Someone shuffled in the shadowed small space, then Hluti knelt in front of me, glowering. His amber eyes reflected in the tiny stream of filtered light, giving me the shivers. He held out his leather sack, turning his gaze to me.
“Trickle the water into his mouth and make sure he swallows. He’ll be out for a while.” Did I hear concern in his voice? Or even... fear?
I swallowed hard, swinging my eyes to Harper who knelt by my side, examining Rune’s neck with her eyebrows drawn together as she frowned.
This had to be bad.
I shifted in Rune’s arms, and he automatically tightened his hold. Even while unconscious, he protected me, not leaving my side like he promised when I came back to life. I turned as much as I could in his arms, holding the bag to his lips, and tipped it for the water to dribble in and down his throat.
He didn’t respond at first, but as I persisted in making him drink, he finally swallowed a few times. His hands on my stomach flexed as he groaned in his sleep, then relaxed as he succumbed deeper into his slumber.
“You need to drink too. And eat,” Harper said, tenderly rubbing my shoulder.
I swallowed hard and watched Rune, unable to answer her. I could only sit here helplessly, stroking my fingers lightly over his face like a lover would do. Tucking stray pieces of his hair back, I sighed softly and moved another inch to look at his neck.
It was bad.
Pus still wept from the bruise. Dark lines that had to be his veins branched out from the area like it was pumping the serum they shot him with to the rest of his body.
“Is there any way you can heal him?”Slátra’s question played over in my head.
I swallowed hard, jumping when Harper shifted so she sat with her back against the bridge’s stone wall like Rune. Hluti’s boots scuffed as he sat heavily next to her, not allowing her any space.
My eyes went to her, making sure she was okay. I wanted to help her and say something to the others about leaving her alone. But she didn’t look bothered by him. Her gaze was on Rune and me with concern in her shadowed hazel eyes.
“Is there any way you can heal him?”
I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a drink from the water, but struggling to swallow it with how nervous I was. It wouldn’t hurt to try healing. The worst that could happen was that it wouldn’t work, and I was just squinting hard at Rune like those kids who claimed they had telekinesis and said to watch them move an object.
Rune’s arms tightened on me as I shifted to turn around so I straddled him. It was a struggle and a little fight with him as his arms around me never loosened.
“You can help by giving me a kiss.”Rune’s teasing played in my head.
With me half turned in his hold, I gently brought his head down to mine, slanting my mouth on his. He didn’t respond to it in his usual manner. Instead, it was a ghost of a response. His lips parted, and his arms slackened on me, allowing me to turn on him. When I moved, he growled softly against me. His grip tightened again, but I turned just in time to fully straddle him.
I threaded my fingers through his hair, butterflies flapping in my stomach as I kept our lips brushing against each other. A shiver ran up my spine as I wondered if I was taking advantage of him in his sleep.
Consent was a big thing. I would know that, and I didn’t want Rune to feel violated. Especially if he woke up with me straddling him and about to shove my tongue down his throat. I didn’t think I would like that, but... with Rune, I might love waking up with his lips anywhere on me.
Not wanting to upset him when I only wanted to give him a chaste kiss before I tried healing him, I leaned away, only for him to draw me back into him. I gasped into his mouth as he kissed me like he was awake, his hands tightening on me. His tongue swept past the seam of my lips, tangling with mine.
He tasted like strawberries again. And the unknown berry I’d never tasted before until him.
I ended the kiss when he showed no signs of letting up, and even that was a struggle to move away as he chased after me with a low growl deep in his chest. Tangling my fingers in his hair, I kissed his forehead like he’d done to me so many times in comfort.
“I can’t promise this will work. If anything, it might be a funny sight. So I guess, thank god you’re asleep because you won’t want to see the faces I’ll make,” I whispered to him with a soft smile.
Rune’s hands on me squeezed, his fingers bunching into my back, one fisted my cape.
“I’m awake,” he mumbled thickly with sleep in his voice.
I inhaled sharply as I leaned back to look at his face. His eyes were still closed, lines creasing his forehead as he frowned.
“Rune, you’re awake?” I was stupid for asking. He clearly said he was, but I needed to hear it again. I cupped his cheek and melted a little as he leaned into the touch while cracking open his eyes, which he struggled to do.
“Yes, beauty,” he slurred as his lids slid shut again. His hands on me gave another gentle squeeze. “Give me a second... and we can... leave.”
He fought sleep but was doing a terrible job of it as he nodded off.
