I squeeze my eyes shut, and she asks quietly, “What… what are you doing?”
It doesn’t take much to make me cry these days, but there are some things buried deep in my past that would make even the bravest of knights soil their armour.
Finally, a tear drips from my eye, and Ivy watches me mesmerised. “Are…you crying?”
I don’t answer her. Instead, I wipe the tear from my cheek, dabbing it gently on her wound. It heals with a flash of light, and when it’s over, she stares at the smooth skin of her bare shoulder, fascinated.
“It’s healed. How?”
Again, those big, guileless eyes leave me spellbound. My magic depletes, and already I can feel my reserves draining.
“I…healedyou, Ivy…” I rasp, trying to ignore the pounding behind my eyes.
She blinks. “With…your tears?”
“Yes. Fae tears have healing properties.”
Her chin drops, and that’s when my vision tunnels, making her my sole focus. I’m fading away, but it was worth it.
At least I can make it up to her now.
It’s rare for a faerie to give so freely, but it had to be done. I took something from her, and as a result, I gave her something of my own. Magic is equal to blood for the Fae.
“Are you all right?”
My eyes droop. “I-I’mfine, Ivy…you…you can pull up your dress now.”
Ivy gasps, remembering that she left her bodice open. She ties up the strings quickly, turning as red as a poppy, and I do the honourable thing and look away. The mounds of her breasts are far too tempting, and the last thing I want to do is unleash my beast on her. She’s seen enough of my beastly side today.
When she’s decent again, she pushes the blankets aside, eyeing me curiously. “Why would you heal me?”
I cock a brow. Is that a trick question?
“How do you mean?”
She shakes her head. “Normally, you’re not so…giving…What’s the catch?”
Ismirk lazily. “No catch, princess. Blood for blood, ormagicfor blood. What I did was unforgivable, so it was the only way I could absolve myself.”
Her eyes shine with something I can’t quite decipher, and that’s when I realise she’s shedding tears of her own. They drip down her fair cheeks.
My eyes narrow. “What areyoucrying for?”
Ivy sniffs, and how odd—she’s even prettier when she cries. She truly is a rarity.
“I’m…sorry…”
“Sorry for what?”
“For scaring the deer. I just…couldn’t…”
She doesn’t finish, burying her face in her hands, and I watch on, speechless. “There’s no need to cry. I’m not mad at you.”
“No. You have every right to be mad at me. I scared away your chance to eat this winter. How can you ever forgive me?”
It takes a moment for her words to register. When they finally do, I release a grave sigh. “Actually, I wasn’t hunting that deer forme, Ivy. I…was hunting for you. I don’t need to eat as much as a human. Winters here are harsh, and, well…food is scarce.”
She looks up from her fingers, her bottom lip trembling. “You were mad because you were worried about feeding me?”
