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“You know what, I don’t have time for this,” I said. “I’m going up to get checked out by the healers again. I feel sick to my stomach. Maybe that’s the basilisk venom, or maybe it’s looking at you, Wyatt. Whatever it is, I need to get it figured out. Why don’t you go read a book or something?” The look I gave him was heavily suggestive, and I hoped he understood what I was trying to get across. A small library sat down the hall from the healing room in the mansion.
To my relief, Wyatt ran a hand down his chest, his thumb tucked in, hidden behind his palm. Another hand signal from the TO:understood. With a sigh of relief, I spun around and stomped away from him.
“Damn. Better you than me, bro,” Tate said as he chuckled.
“Why are you guys like that?” Abel asked, sounding beyond confused.
Now that I’d said I was going, I needed to at least make an appearance in the healer’s room. If nothing else, it would give Wyatt time to break away from the others. If he left too soon after I did, it would look suspicious.
Whenever I went into the healing room, it always struck me how antiseptic and monochrome it was compared to the rest of the mansion. Bland and austere compared to opulent luxury. When I walked in, only one member of the healing staff was available—the rest must have been outside. The fae woman was young compared to the others and smiled as I closed the door behind me.
“Can I help you?” she asked as I stepped in.
“Um, yeah, a basilisk bit me. So, I just want to make sure there were no complications.”
Her eyes went wide. “Goodness. I heard about that. So scary. I amnota snake person, so that sounds like the most terrifying thing ever.” She grimaced. “Were you really underground when it came after you?”
A shiver ran up my spine at the memory. “Yeah. Anyway, my leg still hurts. Not bad, but I can feel where it bit me every time I take a step. Is there anything you can give me until it fades?”
She bent and dug around beneath the counter. “I have just the thing. That kind of venom is nasty. Even the best spells and potions can’t flush it all away. Some of it will have to work its way out.” She glanced up and winced. “I hate to say it, but the next time you pee, it won’t be super-pleasant. Most of it will be expelled through the bladder.”
“Wonderful,” I said dryly.
She shrugged and pulled out a small vial of pills. “Here you go.”
I took the bottle and glanced at the label. My jaw dropped. “Ibuprofen? Seriously?”
The fae nurse grinned and rolled her eyes. “Sometimes human remedies end up being the best. Rarely, mind you, butsometimes.These pills have a weird interaction with magical venoms, especially once they’ve been diluted by other magical means. It puts a buffer between the body’s nerves and the peptides in the venom. Honestly, I don’t get it. All I know is that it works. Take one now and another about ten minutes before you go to bed. After that, you should be good to go.”
The little brown pill looked so insignificant in my palm. Tossing the tablet into my mouth, I swallowed it dry as I tucked the little bottle into my pants. “Well, thanks. Hopefully, this is the last time you’ll see me here.”
“Fingers crossed. Good luck,” she called as I exited.
Once the door closed, I glanced down the hall, listening intently and sniffing the air. Only one person was nearby, and I knew that scent better than anyone’s. I ducked into the small library and found Wyatt perusing the books on the shelves. He turned and held up a book.
“Did you know these are all fake?”
“What?”
He opened one, showing me blank pages. “Fake. These aren’t real books. Hell, the leather binding isn’t evenrealleather. It’s all for show. I fuckinghatethis place.”
The door clicked shut behind me, and I locked it to ensure we’d have a bit of privacy.
“What the hell took you so long to get back?” I hissed and punched his chest.
“Ow, shit.” He rubbed the spot where I’d hit him. “That freaking hurt.”
“Spill it. What happened after the witch took me?”
“Damn, no foreplay? We’re gonna dive right in, huh?”
Our banter always drove me crazy, but it endeared him to me even more. A month ago, I wouldn’t have believed that I’d enjoy being around Wyatt, joking around with him. It was strange but pleasant in a weird way. Though I reallydidwant to know what was going on.
“Were you hurt?” I asked, glancing up and down his body.
His smile faded as he slipped into a more professional attitude. “Not badly. Scrapes and cuts, but nothing as bad as a damn basilisk bite, if that’s what you mean.”
A shaky sigh escaped my lips. I’d been so worried about him, and now that I knew he was fine, a massive weight lifted from me. I wanted to reach out and touch him, to feel his body and make absolutely sure he wasn’t hurt, but we had no time for where that would inevitably lead—where it always led when we were alone together. As nice as a few minutes of carnal excitement sounded, we had to stay on task. My eyes found his and my face flamed.
