Page 23 of A Malicious Menagerie
“Shark attack,” he replies without missing a beat, one side of his lips tugging up in a lopsided smile. “I won, of course.”
“I find that hard to believe,” I mumble. Still, as I scrutinize the deep, ragged wound, I become aware of how hot Fionn’s skin is. Much hotter thana human. Is that a kelpie thing, or does he have a fever? Regardless, the heat reminds me of his lack of clothing, and a burst of nerves has me peeking back to check for Colby. He’s not far away, though he appears distracted, his gaze focused on the trees. Is he even paying attention? Then again, maybe it’s for the best. Fionn might be less prickly if Colby doesn’t antagonize him.
Turning back to the task at hand, I drop the first-aid kit at my feet. Digging up some false bravado, I order, “Have a seat. I’ll clean it up and close it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He gives a sloppy salute before following my instructions.
I try to look confident as I dig through the contents of the kit. The picture of competence and experience. I must not be doing a very good job because, after a couple of minutes, Fionn asks, “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”
“Of course,” I bluster even as I squint at some packaging and puzzle over the two types of suture. What the hell is poliglecaprone?
“Listen,” Fionn says jovially. “This probably isn’t even necessary. I heal fast. If you can’t figure it out—”
“Fionn.” I glare up at him as I snap on some disposable gloves. “Hush. I can do this. Iamdoing this. Now hold out your damn arm.”
“Spicy,” Fionn comments with a grin. Still, he does as I ask, and I carefully cradle his forearm in my lap. With him this unnervingly close, I notice he smells a lot like horse and a little like rain. Odd, but not unpleasant.
“This is going to hurt,” I warn him as I rip open a disinfectant wipe with my teeth.
“That’s alright. You can kiss it better when you’re done.” That comment earns him the stinging disinfectant directly into the center of his cut, and he hisses through his teeth. “Or not, if this is your bedside manner.”
The wound is deep and long, and as I clean, more blood begins to well up. I’m not squeamish, never have been, but nausea curdles my belly anyway. What if I mess up? What if I make it worse or can’t stop the bleeding? Can he bleed out from something like this? What if it gets infected?
“Anna.” The sound of my name snaps me from my panic, and I look up into Fionn’s uncharacteristically serious gray eyes. “Do you wanna know how I cut my arm?”
I clear my throat so I don’t squeak. “Yes.”
Suddenly, his face lights with mirth. “Knife fight. You should see the other lad.”
His delivery makes me laugh, and some of my anxiety eases. “You know what, Fionn? You’re a pretty good guy.”
“Oi, don’t go telling anyone. I have a reputation to protect.”
Soon, the wound is clean, and whatever poliglecaprone is, it’s going in this arm. The tendons in Fionn’s wrist tense as I sink the needle in for the first time, but he otherwise remains still and relaxed as I begin my uneven, clumsy sutures. “Bet when you offered to be my pincushion, you didn’t mean it literally,” I joke apologetically as I accidentally pull the suture through and have to poke him a second time.
“You’re just letting the evil spirits out,” Fionn replies, stifling a wince as my hand slips.
“Are there wendigos in there?” I tease. Halfway there.
He gives me an odd look. “What’s a wendigo?”
“Best you don’t know.”
“Can’t be any more evil than John,” he says with a fanged grin.
“Might be a tie.”
The banter helps, though it still feels like dawn by the time I finish even though probably only an hour has passed. “There,” I say proudly, looking down at my row of crooked stitches. “You look like Frankenstein, but the bleeding has mostly stopped.”
“That’s alright. Is it true girls dig scars?”
“Only if they’re well-earned. Maybe from saving a kitten from a tree?”
“Funny, since that’s just what happened.”
I smile as I dab the last of the blood from his arm. “Are you ever gonna tell me what really happened?”
His smile is half mischief and half mystery. “Now, where’s the fun in that?”
