Page 186 of Feralheart

“I’ll take care of Aristus. You need to rest your shoulder.”

I reached out and grabbed her hand, though I could only stroke her knuckles once before she tugged it away, her gaze shooting to the elite area.

“I want to do this for Aristus. He saved my life.”

“Then I’ll help you.” She jogged to her pack lying in front of the tent she’d share with Lyndie, returning with two brushes, holding one out. “Let’s get this over with because I’m going to make sure you rest after we’re done.”

“I promise I’ll try to obey.”

Her laugh came out breathy. “You’re terrible at following orders.”

“Only yours. Always yours.” The words slipped out.

Silence stretched long enough that panic started creeping up my spine. I’d said too much. Admitted too much. She was going to⁠—

“Let’s take care of Aristus.” Her voice had gone quiet. Careful. “Before it gets too dark to see properly.”

I walked over to Aristus much slower than I liked, Eradin remained with me, her hand out to grab onto me if I started to fall. A stronger man would shrug her way, snap that I could handle this myself.

I said nothing.

We groomed Aristus. Or Eradin did, with me fumbling around beside her.

She guided my wrist once to show me the direction the scales lay, her grip light and matter-of-fact, gone before I’d finished registering it. I found myself slowing my work after that, making mistakes that required correction.

Aristus turned his head to look at me with one eye.

“Don’t,” I said quietly.

His exhale almost sounded like laughter.

When we’d finished, she took the brush from me and tossed it onto the ground.

“Inside your tent with you,” she said, pointing in that direction. “You haven’t eaten, have you? I asked your servants to bring you food.”

I wasn’t surprised. If left to my mother, I’d starve.

“I drank water,” I said.

“It’s not enough.”

“Will you join me?”

Her brown eyes went darker than pitch. “I shouldn’t.”

Shouldn’t tasted better than can’t.

“It’s alright. I can eat alone. I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable,” I said.

Her chin lifted. “That wasn’t what I meant.”

I knew what she meant. She didn’t know what was going on between us. That was good, because neither did I.

“We could eat together,” I said. “Talk. I’ll leave the tent flap open.” I said the latter because I didn’t want anyone seeing and saying anything nasty about her.

Then I’d have to kill them, and right now, moving my arm killed me. No need yet to take on slaying a bunch of elites to prove my point.

Funny how I knew I wouldn’t have to take on Lyndie or Reece.