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It was the second time that day he’d said comforting words that didn’t manage to quite comfort her. This time, at least, she knewwhyshe hadn’t liked what he’d said.
Her grip firmed on the back of his neck. “We’rebothgoing to be all right.”
Grayson studied her, then slowly dipped his chin. “We will be.”
Chapter 10
Grayson
Morninglightcreepedaroundthe edges of the closed drapes. Grayson had barely slept, even with the strong medication Devon had given him last night to help with the pain radiating from his jaw.
With his back flat against the bed, he glanced beside him, where Mia still slept curled on her side. She had turned toward him in the night, her bandaged hand between them on the mattress. Her rich brown hair was tousled against the pillow, and even though she still wore her dress from last night, she looked completely comfortable. Peaceful. Beautiful.
He ached to touch her cheek. To brush that stray curl from her neck. To wrap himself around her so nothing could ever hurt her.
He stayed where he was.
They had slept in the same bed before, but this time it felt different. Knowing who she was . . .Meerah Cassian. A seraijah of Mortise. Desfan’s sister. All good reasons to keep his scarred hands off of her.
But there were other reasons.
We’re both going to be all right,she’d said.
We will be.
His promise had been absolute. He would be in chains when all of this was done. All that waited for him in Mortise was a cell. He also knew his execution was likely; he’d deceived Mortise, Devendra, and Zennor, even if he hadn’t actually helped Liam in the end.
Mia didn’t need to know any of that. Not yet. And when it was time . . . he would make sure she understood he would be fine, no matter what his fate was. Because as long as she was safe, hewouldbe all right.
He’d greedily taken her offered kisses yesterday, but he shouldn’t be selfish and steal more from her. Not when he knew they would eventually be separated.
He might be the Black Hand, but he was not that cruel.
So he didn’t touch her. He didn’t brush away that curl on her neck. He kept still on his side of the bed, and he waited for her to wake.
She did so slowly. A shift in her body. A grimace as her hand bumped against the pillow. Then her eyes blinked open, and slowly she focused on him. Her mouth eased into a small, sleep-heavy smile.
“How is your hand?” he asked softly.
She glanced down at it and flexed her fingers. “Better, I think. It feels less swollen.” She looked back at him. “What about you? Do you need more medicine?”
His jaw was on fire. The medication Devon had given him must have worn off. Last night, after they’d invited Devon and the Fletchers back into the room, they’d talked for the greater part of an hour. Finally, Grayson had relented and let Devon examine him.
He’d battled self-consciousness as Mia had hovered, but Devon seemed to sense that. He’d asked Mia to wet a cloth in clean water, and she’d seized on the task and hurried to the basin of water across the room.
Devon had lowered his voice. “The burn is bad. Flame’s Breath causes lasting scars.” His chin dipped toward Grayson’s fingers. “The vividness will fade in time, as you know. The damage along your jaw, however, concerns me. Your flesh was burned inside and out because of that cut. I’m afraid the pain will be bad for a long time, and infection has certainly set in. I need to clean it, and that’s going to hurt. A lot.”
Grayson kept his voice pitched low. “Not in front of Mia.”
Devon’s mouth tightened, but he nodded. “That would probably be best. I can tell her we need to go to my office in the physician’s ward.”
“Can this wait until morning?”
“It shouldn’t.”
Grayson glanced at Mia, who was wringing out a wet cloth on the other side of the room. “I don’t want to leave her right now,” he said quietly. “Not after what she went through today.”
Devon sighed, but clearly understood. “First thing in the morning, then. In the meantime, I have some powerful medicine that will dull the pain. It’s one of the queen’s concoctions, actually. I don’t recommend its use often, because it can be addictive. But it’s probably the only thing strong enough to make a difference right now.” Devon stepped over to his bag. “I only have a little of it, but I’ll try to get more. It’s a rare blend, because it contains an expensive Zennorian drug called olcain.” He held out a small packet to Grayson. “Take only a pinch of the powder. Put it under your tongue, and it will dissolve quickly. You should feel the effects almost instantly. Use it sparingly—only when you truly need it. Otherwise, you should use the milder medication I left with Mia.”
