“What’s that?” she asked, watching closely as he sorted through them.
“Something for your headache.” He selected three ingredients, laying them out by his side. “Keeps the dreams away, too.”
That surprised her.
“I didn’t know you knew how to make herbal remedies.”
“It’s necessary. I have to keep moving when I’m hurt,” he said.
She watched his hands work – quick and practised – the motions second nature. She wondered how many nights he’d had to patch himself up alone. A familiar scent hit her. “Elderberry root.”
He didn’t look up from his work. “And lavender.”
She caught the soft, calming fragrance as he crushed it between his fingers.
He lit a small fire and dropped the ingredients into a tin cup of water. Next he pulled a thin, pale sliver of wood out of a paper-wrapped bundle by his side. It glittered in the firelight. He broke off a piece and dropped it into the mixture, and held the cup over the flames.
Kara blinked. “Moonblossom bark? That’s not for headaches.”
“Not usually,” Sebastian agreed, stirring the remedy. “But it helps quiet the mind. Makes the other herbs work harder.”
Impressive. I wouldn’t have thought to use that.
Steam curled upward, sharp and a little sweet. He held it out to her. “Drink it whilst it’s hot.”
As she took it, her hand brushed his fingers slightly, but he didn’t flinch. Though the taste was more bitter than she’d expected, she drank it without complaint. To her surprise, it worked where her magic had failed; the pounding in her head faded quickly, and the dizziness eased.
“Thanks,” she said gratefully.
He shrugged and went back to watching the fire. An uneasy silence stretched between them.
“Why are you really here, Kara?” His voice was low, deliberately casual.
She looked up, caught off guard. “For Vallenna.”
A faint crease appeared between his brows. “No. There’s something else. You’re giving up a lot for the sake of a vision. Just because I believe it’s true.”
“So are you,” she said.
“Tell me.”
His eyes pinned her. It made her forget how to breathe. Forget how to think.
Because I want to be with you.
“Because I–”
What are you doing?! Do not tell him that!
“For Vallenna,” she finished quickly. “I can’t be a healer if there’s no one left to heal.”
Sebastian watched her intently. He’d noticed her slip, how the almost-confession hung in the air between them. But he didn’t push. Kara thought the conversation was over, but after a moment Sebastian leaned back, considering her.
“Why did the Council send you? I thought Thorne soldiers–”
She shook her head. “Your father wouldn’t send them.”
He went still. “What?”
