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I let out a roar, a furious scream from deep withinthat the wind caught and carried over the roiling waves. Red leaves ripped from the tree’s branches, tumbling in the gale, whipping at the creature’s face.
The mantis stumbled back and back again until it plunged over the side of the cliff.
10
AVA
Istood there, shaking, and stared out over the rocky cliffside. A loud crack echoed over the sound of the waves. The mantis had crashed below.
Torin was staring at me, his brow furrowed. “That was…interesting. Did you scream him over the cliff?”
My body crackled with electricity, but that was just the fear left in my nerves, right? I didn’t know if I’d summoned magic or if the wind itself had forced the monster off the cliff.
I caught my breath, nausea rising in my stomach. “Is the house empty?”
He nodded.
The battle fury started to leave my body, but my legs still shook. “Good.”
“I’m going to make us some food,” he said, “and you a hot bath.”
My throat tightened. When he’d first smashed through the wall into my cell, I’d thought he lookedlike a god. He was every bit as beautiful now, but my gaze slid down over his bruised arms and bloody feet. Shades of red and purple stood out sharply on his skin.
I inhaled sharply. “Your feet are bleeding. We can make bandages from my dress.”
“We’re both in rough shape, aren’t we? But that is the beautiful thing about a fae body. It heals.” He turned away, raking his hand through his hair as he walked into the house.
I arched an eyebrow. A good king was a caretaker and protector of his people, and I was starting to get the impression Torin needed to feel like a protector more than he needed to look after his broken body. I had the distinct sense that if he wasn’t looking after someone, he’d feel shattered. I’d have to be careful about how I phrased things.
“Torin?” I called out.
When he turned to look at me again, I reached behind my back. “Morgant healed my shoulder, but I still feel a little twinge of something. Did you see anything in the house that could be a sort of antiseptic or ointment?”
He turned to look at me from the doorway, and his eyebrows rose. “Just a twinge?”
“Very small. But it wouldn’t hurt to disinfect it so it doesn’t get worse.”
“I didn’t see anything inside.” He pointed to the purple-berried tendrils that climbed over the graves. “But the leaves of Eventide ivy are practically magic. They grow in Faerie, too. If you grab some of those, Ican crush them into an antiseptic oil that will work wonders for your shoulder.”
I gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
By the graveside, I plucked handfuls of glossy, deep blue leaves until my hands were stuffed with them. When I got inside, Torin was already kneeling before an enormous stone hearth, fiddling with a metallic fire starter. As it sparked, I caught glimpses of a cauldron that hung in the fireplace, one shaped like a large teapot with a handle and spout. A large bucket stood next to it. About five feet away from the hearth stood an enormous copper tub. It seemed a weird place for a tub, but I supposed that without running water, it would be the easiest place to get a hot bath.
I dropped the leaves onto the kitchen table and surveyed the dim interior. Apart from the streams of moonlight through the windows and the dull glow of small flames, there wasn’t much light in here. I breathed in the scent of dried herbs. After a few moments, my eyes adjusted to the shadows, and I was able to find my way around a little.
My footfalls creaked on the floorboards as I explored the space. Two heavy carved wooden doors led to other rooms. One was a bathroom with a stone toilet and little else. The other was a bedroom with a narrow four-poster bed. Dark wooden beams crisscrossed white walls, and white curtains hung over mullioned windows.
When I returned to the kitchen, Torin had managed to stoke the flames in the hearth. The fire bathed him in gold, and the light wavered over the giant copper tub.
I pulled a candle from one of the sconces in the walland leaned down next to him to light it. With my guttering candle, I lit the candles in the other sconces, and soon, the little room danced with rusty light.
Now I could see the room more clearly. Knotted pine shelves jutted from a wall, each one piled with clay dishes and cups. A layer of dust covered everything, but it still looked cozy and homey.
Torin caught my eye. “Sit down, Ava. I’m going to get some water from the river. You wanted a bath.”
A bath sounded divine, but it was a struggle not to roll my eyes. The idea that he should be running in and out of the house on his injured feet while I sat on my ass was absurd.
He stood, and I could tell by the way he walked, back straight and stiff, that he was in pain.
