I let out a shaky breath and nod in agreement. I rise and head into the bathing room, expecting Bastian to retreat to the sofa while I prepare for bed but when I come back, he’s still standing in the doorway and staring at the floor.
“Bastian?”
“Did you step on glass?”
“Did I— Oh.” I look down and see small smudges of crimson on the floor. I instantly find the spot on the bottom of one foot where I remember feeling the sharp sting earlier. “Yeah, I guess I did. I’m so sorry about the mess.”
His expression is hard and his jaw clenches as he marches over to me, sweeping me into his arms and dumping me onto the bed. He grabs a wet washrag from the bathing room before returning, removing the shard, and cleaning the wound withgentle swipes that don’t seem to match the intensity in his facial features. He’s also found another jar of the green astringent poultice and begins to apply it to the small slice on my foot. It’s barely even a cut and would likely heal on its own overnight, but I don’t bother telling him that for fear of him snapping or biting my head off.
The smell of the paste wafts up to my nose and suddenly it clicks why the scent is so familiar. “Is this a Fae concoction?”
His eyes flick to mine briefly before returning to the jar in his hand. “Yes, it’s made with herbs and florals that only grow here in Alinea.”
“Huh.”
“Why?” he asks, rising and making a motion with his hand to indicate he has to reapply to the cuts on my face.
“I think my aunt has some of this at home.” I try to think back on the poultices and elixirs I’ve helped her craft and never has one smelled like this, but she has others in her stash that she’ll pull out in the more dire situations. And this is one of them.
He raises an eyebrow at me as if to saythat’s more evidence.
Once he’s finished, he sets the jar on the bedside table, so I don’t forget to use it in the morning before he makes to leave the room. He hesitates in the doorway as if he doesn’t want to leave before he finally sighs. “Goodnight, Liv.” And with that he’s out the door and closing it behind him.
