Page 47 of Frost Bound

“Do you have something for the pain?”

Flyka held up a wooden flask and took a deep pull. “I’ll be fine.”

“Here we go,” thevallesmuttered. She didn’t hesitate as she held Flyka’s skin together and began to close the cut. Neve watched as she made small, concise stitches, never wavering. He looked to Flyka, whose jaw was clenched. She breathed heavily, with short pants.

“This part will hurt,” the princess murmured. “It’s much deeper here.”

The first stitch, Flyka paled, the second she wavered, the third she passed out, slumping against the mattress.

“Finally,” the princess breathed, some of the tension in her shoulders easing. She focused on her work but addressed Eyri. “My lord, do you have honey or something like that for infection?”

“I do.” He pulled a small, stoppered bottle from their emergency kit that they kept at all their safe houses and handed it over to thevalleswith a bright smile. Why the devil was he looking at her like that? “Thank you for your help, my lady.”

“It’s nothing. I’m the reason she was hurt in the first place. She was protecting me.” There was heaviness to her voice that Neve didn’t like. He rubbed his lower heart, and then brushed the emotion away. Her feelings were not his concern.

The group fell into silence as she worked. A sigh escaped the princess as she tied the last knot and then carefully slathered the healing tincture over the gash. Eyri handed her the clean strips of linen, and she wrapped it around Flyka’s leg before tying it off.

She sat back on her heels and exhaled slowly. “All done. Now we just need to get her into bed.”

“I need you to move back first, my lady,” Neve said gruffly.

She used the bunk to pull herself to her feet and edged out of the way.

Neve and Eyri arranged Flyka until she was situated on the bed. He stiffened when the princess edged herself between himself and Eyri, leaning down to fluff the pillow. Ginger and amber with a hint of sweetness teased his nose once again, and he held his breath. He caught Eyri’s meaningful look and scowled. His cousin was going soft for the littlesaloes, and they’d only just met three days ago.

He eyed thevallesas she brushed Flyka’s hair from her face, pulled off her boots, and then draped a blanket over the top of her.

“She won’t need that,” he commented. “Her body will keep her warm enough, especially when healing.”

“Blankets aren’t always for heat. They’re for comfort and safety sometimes. Right now, she probably feels vulnerable. A blanket will help that when she wakes.”

“Why do you care?”

She pursed her lips. “A little kindness never hurt anyone.” She pressed her hand below Flyka’s collarbone and to the right, her brows furrowing.

“What?” Neve huffed.

“Her heart rate is wrong.”

“Because we have two hearts, my lady,” Eyri supplied, brushing a long strand of wet hair from his face, his nose crinkling in mirth.

The princess gaped for a moment before snapping her mouth shut. “It seems I’ve learned many new things about Loriians today.” With that, she picked up the supplies from the floor, curtsied to Eyri, and retreated to the fire, where she murmured to Olwen in a low tone.

“Unexpected,” Eyri mumbled in Loriian.

“It’s odd that she did so well, no?” Neve replied, eyeing the little human. “By all accounts, she should not have been able to do that. Yet she stitched the wound like a seasoned battle healer. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Maybe there’s more to her than the crown? Sounds like someone I know.”

Neve wrinkled his nose. “Don’t compare me to that creature. My senses are telling me that she’s hiding something.”

Eyri arched a brow. “Maybe she is, but she’s just one littlevalles, no?”

One tiny little female. Even so … he had a feeling she would wreak havoc on his life.

Chapter Seventeen

Dahlia

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