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“So you think you have a method of beating Justin? You’ve just not discovered it yet?”
“Yes. Now you’re alert, and the fever is gone, your care will be much easier. I shall have time to study.”
“I’m sorry to have been a nuisance,” Stephanie teased and watched as Kit straightened in his seat.
“You were not a burden. It is my responsibility as a Norton to safeguard the innocent, and you are pure, Stephanie. I can see your soul. It’s gentle and full of goodness.” Kit softly added, “You are the reason God’s Scourge exists, to protect people like you.”
Stephanie wriggled on the bed, uncomfortable at Kit’s words, even as well-meant as they were. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
“You’re welcome. Now, if I turn my back, would you please lie down on your front so I can check the wounds? They will sting when I clean them, as they haven’t begun healing yet. The absence of fever makes me believe they will. The poultice effectively removed most of the poison,” Kit said. “And the last two times I changed it, there was hardly anything left.”
“Turn around!” Stephanie demanded, and Kit chuckled.
She watched as he did so and then lay down as Kit had ordered.
“You can look now.”
“Thank you,” Kit replied dryly.
Stephanie lay tense as Kit examined her back and then began to clean it. Despite him informing her it would hurt, the level of pain took her by surprise, and there were tears in her eyes when he’d finished.
“After this batch of poultices, you can finally start healing. There are faint traces of poison left in your system. The poultice will draw them out, and you’ll heal,” Kit explained as he moved away.
Stephanie noted how he dropped everything into the fire to burn it.
“Where did that come from? Not being rude, but it’s smelly!”
“From my sister, it is a compound of her making. And somehow, we had some here, which was lucky,” Kit said, avoiding her eyes.
Stephanie’s own narrowed. For the first time since meeting him, Stephanie knew he’d just lied to her. And now she wanted to know why!
Chapter Five.
Stephanie
It had been three further full days of constant attacks by Justin. Each night, as soon as the sun set and darkness fell, he was there, attacking the inn. Luckily for Stephanie, The White Witch seemed to be enjoying herself. Stephanie dreaded to think what would happen when The White Witch got bored and turned on her to blame. But for now, the inn was having fun. And that meant she was safe.
Kit had locked himself away, appearing to tend to her injuries and check their progress before locking himself back inside his room with the book he’d mentioned. Each morning, he came and helped her into the bathroom. The wounds had begun to heal, but her movement was limited. And nearly a week in bed had weakened her body. Stephanie was rather grateful Kit was there because she understood she wouldn’t have coped alone.
After Kit ran her bath, heavy on the bubble bath, he left her with The White Witch watching over her while he made them both breakfast. If Stephanie tried to do something for herself, The White Witch had no compunction about tittle tattling on her. It was rather annoying, but Stephanie kept her mouth shut.Especially after the one time she chastised The White Witch and ended up covered in bubbles from head to toe.
Kit had looked amused when he’d investigated her indignant yells.
Even so, her wounds were healing slowly, slower than Kit and she might have liked, but Kit explained that was due to the nature of the poison. So, Stephanie was relegated to be helped and waited upon. Once she was dressed in jogging bottoms, a tank (no bra), and a cardigan for her modesty, Kit would carefully carry her to the kitchen, where they ate before Kit placed her either back in bed or on the sofa with books and her laptop.
Now, after three days, Stephanie was feeling a little antsy.
Cole made her lunch and dinner each day denying her the activity. He sat and spoke to her in the evening about various topics but made no mention of the Human Killer. Although, at night, as she lay quietly, trying to drown out the sounds of Justin’s attacks, Stephanie sensed Kit in her room. They never mentioned it, but he provided a reassuring presence that lulled her to sleep.
Despite Kit’s attentiveness to her, they’d barely seen anything of each other, and Stephanie was a little lonely. Which surprised her because she usually enjoyed her own company. She wasn’t someone who needed to be entertained all the time. Kit was most certainly studying the book that he was cagey about, and Stephanie had her suspicion something had happened that he wasn’t talking about.
Her guilt was also weighing on her over the fact she knew where his siblings were. She could ease some of his pain if she told him, but the oath she’d taken stopped her. She was determined to find a solution. They’d promised not to tell, but Stephanie wondered… if she wrote it down, would that betelling? In her mind, it was not as if she wasn’t using her voice to inform him. It was a sticky situation.
It bothered her all day. Especially as they’d sworn a blood oath. They’d never broken one of them, to her knowledge. Stephanie silently railed at the position she found herself in. How would Kit react when he discovered her silence and deception? Because keeping his siblings’ whereabouts was a betrayal. Particularly when he’d been so caring and diligent in taking care of her.
“Kit!” she cried before she could change her mind, then bit her lip.
Kit appeared in the afternoon sun and blinked at her as she gazed worriedly at him.
