I try. I really, really do. But this time when my eyes close, I find that I can’t open them again.
Chapter Three
Miles
“Stop looking so worried,” Christian murmurs, sipping his second cup of brown tea as we sit on my porch once more. Now that he’s on his second cup he’s looking a lot more human. He even smiled at me once we finished getting everything inside my shop set up and ready.
“I’m not.”
Christian raises his brow, looking smug. “You do. Maybe if you’d just talk to Mr. Tall, Blue, and Handsome you could stop pining on your porch like one of those poor saps waiting at their window for their lover to come home from war.”
I stare at my friend for a long moment before blurting out, “that’s the most I’ve heard you say in one go since getting here.”
Christian rolls his eyes, going back to sipping from his mug. I let out a long sigh before sitting beside him, the two of us pushing off and making my porch bench begin to swing. The motion is nice and helps soothe my nerves. I stare out at the fieldof tall grass, biting my bottom lip as I think about Timalah, my stomach swooping.
“I’m not that obvious, am I?”
What I get in return is an obnoxious snort. I shove my elbow into his rib in retaliation. “Seems obvious to everyone but him,” Christian murmurs.
The wind howls, a cold freshness washing over us, cooling us off from the hot sun. The sweet scent of flowers hits my nose. I sit back and relax, my chest easing the longer we sit here swinging.
“You sure it’s not hero worship you’re feeling?”
I give a shrug. “It probably started as that,” I say seriously, hating the way my heart is jumping up into my throat. “But now it’s more than that. Ever since that first meeting I’ve feltsomething. Hero worship, fascination, lust, call it whatever you want. But now Iknowhim. And as I know him more, I like him more. Simple as that.”
Christian nods along as I talk, his usual grumpy demeanor falling away for just a moment. He reaches over and squeezes my bicep, reminding me why I choose this asshole as my best friend. “I think I understand,” he says kindly, his voice going soft. “There’s just thatsomethingthat draws you in. Makes you feel safe.”
“Yeah. Exactly.” Christian hums, running his fingers through his unruly dark hair.
“Ghenie is--” he starts to say only to stand up, tossing his mug to the side. My heart picks up speed as I stand as well, finding Ghenie and Gendry carrying Timalah towards us.
“Fuck,” I hiss out, opening my front door. “Through here,” I tell them, ushering them into my home. Thankfully, they know the way, carrying Timalah into my apothecary.
As Christian shows them exactly where to lay Timalah down, I hurry to my supplies. “What happened?” I demand, grabbingbandages and supplies for stitching up the wound on his shoulder. I take a deep breath as I go, finding that calm that comes within the storm, the same calm I used to have when I rode in my ambulance back home. Keeping a lid on my emotions is hard when it’s Timalah that’s needing my help but I do my best.
Ghenie looks at me, his usual white skin having a green tint to it. He pulls Timalah’s armour away, showing off a long talon embedded into his skin, the wound oozing black blood. “He was struck by adenstree.” Ghenie’s white eyes grow moist as he turns to look down at Timalah’s face and my stomach sinks. “A wound like this is most definitely fatal.”
“No,” I say through clenched teeth. “You arenotallowed to call time of death yet.” I straighten my spine and shoulder my way next to Timalah, getting close enough to get a proper look. Ghenie is still there, hovering and breathing down my neck, watching my every move.
“The venom is deadly,” Gendry says, his eyes mournful.
“Christian, get them out of here,” I say, my voice as calm as ever. “I need to focus and I can’t while they’re sitting here already saying their goodbyes.”
Ghenie grabs my arm, forcing me to look up at him. “As your leader--”
“You arenotmy leader,” I say through gritted teeth, cutting him off. He takes a shocked step back, letting go of my arm like I hoped the statement would. “Don’t finish that sentence, Ghenie. I need you to trust me.”
He gives me a long look, one I’m almost positive we don’t have time to indulge in. Finally, he’s nodding and stepping out of the room. A breath leaves my lungs as I take off my ‘grieving family’ hat and put on my ‘EMT’ hat, preparing to do everything I can to save my patient.
I spare just a moment to look over Timalah’s face. His usual handsome face is slack, his skin such a pale blue. He’s wheezing, like the venom is slowly sucking the life right out of him. I wrack my brain, trying to come up with a solution.
I run over to my supply of plants, finding one I’m praying will work for this. I shove a bundle of them into my mouth, knowing this way will be faster than if I get out my mortar. My jaw aches but I keep chewing, grinding the plants up into a paste that leaves my mouth tasting bitter and gross, like I’ve just licked a skunk’s ass. Once I’ve put on my gloves, I spit the plant out into my palm, the purple plant wet and pasty.
With my free hand I yank the talon free before replacing it with the paste as quickly as I can, not wanting Timalah to lose too much more blood. I hold it onto the wound, watching as black puss begins to drain from the hole in Timalah’s skin, the venom beingpulledout by the plant. I breathe easily for the first time since seeing the group running my way.
“Hey,” Christian whispers and it’s only now that I realize he’s in the room with me. I let out a shaky breath.
“Can you make some more paste?”
