Ignoring Vol’s commentary, I resumed my inspection.“They haven’t closed yet.Shouldn’t they have done that by now?”
Rathiel merely offered another grunt.Super helpful.
Purrgatory padded over with nary a feline concern.He brushed up against Rathiel’s arm, his purr echoing through the room.Rathiel’s hand absently reached down to scratch Purrgatory’s head, his touch gentle despite the pain he was in.The sight of it tugged at something inside me—a reminder that, despite everything, there was still a softness to him, something he rarely showed but was always there.
I rose to my feet and stared down at Rathiel’s back.Then, with a scowl, I said, “Be right back,” and hurried toward the apartment door.
“Lily—” Rathiel started, but I’d already ducked out into the hall before he could utter another word.
I jogged to the next unit and lifted my hand, about to knock, when I paused and considered the time.Most people weren’t up at such a wretched hour.But most people weren’t Willow Bick.
Willow was a professional baker, and an eccentric, self-proclaimed witch who spent her free time studying the Wiccan arts—or so she’d told me once during one of our shared elevator rides.She didn’t possess a lick of magical ability, but she was the type of person who believed in the power of crystals and moon phases.She was also the most grounded person I’d ever met, which led me to believe she’d have a first aid kit.Something I lacked.
And thankfully, since she always woke before the sun to get a start on her day, I knew she’d be up right now.
With that in mind, I knocked firmly on her door, and a few seconds later, it swung open to reveal Willow in her work attire including a flour-dusted apron, a hairnet barely containing her wild curls, and a bright, welcoming smile that never seemed to fade.
“Lily!”she greeted, her voice cheerful.“What brings you to my door at this hour?Not that I mind, of course.”
“Hey, Willow,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual despite the urgency.“Do you happen to have a first aid kit I can borrow?”
Her brow furrowed in concern as she quickly looked me over.“Are you okay?What happened?”
“I’m fine,” I assured her.“It’s for a friend.He got a little banged up at the bar tonight, and I realized I’m not exactly prepared for that sort of thing.”
Willow’s eyes softened with understanding, and she nodded enthusiastically.“Of course!Let me grab it for you.I keep it in the kitchen, just in case I ever have a knife mishap.Happens more than I care to admit.But we’ll just keep that little secret to ourselves.”
I chuckled.Willow didn’t actually know the meaning of the word “secret.”
She disappeared into her apartment, and I could hear her rummaging through drawers.When she returned, she held a metal first aid kit and held it out to me with a smile.“Here you go.Take whatever you need.And if you need any help, just holler.”
“Thanks, Willow.I appreciate it,” I said, taking the kit from her.
“Anytime, Lily.You know where to find me,” she replied with a wink before closing the door.
I hurried back to my apartment, hoping Rathiel was still conscious when I got there.As soon as I stepped inside, I saw him lying exactly where I’d left him, his posture rigid, and Vol hovering nearby, looking far too curious about Rathiel’s injuries for my liking.
“If he dies, can I eat him?”the imp casually asked.
I froze, shock widening my eyes.“Vol!”I hissed.“What iswrongwith you?”
Vol shrugged, his expression annoyingly indifferent.“What?Waste not, want not, right?”
“Your jokes are not appreciated.”At least I hoped it was a joke.But just in case… “Rathiel isn’t dying, and you’re not eating him,” I snapped, moving quickly to Rathiel’s side.The sight of him lying there, fighting to hold on to consciousness, sent a pang of worry through me.
Rathiel, despite his pain, managed a low chuckle, though it was more of a grimace than anything else.“Leave him be, Lily.He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.”
“Well, it’s working,” I muttered, shooting Vol a glare before hurrying over to Rathiel’s side.I knelt down beside him, placing the medical kit on the floor as I quickly assessed his condition.He was still bleeding, but not as badly as before.Still, that his wounds hadn’t healed completely was troubling.
The glint in Vol’s eyes suggested he found the whole situation more amusing than concerning.“I’m just saying, if he does kick the bucket, I’m first in line.”
Ignoring Vol’s morbid comments, I focused on Rathiel.“I got a first aid kit.”
He raised a questioning brow.
“It’s just something humans use when they’re injured.It’s—oh, never mind.Let me patch you up.I can explain what it is later.”
Rathiel didn’t argue, which was a bad sign in itself.He just closed his eyes and let out a slow, pained breath.I hurried to open the kit, pulling out what I needed to take care of the wounds on his back.
