Page 62 of A Kiss From Death
“There is no time,” he grunts out. “You can heal her right here in the bath. She’s been stabbed with a poisoned dagger in her left side. I tried to stop the bleeding the best I could, but she had already lost a lot by the time I got to her. The poison is fast-acting and has already taken hold of her body.”
The two healers listen intently, taking note of everything he tells them. They get to work fast, one mixing a few things, the other hovering over me, removing the wrap from my wound. It sits just above the low waterline. She prods my side, making me hiss. Their faces looks like blurry blobs now as I struggle to draw air into my lungs.
“Looks like the dagger narrowly missed her spleen. This is good news. Her symptoms are mostly due to her blood loss and the poison. I can heal her wound with my magic, but her life depends on if the antidote works faster than her failing body. She is already so far gone, it will take a miracle to bring her back.”
Luck, I internally laugh. My life has been one big game of chance for as long as I can remember.
“Then it’s a good thing you are the two best healers in Lunaria. Get it done!” His temper flares to life, his concern laced with anger.
“Hold her down. This is going to hurt,” one of the women says.
I feel Hade’s arms wrap around my chest, holding me tightly to his body without cutting off my weak air supply. “Do it,” he demands.
She reaches down, placing her two hands on top of my wound. Bright white light erupts from her palms, searing my skin. I scream, my throat going hoarse from the sob that escapes me. It feels like I’m being stabbed all over again, my side a living fire.
“I’ve got you,” Hade whispers from behind me as he tries to hold down my flailing body. It feels like every mistake I’ve made in life is coming back to torture me, making me pay for my sins with this ungodly pain.
“Make it stop,” I whisper weakly. I feel a hand stroke the hair back from my slick forehead as stars dance behind my eyelids until I give in to the call beckoning me to sleep. The pain fades to the background, and then everything goes black.
See you soon, Theo.
A deep rumblevibrates my back, drawing my attention and waking my senses. The smell of smoke and sandalwood swirl around me, a scent all too familiar. My body feels light like a cloud.There are voices arguing around me, but I’m still too foggy in the head to understand.
Slowly, I blink my eyes open, my surroundings coming into focus. I’m still weak, but the blinding pain that was too much to handle has lessened to a bearable ache. My skin now feels warm and cozy as I take my first full, deep breath without choking on pain.
“You’re okay?” a hopeful, gravelly voice breathes behind me.
I feel a heavy presence wiggle at my back. Water sloshes around, and I realize I’m still sitting in the tub, wedged between Hade’s giant thighs. Now that I’m more coherent, it’s comical seeing Hade’s giant body smashed in the small tub with me while fully dressed.
“I must have passed out.” My words come out thick, my throat raw and scratchy.
“How are you feeling, miss?” one of the healers asks.
Taking note of my body, I feel mostly in good spirits. “Okay, I think. Mostly just tired, and I’m a little sore when I breathe, but it’s not unbearable,” I say honestly.
She nods happily with my statement. “I was able to close your wound with my magic. It should fully heal over the next few days. I had to use almost my entire reserve to close it up, so please rest and don’t push yourself. My magic is strong, so you should be back to full strength by the next trial, but you will be left with a slight scar down your side. The antidote appears to be working so far, but I would still like Trina to check on you daily to make sure you don’t regress.” She leans forward, giving my hand a soft squeeze. “You’re one tough cookie. I wasn’t sure if you would come out the other end, but Hade here never doubted you.”
“Thank you,” I say softly, giving her a grateful smile. “I’m forever indebted to you two. Name the favor, and it’s yours.”
She gives me a genuine smile in return, one between two people who have known each other their whole lives. “Live a long, happy life, dear. That is the favor I ask of you.”
She grabs her belongings and walks out of the small washroom, taking the other healer, who I assume is Trina, along with her, leaving Hade and I pressed together in the tub. The water is surprisingly still warm, which makes me think he refilled it to keep it warm for me while I was passed out.
The silence is deafening, and even though I feel like I could sleep for a week straight, I am very aware of how little clothes I currently wear and how close our bodies are pressed together. I awkwardly wiggle, unsure of what to do now, but all the worry washes away when he gently places his palm on my thigh, rubbing soft circles with his thumb.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” he whispers behind me. “I should have known you’re too stubborn to die.”
“You know me so well, Death Reaper,” I tease, attempting to lighten the mood.
I look down at my body, noticing the blood smeared across my skin. I look and feel like a mess. “I should probably clean myself up. I’m definitely not the most beautiful woman you’ve ever shared a bath with, that’s for sure. Maybe the most memorable, though,” I say with a laugh.
He grunts from behind me as I go to scoot away, but I wince when pain shoots through my side from the movement.
He reaches out, gripping my shoulder, stopping me. “Let me help you,” he insists. “It’s the least I can do. You should be resting anyways. Healer’s orders.”
I turn to look over my shoulder at him, and hollow eyes stare back at me. I’ve never seen such unguarded emotion, like his walls have fallen, and he’s not sure how to put them back up. He gives me pleading eyes, acting as if his life depends on helping me in this moment, and because of that, I give him a small nod. I can lethim have control over something. His need to provide and regain control over the situation shines like a star, and it makes me want to provide the sky for him to shine for everyone to see.
A light sparks behind his eyes, the fire inside him gaining a flicker of fuel. Unsure of himself, he slowly grabs a wash rag hanging next to the tub and submerges it under the water. Bringing it up, he pauses while holding my gaze, waiting for me to tell him to continue. I give him a soft smile and turn face forward again, giving him full control.
