Page 149 of Enchanted Heir
Keir said gently, “Will be tortured. Likely never released. So we will do our best to make sure their deaths come swiftly.”
No one knew what to say after that.
“Your turn,” Owen told me, voice tired as Silvia applied the last of the healing ointment to his back.
We had bandaged the area which had bled. Every time I looked at that white bandage and saw the tracks across Owen’s back, I wanted to scream. He’d just stood there and taken it. Not because he couldn’t fight back, but because he knew it had been the only way to keep us both alive.
“I might just take a shower so I can go back to Krew,” I admitted.
“I don’t suggest it,” Keir offered. “The water droplets falling on your shoulder will feel like a thousand swords.”
“Yeah,” Owen agreed.
I stilled as I considered what I’d just been told.
“Jorah?” Keir asked.
I gave my head a shake. “Why—” I had to pause to try to breathe, “why is thiscommon? Why?”
Silvia put down the jar of ointment and put her arm around my waist, not my shoulders, and led me into the bathroom where she started running warm bathwater.
“I’m so sorry, honey,” she said. “I know I can’t fix it. But I’ll sit here in your pain with you for however long you need.”
“I almost lost him today, Silvia,” I choked out. “I almost lost him.”
I was glad the running water drowned out the sound of my sobs.
* * *
An hour later,I was finally cleaned and in silk pajamas. The silk still somehow hurt my shoulder when I turned just right, and I wouldn’t have thought that was possible before tonight.
As I finally left the bathroom, I found Owen passed out on the couch. Keir was still there, reading one of his mother’s journals in the chair I normally sat in.
“Ready to try to get some sleep?” Keir asked. “I’ll stay right here in the chair and make sure he doesn’t come back for you guys.”
I gave my head a shake. I didn’t want to sleep here in Krew’s bed without him. Not when I knew he was knocked out and sleeping in the infirmary.
Keir stood and walked closer to me, having picked up on the emotion that was surely clear on my face. “How can I help?”
I swallowed down my pride and asked him something I never in a million years thought I would. “Can you take me to Krew?” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I know I can’t so much as touch his hand because his magic is rebuilding or whatever, but I’d at least like to see the rise and fall of his chest.”
Keir gave me a nod. “Of course.”
I looked at Owen asleep on the couch. “What about him?”
Keir smirked. “We can leave him a note?”
I inhaled deeply. “Good idea.” I made quick work of telling Owen where we were, and then Keir and I headed back down to the infirmary.
Sure enough, the room was dark now, but Krew was still there, the tubing attached to his hand, otherwise sleeping. I wasn’t sure if it was the lighting or what, but I already thought he looked less sickly.
The healer was also there, alternating between observing and pacing between his desk in the far corner and Krew’s bed.
I sat on the bed next to Krew for a moment before moving to the chair. “I’ll likely just sleep right here, Keir. If I do at all,” I said honestly.
Keir held up a finger and walked a ways down to the next bed and stole the chair from it, lifting it and carrying it over next to mine.
“You don’t have to stay,” I offered. “You can leave my new night guard here with me.”
