Page 14 of Lesson In Faith

Oh God, they were starting to raise their voices. Anger snapped in the doctor’s tone, unsettling Tamsyn’s nerves. She didn’t want to be the cause of conflict; she hated it.

There were two doors to the left of the fireplace, another to the right, but the voices were coming from the left. Which door were they behind? Did she have time to extricate herself from the duvet and take cover from Linnie’s wrath?

The answer was no.

Before she could move, the door facing her pushed open silently and Merrick padded in on socked feet. He’d changed into a different shirt and a pair of faded denim jeans with a rip on the upper left thigh. As he moved toward the bed, the firelight glinted off his hair like sunlight on a sword.

When he smiled, she was drawn to him on levels she didn’t understand.

“Well now, you’ve got some color back in your cheeks.” He sat carefully on the edge of the bed, angling toward her. “I’m making lunch soon, but I wanted to ask if you have any allergies I should know about.”

Her gaze flicked to the door he’d left open, unwilling to play along with his distraction.

“Yeah, Linnie’s here. A couple of friends came to see how you’re doing as well. They were part of this morning’s search and rescue party,” he added dryly when she slid her eyes to his. “They’ve been worried about you.”

She made a softharrumphsound. Friends were a dream, a fantasy.

“They can come back another time, little owl. Linnie, on the other hand… Might have to bite the bullet with her, get it over and done.” He cocked his head. “Can you be brave for twenty minutes?”

While she deliberated her limited range of nonverbal answers, Merrick simply watched and waited as though he had all the time in the world. She came to the conclusion she’d rather not be stuck with a needle when the doctor was in a mood.

Shaking her head, she prayed Merrick didn’t make bravery an order.

He didn’t—he did something worse.

Eyes softening with sympathy, he lifted her hand and linked his fingers with hers, strengthening the connection between them. “Can I negotiate for ten minutes? Just ten, darlin’.” When her eyes ticked over to the door again, his lips curved in an understanding smile. “Linnie isn’t pissed at you. She’s angry with me for… other reasons.”

Tamsyn opened her mouth, wanting to askwhy, then just closed her eyes when her throat clamped shut. What the hell was wrong with her? No one justforgothow to use their voice. Sighing heavily, she nodded in agreement.

“It’ll be okay,” Merrick murmured, then called out, “Linnie.”

Confusion struck her when a tall, dark-haired figure stepped through the doorway instead of the doctor. She shot Merrick a startled look, shrinking into the mattress when the stranger took two steps into the room and waited. “Apologies, Merrick. Callie and I have to get going sooner than anticipated.”

Oh, this was the man with the weird accent, she realized. Oddly, it suited him. He wasn’t as tall as Merrick, or quite as broad in the shoulders. One glance at his blue eyes, however, and she understood he possessed the same power—an endless depth of dominance and the knowledge of how to use it.

“That’s a shame.” Merrick squeezed her hand. “Little owl, this is Elias. Remember Evander? This is his husband. They have a wife, Callie.”

“Little owl.” That powerful gaze dropping to her face, Elias searched it with an knowing smile curving his lips. “Ah, yes, I see. Very fitting, Merrick, what with those eyes. Not quite hazel, not really brown, but… tawny. Beautiful.”

Tamsyn flushed, ducking her head. She wasn’t used to compliments being given so casually—her father was better at pointing out her flaws, all of them, on a daily basis.

“Callie’s outside with a gift,” Eli continued smoothly, apparently not interested in ridiculing her for being embarrassed. “She was very excited to learn we have a new friend in our midst. Sierra helped her choose it via video call, so it has her seal of approval. Would it be okay for her to come in, or would you like us to come back?”

“Now is perfect, actually.” Merrick tried to stand but she shook her head and tightened her grip on his hand. “We have some unpleasantness ahead, so it’ll be good for her to have something to hold.”

She wrinkled her nose.

Unpleasantnesswas an understatement.

“I’m glad we can be of assistance. Callie, sweetheart, you can come in now.”

Another dark head peered around the doorjamb, big gray eyes checking out the situation before a pretty woman popped into the room, full of energy. Hands behind her back, she skipped over to Elias, peering up at him with adoration, then studying Tamsyn curiously. “Oh, she’s pretty, Daddy.”

“Yes, she is.”

Callie frowned. “Master Merrick, did you kiss her boo-boos better?”

Wait,MasterMerrick? It suited him, sure, but… some of the elders preferred to be called Master, and their idea of being masterful was sentencing a woman to degradation, forced marriage, rape, death…

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