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That voice filled me with so much joy, I practically rocketed up to consciousness, my eyes flinging themselves open to see a grizzled face hovering above me.
“Oy, there you are,” Mad Dog said, smiling so broadly I could’ve just burst into tears if I hadn’t felt like a dried husk. Had I accidentally mummified myself? “I heard you just couldn’t share the spotlight. Quite a show you put on there.”
I smiled, too, despite how scummy my mouth felt, and somehow managed to speak, though my voice was little more than a ragged whisper.
“Soldier, if you don’t hug me right now, I’ll put you back in the infirmary bed.”
“Hah! No need for threats here.”
His strong arms gently helped me sit up, then fully embraced me. I didn’t really have the strength to return it, so I just letmyself rest against his solid form. His heart beat against my cheek, sure and strong, andthenIstarted crying.
“Hey, hey now,” Mad Dog yelped, sounding panicked. “Did I say something wrong?”
“No,” I rasped. “I’m just so happy to see you.”
He continued to hold me. Gods knew we needed to get him to Yvonne before anything else could happen to him, but for the moment, I just let myself be held.
“As much as I don’t want to interrupt, you should drink this.”
I blinked and realized Mad Dog and I weren’t alone. Kai and Darla were sitting right next to the bed, looking about as happy as I did. I was also in Kai’s quarters again, though I’d half expected to wake up in an infirmary bed like Mad Dog.
“Drink what?” I said blearily before catching sight of the cup and straw Kai had extended. I couldn’t exactly use it while my head was upside down, however, so I sat up, with Darla and Mad Dog helping prop me up on the bed.
As I looked at my mate, I sucked down the drink, which tasted an awful lot like a rejuvenation potion mixed with green tea. It helped me feel a bit less like a dried husk, but I could tell I was in for several long days of healing. Most likely the three of them would have to go to the enchantress without me.
Maybe they should drag Oren along, otherwise I didn’t think I could stand another dramatic event. As long as Yvonne was willing to keep putting so much into wards, we should use them.
“Do you think you could try some food?” Darla asked gently once I’d drained the cup. I nodded abruptly, acutely aware now that I wasstarving.She stood, chuckling, and went to the door. I assumed to summon a servant with those carts of food.
I let myself relax after, finally able to truly recover now that my friend wasn’t dying. I let everyone tend to me and didn’t complain when they were overly doting or clingy. Instead, I just let myself relish it while I had the chance.
I spent two whole days in bed, mostly just sleeping. Kai bathed me again, but that was the extent of my exercise. I knew shifters lost even more muscle mass than most on bedrest, but I’d just have to gain it back later. I was tired of running from catastrophe to catastrophe. For the first time in my life, I truly needed rest.
But by the third day, I needed todosomething. That was how I found myself back in the library, searching for something related to my curse.
It was a less frantic search than before, as I just didn’t have the energy to ferally pour through books, but it seemed in my absence, Aodin’s staff had returned all the books that’d been piled around my chair to the shelves. My heart warmed at this. I’d found a real ally in the fae.
Which was good because we needed all we could get in Merrik.
I wasn’t surprised then when Aodin showed up in the library after Darla and I were there for a few hours, bringing a large Thermos, as well as three empty mugs.
“Ah! I thought I might find you here,” he said, all smiles as he approached. “I heard a celebration is in order.”
I nodded, setting my book down. “Mad Dog is fully healed, thanks to you and your employees.”
The man scoffed and sat on the edge of the desk before opening the top of the Thermos. Almost instantly, warm spices and the rich scent of fruit filled my nose. “Please, the credit goes to you. From what I understand, the healers can’t stop talking about it, and several are writing an entire case study on the sickness.”
Ugh, more attention, but I couldn’t really blame them. I’d done something pretty unorthodox on an already unorthodox illness, born out of my malicious and unorthodox curse.
“It was an interesting journey,” I said while Aodin just laughed.
“Trust the humblest magic user I know to downplay such a feat. But that’s all right, I’ll boast for you.” He poured the liquid into the mugs and offered one to me, then Darla.
“What’s this?”
“It is a spiced rum from my homeland. We usually only break this out at weddings or especially important events, but I figured you saving your friend as well as any future victims of this malady was a suitable occasion.”
Darla and I both looked at our cups, and I scented it, trying to pick up on anything that’d harm us. Yes, I liked Aodin, and I owed him a lot for his help, but that didn’t mean I was afool.
