where he was. I-I’m protective of him.”
“I understand,” Galen sighed. “It seems we had fortunate timing to show up when we did. I’m sorry you and your source are being harassed. A sign of the times, I’m afraid. I’ll assign more guards to this section of the city.”
He was winding down from his adrenaline rush—the crazed look in his eyes was starting to recede. “One more thing… Do I need to remind you of the law? Can I trust you aren’t breaking it?” He gave her a stern look and she bowed, nodding adamantly. His shoulders relaxed as he accepted her answer.
A gurgled moan escaped the lifeless brunette and I studied him. His wounds were still fresh. Oozing pink blisters covered his body, while some parts had burned so deep, I could see exposed white tissue.
“Are you able to heal him?” I asked. He was going to be in excruciating pain when he woke.
“Yes, but I don’t heal monsters—not when magic is in short supply. May his pain act as a reminder to stay away from me and mine.” Her eyes blazed with loathing as she looked down at him, then softened when they fell back on me. “I’m Melisandre, Meli for short. I need to return home. But thank you, for everything. If you ever need me, I own Arrowroot Apothecary.” She bowed deeply and hurried off.
Galen twisted towards me, glowering. I knew that look. Thea had given it to me many times. I was about to get a lecture. “Next time, talk to me before rushing in to save the day. You’re too important to die over disagreements that don’t concern you.”
He reached out and brushed a thumb along my collar bone. It was slick with blood when he pulled away. He left me speechless, as he sucked the finger into his mouth, held my gaze, and tasted my blood. I covered my mouth in shock and jerked away from him in disgust.
“Keep your hands off of me,” I growled. He backed up and put his hands in his pockets. His only reaction was a slight tick of the jaw. And then—so brief that I was sure I’d imagined it—a golden glow shimmered around him. I did a double-take, but whatever I’d seen didn’t reappear.
He gave me a satisfied smile. “So you’re a healer. A powerful one. Good thing, since it seems you’re prone to injury.”
I flushed in embarrassment. Contrary to what he probably thought of me, I didn’t often find myself in dangerous situations that requiredrescuing. I could usually hold my own. If I’d been taught to fight like a man, perhaps I could’ve won at a fist fight too.
I glanced down at the burned faerie in front of me. Had I caused that? I felt responsible. But I didn’t regret helping Melisandre. Women needed to look out for each other.
“Would you have intervened, had I not been here?” I asked, refusing to meet his gaze.
