Page 79 of Alliance Bride
And then Aevar.
Her breath caught. At first glance, he appeared whole, but blood, bright and glaring, seized her attention. It soaked one side of his tunic, trailing down his leg. His sleeve was torn, the skin beneath smeared with red. Her vision narrowed, black prickling at the edges.
So much blood.
Around her, the women rushed to meet their men, blocking her view. Eadlyn pressed forward and wove her way to the front with Inga and Ranvi. When they broke through the crowd, Aevar’sgaze met hers. His expression softened for a heartbeat, but the haze of battle and pain in his eyes dulled everything.
“You’re wounded,” she said, not even aware she’d spoken until the words reached her ears.
He shifted, wincing. “Not mortally.”
Kian appeared and guided Aevar toward a bench. “Let’s have a look.”
Eadlyn followed, her legs numb. She snatched a towel from a nearby basket and handed it to Kian. Aevar sat stiffly, bracing himself as Kian pressed the cloth against his side. He groaned, his head dropping forward, jaw locked.
Inga joined them a few minutes later with a basket and a bucket of water. Kian pulled back the towel that was now soaked with Aevar’s blood and stepped aside for her. Eadlyn moved closer to help. As they peeled away his tunic, the gash across his ribs came into view, deep and angry. Too close to things that mattered. She looked away before her knees gave out.
Inga motioned to the table. “Sit up here where I can see better.” She gestured to Kian. “And bring a lamp closer.”
Aevar climbed up with a hiss, his knuckles white against the edge of the wood. Kian fetched the lamp, setting it nearby. The light illuminated the torn skin and muscle. Inga dipped a cloth in water and cleaned around the wound.
As she prepared to stitch it closed, Erik handed Aevar a horn of ale. Aevar caught eyes with Eadlyn before tipping it back. She said nothing. If it dulled his pain, she welcomed it. She stayed close, ready if Inga needed help, but when she began stitching, Eadlyn found herself unable to watch for long. Not the bite of the needle. Not Aevar’s flinch. Not the way his hand gripped the wood.
He had almost been killed.
For her.
For all of them.
When Inga finished, she wrapped his wounds in clean bandages and passed Eadlyn a fresh cloth. “Here. Clean the rest. I need to tend to the others.”
Eadlyn hesitated, clutching the cloth, but then took Inga’s place. She caught Kian giving her a questioning look.
“You got this?”
No. Not even close.
But she nodded anyway. “Yes.”
Kian shifted his attention to Aevar. “I’m going to find Ingvald and see if anyone needs help.”
As he strode away, Eadlyn wet the cloth, wiping blood from Aevar’s arm. Then she moved to his face and the blood that wasn’t even his. Her hand trembled as she reached to rinse the rag.
Aevar caught her wrist. “You’re safe now. No one will harm you here.”
His touch helped still the tremor. She licked her dry lips, resuming her task and gathering her resolve one breath at a time.
When she finished, she scanned the hall. Inga and Ranvi moved between the men, tending wounds and giving orders to the thralls. Several men still waited for care. The tang of blood coated the air, thick and coppery. Nausea bubbled, but Eadlyn pushed through, grabbing a fresh basin to help.
Time blurred. An hour passed. Maybe more. Eadlyn’s head throbbed and pounded in her temples. She set down a bowl of pink-tinged water and rubbed her forehead with the back of her hand, blinking away dizziness.
Most of the men had left, though several huskarls lingered just outside. Aevar now wore clean clothes, standing with his father and brothers in low conversation. A fierce, irresistible pull tugged at her. She washed her stained hands and crossed the room.
He noticed her right away and reached for her arm. “Are you all right?”
The contact warmed her chilled skin. She nodded now that she was beside him.
Runar placed a hand on Aevar’s shoulder. “You and Eadlyn, go to your room and try to rest.”
