He frowns, then studies my face. Something in my expression must come through to him, because he gives me a curt nod and wraps me in a hug. I lean against him, grateful for his warmth.
“Look at these!”
We all jump as Nurse MacLeod throws open the door to the clinic. She waves us all inside, then points at the ghostly black-and-white images on her large computer screen.
Fuck. What have I done? I stare at the outlines of bones, two similar images open side by side, but my medical knowledge is almost nonexistent. Someone needs to explain what I’m seeing.
“This is beyond any dragon abilities,” she says, her voice rising with each word. “She’s healed her!”
Oh!
She points to one side of the screen. “See? Fractured rib! And here, it’s healed. It should have taken Maya several days to grow her bones back together completely. Miss Jones has done it in a couple of hours!”
Had it really taken that long? I have no idea how much time passed during our spell. It doesn’t matter, as long as Maya is really better.
Maya opens one eye from where she’s lying. “Thanks, Skye.”
“The vertebrae have fused themselves together, and even the swelling has gone down. There’s a couple of hairline cracks visible, but it’s nothing a couple of days of rest won’t fix,” the nurse is saying to Maya and Jack’s parents.
Jack tightens his hold on me. “You did it.”
I grip him right back, a sob of relief tearing itself from my throat. “We did it.”
The entire family crowds together, hugging and crying, and I’m in the middle of it all, overwhelmed. They’re so grateful to me for this spell, yet I couldn’t have done it on my own. What’s more, Maya wouldn’t even be injured if it wasn’t for the fact that I was a witch. Their praise and thanks is too much, and the pressure inside my chest builds, threatening to burst.
“All right.” Aiden’s voice cuts through the chatter and exclamations. “I think it’s time we let Skye rest. Leanne, can you bandage her hands so she doesn’t get them dirty?”
It takes me a second to figure out he’s talking to the nurse. But I’m ridiculously glad he somehow figured out I was uncomfortable. Biting my lip, I remain still as the nurse cleans my burns as best she can, covers them with a special non-stick bandage, and wraps me up in white bandages that leave my fingers looking like sausages. There’s no way I’ll be able to do anything requiring fine motor skills with these.
Finally, I’m allowed to leave. Jack turns as if to walk with me, but I put my hand to his chest.
“Stay with them,” I whisper, aware that every person in the room has ultra-sensitive ears. “I’ll be fine.”
He seems torn but nods. “I’ll come find you later.”
Aiden takes my elbow and guides me from the suite, closing the door behind us. “Can you walk on your own?”
“Yeah.” I’m bone-tired, but so far, steady on my feet.
“Good. I’ll grab Ty, then, and get you both to bed.”
I lean against the wall and wait for him to shuffle a sleepy Ty out of the adjacent office. We make our slow way up the path to the Lodge, stopping frequently to allow Ty to rest. His feet drag on the ground, and his eyelids droop. Finally, Aiden curses and picks him up in a fireman’s hold, then carries him all the way to the Lodge and into Jack’s bedroom.
Somehow, this has become the room Ty, Jack, and I are staying in, as though we’ve moved in together. We never made any formal decisions about this—we just ended up sharing the bed every night. I like it. It’s easy and uncomplicated.
With Ty and Jack, anyway. My relationship with Aiden is plenty convoluted, as evidenced by the fact that he’s clearly uncomfortable in here. He places Ty on the bed and helps me remove his boots, jacket, and sweater, then stands by the door, shuffling his feet.
“Will you be okay until morning?” he asks. “Do you need any help with, uh…” He motions at my hands.
I glance down at the bandages.Shit. Of all the days to be wearing a button-down flannel shirt.
“Um,” I say, “yeah. I’ll manage. Don’t worry.”
He glowers at me. “What is it?”
“Seriously, it’s not—”
“Do you really think I’d leave you knowing you needed something?” he interrupts me.
