Page 186 of Lavender Lake

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There was a tree on the path and I sat down underneath it to get away from the smoke. A breath of fresh air on the forest floor cleared my head, but I knew I had to move again—or die.

Then I heard the sound of a horse in the distance.

Louder.

Branches began to crack and the thundering of hooves drew closer.

I squinted and saw a figure on a horse through the haze of smoke.

“Hey!” I yelled.

The mount burst through the smoke and relief swirled through me as Cas came into view.

He rode nearly right next to me and slid off the horse with the reins still in his hand. “Salem!”

I scrambled up from my seat, limped toward him, and fell into his arms.

“You’re hurt.”

I nodded. “My right wrist. And my left ankle.”

Cas embraced me and a hissing noise came from the fur ball pressed against me.

“What the hell is that?” Cas asked.

“A fox kit,” I said. “He’s hurt. I couldn’t leave him. How did you know I was out here?”

“Gut feeling.” He swept me into his arms. “I’m here now. I’ve got you.”

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

The Hospital

“Yeah, you broke your wrist,” the doctor said without preamble when he came into the exam room. “The X-ray showed a clear break. You’ll be in a cast for six to eight weeks.”

“What about her ankle?” Cas asked.

“Just a sprain,” he replied. “The knee, though. You bashed it good when you fell. It’s going to swell and there’s a pocket of fluid behind the kneecap. It’s going to be gruesome looking, but icing it and keeping it elevated will help and it should heal just fine.”

“What about her pain?” Cas demanded. “What are you going to do about that?”

I reached up to him with my good hand. “Easy, Cas.”

Cas looked down at me. “You’re in pain and you’re pregnant with my baby. There is noeasy. Not right now.”

“I’m not taking anything,” I said. “I’ll suffer through the pain.”

“Salem—”

“I’ll be fine, Cas.” I looked at him. “I got this, okay?”

“I don’t like seeing you hurt,” he said, his voice low.

My smile wobbled. “I know.”

The doctor cleared his throat. “We’ll get your wrist in a cast, and then you can go home.”

“Thanks, Doc,” I said.

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