Page 82 of Wickedly Ever After
“What on earth are you referring to?”
Tinbit glared at him. “You think I didn’t see you sneak out with Ida last night?”
“What? I didn’t—we were touring the greenhouse, not—”
“Fucking?” Tinbit raised an eyebrow.
“No.” Hector turned back to his books, face on fire. “We were talking about this unfortunate…situation.”
Tinbit had been taking off his socks, but he stopped and stared for a moment before resuming. “Huh. So she’s pissed with you. Well, that explains a lot. She didn’t talk to you practically all day. I thought maybe you just had been that bad.”
“Oh, balls.” Hector turned away.
“Yeah, you have them. I’m sure there’s a spell for cutting them off without pain and stuffing them in a box. Maybe you could try that next.”
“Meaning what, exactly?” He set his pen down.
“Meaning it’s not going to be any better lacking a beating heart. Trust me on that.” Tinbit laughed harshly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m perfectly fine.” Hector rose, pulling his robe tighter about himself, and limped to the dresser where he’d put the few clothes Tinbit had packed for him. The bulk of what he’d brought were books, but perhaps there might be a pair of wool socks in there. His feet were cold.
“Sure you are,” Tinbit scoffed. “Did you get a bath yet?”
“When I got in.”
“Good. Sit on the bed. I need to dress your feet before you make more of a mess of them,” Tinbit said. “You’re not getting far tomorrow with those blisters unless I poultice you next.”
“I’ll do it myself.”
“Sit!” Tinbit yelled. “I’m offering to help. You damned well better take it like a man and quit pretending you are infallible and indestructible. You’re not. You can’t even fight off your own damned magic.”
“Is that the same salve you used on the horse?”
“If it works on horses, it will work on horse’s rear ends.”
Hector snorted. But he sat. The salve did feel nice, and Tinbit’s hands felt good on his feet. “You weren’t supposed to know about my heart.”
“Hector, we’ve known each other a very long time. How could I not? You take care of that nasty old tree like it was your child. It always blooms first in the spring and you talk to it.”
“I talk to all my plants.”
“Not like you talk to that tree.”
“It was as good a place as any to put it at the time,” Hector said.
“You know, I’ve always thought it was a bad idea, witches taking out their hearts. Makes them not as careful with other peoples’.” Tinbit capped the bottle and stared up at him. “How’s that?”
Hector flexed his toes. “Much better.”
Tinbit grunted his approval. “Now you can sock them up and get back to work.” He tucked the salve back into his pocket.
Hector rose and went back to the desk.
“How is it going, anyway?” Tinbit asked, poking the sulky fire and only coaxing a few tired-looking sparks out of it. “Not going to push you or anything, but I really don’t want to have to take that potion again. Although, it looks like you might need it more than me.”
“It’s going well enough,” Hector said. “And I don’t need a potion.”
“Oh, really? You could have fooled me. So, if it’s going well, what’s Her Goodness angry about?”
