Page 64 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
She frowned, and Donnie huffed out a disbelieving laugh.
“After you fell asleep last night, I did some research,” Teddy said. “I think we should clean out the wounds again, and when I put cream on it, we should cover them with a bandage this time. I’ll use a wrap instead of trying to stick it with the adhesive. I think it’ll work. I, uh”—she pressed her lips together—“I asked Dr. Daniels to treat you, but he refused. I’m sorry.”
Her words didn’t hurt, only the misery behind her clear blue eyes.
Slowly, so she could see what I was doing and reject me if she chose, I reached for her hand. Her fingers squeezed mine.
“It’s okay,” I said, staring at our joined hands. “I’m fine. Doesn’t hurt much anymore.”
“Do they teach you how to be a terrible liar in fae school?” she asked, angling her head to the side.
Her tease ran through my veins. I barked out another laugh that made her dip her head, and I wished she wouldn’t hide any of her smiles from me.
“George and Brenton taught me the art of lying,” I replied, toying with her fingers. “I’ll let them know they were lousy teachers.”
Donnie cleared his throat, and Teddy pulled away. I drew my hand to my lap, where I fisted it.
But she let me touch her. That was something. More than something.
“Teddy texted us, which is why we’re all here,” Donnie said. “Daniels wouldn’t treat you, but he did give us some gauze and antibiotic cream that should help.”
“I asked him to give you something stronger for the pain, but. . .” She frowned.
“He shouldn’t waste it on me,” I told her, wanting to erase the worry from her face.
I would’ve reached over and smoothed the creases between the bridge of her nose, but I wasn’t brave enough to find out if she’d let me.
Anger rose over her cheeks to her expressive eyes. “It’s not wasting it,” she spat out. “He’s a doctor. He’s supposed to help people.”
“His people,” I agreed. “Humans. He’s doing exactly what he’s supposed to and saving the medication for humans.”
From the short distance between us, I heard her heart start to thunder. It both broke and elated me that she felt that strongly toward helping me.
“I’m okay, Teddy,” I reassured her. “I heal fairly quickly, and what you gave me last night helped. I took three more before you woke up, and I’m almost pain-free.”
“Don’t lie to me, Elias,” she whispered, furrowing her brows. “It doesn’t make me feel better. It only makes me feel like I can’t trust you.”
I swallowed and then swallowed again. Her words wrapped around me like a vise, knowing I didn’t deserve her trust. Not when I kept our first meeting away from her.
“I’m sorry,” I said just as low. “I do heal quickly, and yes, I’m hurting, but I can manage.”
“This has happened to you before?” she asked.
“No, never.” I drummed my fingers on my thigh, wondering how much to tell her. How much of me she wanted to know. “My parents, the king and queen of Niev, have never punished our kingdom in such a way. Neither did my father’sparents nor their parents. This type of punishment is. . . it hasn’t been used in a long time.”
“Then why is the commander enforcing it here?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” I stared down at the table.
Although I didn’t know why the Elders or the commander were doing this, I had felt a change in my uncle. I remembered the pleasure I’d scented after my beating, the way he’d seemed to revel in telling Teddy how I was at fault for her people’s downfall.
“I can’t do it, though,” I whispered. “I won’t put someone through this for stealing. I don’t know if a human can survive this, and if I killed someone just to appease him. . .” A knot in my stomach grew, making me nauseous. “He isn’t like this or wasn’t back home. Something’s changed. He’s changed.”
“Careful what you say,”Nalari warned.
“I trust Teddy,”I replied.
“So do I,”she said.
