Page 22 of A Malicious Menagerie
“Unfortunately, no. He appears to have a wound and is bleeding.”
Poor Fionn!“So, you want me to…?”
“Suture the laceration. You mentioned that was within your skillset, yes?”
Hmm. I did say that, didn’t I? And I even thought to myself that it didn’t seem that hard. Now that I’m presented with the opportunity, though, it suddenly seems on par with nuclear physics. “Oh, but… we don’t have suture, do we? And how am I supposed to help him without going into the enclosure?”
“There’s a stocked first-aid kit in one of the supply rooms,” Nathan answers. “And, unfortunately, you will have to enter the enclosure. But that’s why I’ve asked Colby to join us.” Nathan nods to the guard, who only glares impassively forward. “He’ll escort you.”
“Still, that seems… risky,” I note, my heart accelerating at the thought of coming face-to-face with the predator with no bars between us.
Nathan frowns slightly. “The only other option is to leave him as he is, but I’d hate to see him hurting when we can do something to help him. I can imagine you feel the same.”
Well, shit. He’s right. There’s no way I can go about my night knowing that Fionn is hurt and I could have done something about it. Plus, the kelpie was kind to me at our first meeting and has been friendly the couple of times I’ve seen him since. He seems to like me. That has to count for something, right?
* * *
As Colby and I make our way through the woods to the kelpie enclosure, I eye the gun in the holster at his hip like a Mongolian death worm about to strike. “Is that necessary?”
“I’m here to protect you,” he replies wryly. “What am I supposed to do: fight off a thousand-pound, fanged horse with my bare hands?”
“I just feel like bringing a gun makes the statement that we don’t trust him.”
“You bringingmemakes the statement that we don’t trust him.”
Touché.
When we reach the back door to the kelpie cage, the water horses are nowhere to be seen. “Fionn?” I call tentatively, peering into the trees. “It’s Anna. I’m here to help you.”
“Well, isn’t this a lovely surprise?” a familiar voice calls back. A moment later, Fionn steps around a tree, his left hand holding tight around his opposite forearm.
I gasp. “Fionn! What happened?”
“What, this?” He peers down at the blood trickling from between his fingers. “Cut myself on my sharp wit. It’s a constant danger.”
I refrain from rolling my eyes, but only just. I should be nice. He’s hurt. “Well, lucky for you, I’m here to sew you up.” I lift the first-aid kit in my hand as proof.
Fionn’s gaze cuts to Colby like a silver dagger. “And you brought a nurse?”
That makes me snort. “Sure, you could call him that. Can we come in?”
The kelpie is still eyeing Colby with the unnerving stillness of an ambush predator. “I don’t like this one.”
“Beggars can’t be choosers. You get both of us or neither. We’re a package deal.”
Fionn raises a hand to his heart, pressing bloody fingerprints to his bare skin. “Anna, I’m hurt. You don’t trust me?”
“Trust, but verify,” I quip. “So, what’s it gonna be?”
He sighs. “Very well. I’ll be happy to be your pincushion.”
Fionn keeps his distance as we enter the enclosure, and I start to let myself believe that this will all go fine. “Where’s your sister?” Colby grumbles as he shuts the gate behind us.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Fionn snips.
“Children, please,” I sigh, letting the teasing cover my nerves. I remind myself that Colby is right behind me. As I approach Fionn, I hold out a hand. “Let me see.”
As Fionn uncurls his fingers, he stifles a wince. He tries not to let me see it, but I know it hurts worse than his devil-may-care attitude would imply. It’s easy to see why when I get my first good look at the laceration, which extends nearly the length of his inner forearm. “Jesus,” I mumble as I take Fionn’s wrist in mine and turn his arm this way and that. “Okay, but really: what happened?”
