“I’m not getting naked in front of you.”
“You may wrap yourself in the blanket. I won’t look at you.”
She groaned, knowing that he was probably right. She couldn’t see the wound herself because of the angle, and it hurt like the dickens. With her luck she was probably cut with a poisoned blade that was slowly seeping into her blood stream and killing her as she stood there in front of the stranger who was trying to be nice to her, even though he had just bought her from a fairy king.
Like my day can’t get any weirder, she thought to herself as she handed the mug to him and tried to reach behind her back so she could untie the dress. When she couldn’t reach it without pulling at the cut and crying out, she looked at him.
“I’ll get it,” he said, placing the mug on the table and swirling his finger in the air so she knew to turn around.
“Whoever put this dress on you cinched it too tight. It’s a wonder you can breathe,” he said as he loosened the ties. As soon as the ties were loose enough she felt herself take a deep breath. Yes, it was a wonder she had been able to breathe at all.
She stepped out of the dress, still wearing the shift that was on underneath the outer layer. He untied the string at her neck and she turned around to face him, holding the thin fabric to her chest to keep it from falling down her arms and exposing herself.
“Turn around,” she told him, reaching down for the blanket. When he did as she instructed, she shimmied the shift down to her waist and tucked the blanket around her. She kept it under her arms so she didn’t get blood on it and so that he could see the wound.
“There,” she said, peeling the sticky bandage from her shoulder.
He turned around to face her, frowning when he looked at the cut. “It’s not as bad as I thought it would be, but still. Who did this? Was it one of the soldiers?”
“No. It was a woman actually.”
“Which woman?”
“I don’t know. They all look alike.” He shook his head and bent down, picking her discarded gown from the floor.
She heard the tearing fabric before she saw what he was doing. He took off the bottom several inches before submerging the fabric in the boiling water.
“You can sit down,” he told her and she happily obliged. Her knees were wobbling and she sank down onto the thin mattress with a sigh of relief. Her body was exhausted and she didn’t know how much more of this day she could take without cracking. She thought, considering everything, she was holding up quite well. Maggie would be proud of her.
Maggie.
Her friend was probably combing the woods looking for her at this very moment. If only she could let her know that she was alive, although a little worse for wear. And at the same time, she wished her friend wasn’t looking for her. If she stumbled across some lunatic fairies just as Heidi had… she didn’t want to think about it. But she did know that those fairies would have some bullet holes in them.
There was nothing she could do about that at the moment. She had other problems she had to attend to. Like how she was going to get out of the freaky fairy village with all her limbs intact. Or how she was going to deal with the looming stranger who was now picking the fabric out of the boiling water with his bare fingers.
What the hell?
“Don’t do that. You’ll burn yourself!” She yelled at him, but it was too late. He plucked the fabric out of the pot as if the boiling water didn’t faze him in the slightest.
“I’m fine,” he told her, holding the fabric above the water and letting it drip into the pot before wringing it out.
It was still steaming as he crouched down in front of her. He looked as if he was going to push it directly to her skin but when she pulled back, afraid of burning herself, he held it away from her.
“How did that not hurt?” she asked him, flustered.
He shrugged. “It’s fine.”
After a second, he pressed the hot, wet fabric against her cut. She jumped from the heat but settled back after a second once she got used to the temperature. It hurt as he cleaned the wound gently and then folded the soiled parts inside and held pressure so the bleeding would stop.
He stayed crouched there for a long time and she couldn’t help staring at him. She didn’t know who he was or what he wanted, but right now he was taking care of her. She couldn’t help but be curious about him.
“Why are you here?”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “It’s a long story, but you don’t have to be afraid of me, Heidi. I’m not like the fae. I will not hurt you.”
“How do I know that?” she asked him.
He shrugged again. “I guess you’ll just have to trust me.”
“You’re out of your mind if you think it’s just that easy.”
“Have I hurt you yet?”
“No,” she had to admit. Maybe he wasn’t like the rest of them, but there was something about him that was different from her. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she didn’t feel completely at ease with him either. Her heart sped up in her chest and his nearness made her wary.
As he continued to hold the fabric to her wound, his other hand came up to her cheek. She winced when he touched her, not because it was unpleasant but, her cheek still stung.
“And who left this mark on you?” He asked, his voice low.
“Bradán.”
Liam nodded and withdrew his hand, returning his concentration to her shoulder. After a second he pulled the fabric back and surveyed the wound.
“Is it still bleeding?” she asked, trying to crane her neck to see it.
“No, it stopped.” He stood up, the fabric still in his hand.
“Can I have that for a second?” she asked, holding out her hand. He put the cloth in her hand and she twirled her finger in the air so he’d turn his back again. When he did what she instructed, she opened the blanket and washed the dried blood and dirt from her skin the best she could.
When she was finished, she tossed the rag into the corner of the small hut and pulled the shift over her arms and stood. She wrapped the blanket around herself and cleared her throat.
“You’re covered?” he asked.
“Yes.” He turned around and faced her.
“Good. Let’s find a way to get you warm.”
3
“Are you still cold?” he asked her, taking a step toward her.
The fire in the room had removed the chill in the air, but he guessed that she was going to feel cold for a while longer. He was happy to see that her lips were no longer blue, but she was still paler than what he guessed would be her natural coloring.
“Yes,” she said, sitting back down on the bed.
He took a few steps toward the bed before sitting down and then stretching out behind her. He felt her stiffen in front of him and he patted the mattress next to him. It was a tight fit, but when she laid down next to him, he found that he quite liked the way she had to press herself against him in order to keep herself from falling off the side. He wound his arm around her stomach and pulled her closer, hoping his body heat would be more than enough for her.
It was. Her slight trembling faded soon after she laid down and after a few minutes he felt her relax into him. When her breathing changed, he knew she slept.
He hadn’t anticipated her when he walked into Péine earlier that evening. Her existence here changed everything. Making an agreement with the fae hadn’t been in his plans and he had no intention of carrying it out. Roarke would’ve persisted, and he hadn’t been able to get Heidi out of his head. They wouldn’t try to harm her now, not unless she gave them a reason to. Or he did.
The fae bastards who had done this to her were another matter altogether. Bradán was the first one on his list. And although he had never hit a woman in anger for all the years he’d been alive, he may make an exception for the one that had cut her so viciously. Heidi was his property now and he would be sure to take care of her. She wouldn’t want for anything.
He was a drago
n, after all. They treasured their hoards. They wouldn’t let anyone touch them or harm them or take them away. They were their prizes and the only things they really cared about other than their families or mates. Liam had just added to his and he intended to keep it that way.
One more day of making nice with their hosts and then they would be on their way. He would get Heidi comfortable in his cave and let Collum know what had transpired here. The fact that the fae had a witch implied they were working with the warlocks. The fae didn’t have an issue with witches, but warlocks did. He was sure the dragon commander would want to know the details. If he could find out the details of the fae’s plan of attack on New Freedom, he’d be only too happy to share that information as well.
Heidi woke up tucked next to Liam. His body radiated heat like a cozy blanket and she couldn’t help snuggling up against him. He’d been nothing but kind to her and she had to admit that she was grateful for his presence in all the chaos.
He smelled of burning firewood on a crisp day. It was a wonderfully comforting smell that made her dream of the changing leaves and hot chocolate. She woke up feeling refreshed and ready to face whatever was waiting for her on the other side of the hut’s flimsy door.
She wanted to know when they were leaving—the sooner the better—but she wouldn’t roll over and pester him with it. She guessed that he needed sleep just as much as she had. Instead, she laid there for a little while until she felt him shift slightly behind her.
“Good morning,” he grumbled, pulling her tighter against him.
“Morning.” She didn’t mind him holding her. In fact, she liked it. It warmed her and made her feel safe. Both things she had sorely missed the day before. She wasn’t quick to try to put some distance between them.
She wouldn’t say outright that she trusted him, but she certainly felt better about him than she did about any of the fairies she’d met. Just the fact that he wasn’t one of them brought him up a few more notches in her book.
Her stomach growled loudly and he chuckled behind her.
“We need to get some food in you,” he said, raising himself up on his elbow and looking down at her.
She turned onto her back and smiled at him. “I’m starved.”
He braced his hand on the edge of the mattress and climbed over her. When he was on his feet, he straightened and pulled his hands through his hair, combing out the tangles.
“Stay here,” he told her, heading toward the door.
“Wait,” she said. He turned to look at her. “I need a bathroom.” She could feel her face heat but she had no choice but to ask him. Maybe the fairies didn’t need a toilet, but she was human and it was definitely a requirement.
When he pointed to a small bucket in the corner, she groaned. It was a cruel joke, if it was one, but somehow she doubted it. The fairies probably pooped in nature and called it fertilizer, but she wasn’t comfortable doing the same. She supposed the bucket would have to do for emptying her bladder. The question was what she was going to do with it when she was done.
“You have a little time before I’ll be back,” he told her.
“All right.”
“I’m going to lock the door.” She didn’t argue with him, just watched as he left the hut and locked the piece of wood they called a door.
She was relieved when the lock clicked in place. She wasn’t planning on going anywhere without him and she liked that no one could just barge in on her.
When she figured out how to squat over the bucket without making a mess of herself, she felt instantly better. She piled more wood on the dying fire and found a small folded stack of the fairy’s material folded under the bed. The scraps were around the same size as washcloths, so she took advantage of using them as such.
Dipping them into the warm water, she washed her face and gave herself the best bird bath she could with what she had on hand. When she was done, she felt marginally better. She was trying to pull the dress on over the shift when there was a knock on the door.
“Heidi, it’s me,” Liam’s voice sounded. “Cover yourself.”
She wasn’t naked, but she wrapped the blanket around herself since she didn’t know who was with him. When the door opened, he was flanked by Grania carrying a large tray. She walked into the hut behind Liam and put the tray on the table.
“Thank you,” he told her. She nodded her response as she picked up the bucket and the scraps of material they had left in the corner of the hut before leaving.
When she was gone, Liam locked the door and walked over to where she stood in front of the bed, still huddled in the blanket.
He produced a bundle of material she hadn’t noticed before and held the dark green fabric out to her.
“Roarke has requested we join him for an afternoon of games and feasting,” he said. “They provided you with clothing that would be more suitable for the activities.”
She dropped the blanket back on the bed and took the material from him. A pair of sandals, which were slightly better than not having any shoes at all, sat underneath the fabric. Shaking the garment out, she saw it was slightly bigger than the dress they had provided her with the night before. The material was softer and looked considerably warmer.
She pulled it on over the shift while he stood there and watched her. When she turned her back to him, he automatically stepped forward to lace it up and tie it for her. His fingers tickled her through the thin material of the shift and she couldn’t help the way her pulse crept up and her breath caught.
When he combed his fingers through her hair, she thought her knees would give out. Instead, she gritted her teeth and tried to keep herself from moaning outright. No one had ever brushed her hair out with their fingers before and she found it to be quite soothing. It made her think of all the other things he could be doing with her hair. Like pulling it.
Damn it, Heidi. Pull yourself together. The mental slap was enough to bring her back to reality. She didn’t know this man. There was no need to get achy for the first man who had saved her life.
She cleared her throat and spun on him. “What’s for breakfast?”
He stepped back from her and went over to the table. “Sit,” he said, nodding to the one chair that stood in the room. He went back to the bed with one of the bowls and sat down before digging into whatever they were given.
Her bowl was filled with fruit, for which she was grateful. She dug in, devouring everything that was in the bowl as well as draining the spiced wine that filled the mug.
“I’ve never had wine for breakfast before,” she told him.
“Well, take it easy today. I don’t need you passing out before dinner.”
“I’d be fine with water.”
He chuckled. “I doubt anyone will be provided with water today. I’m sure the wine is watered down, but it still contains alcohol. I doubt you’re used to imbibing the same quantities as the fae are.”
“I doubt I am, although I can hold my drink.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
She nodded. “Yes, we will.”
He got up, putting his empty bowl inside hers and leaving it on the tray. He swallowed the contents of his mug before putting it back down and stretching his arms. They hit the ceiling and he shrank back.
“Are you ready to go out there? Roarke has requested my presence.”
“I guess.” She was in no mood to venture out into the fairy village and face the people who had wanted to kill her the night before. The last thing she wanted to do was to go out there and put on airs that everything was okay with her. And who was to say that they wouldn’t try it again? She could hope that Liam would be able to protect her, but she doubted that even someone as large as he was could take them all on if they changed their minds.
“It’s going to be okay,” he said, seeming to sense her nervousness. “Stay at my side and you’ll have nothing to worry about.”
“The last thing I was planning on doing was to go wandering around this hellhole.”
He grinned at her, showing his perfectly straight and white teeth and she couldn’t help the chills that crept over her skin. He was a handsome man. His clean shaven face was beginning to grow whiskers, which made him all the more appealing in her mind. Lord, if she didn’t get a grip on herself, she’d end up in a predicament that she didn’t want to face the repercussions of.
She got up from the chair and followed him when he opened the door and stepped outside. The sunlight blinded her at first and she raised her hand to shield her eyes. The first thing she noticed after her eyes adjusted to the light was that there was no one around, at least not back in the little corner they were tucked in.
The more they walked toward the center of the village, the more fairies began to appear. They looked the same as the night before, still wild men and women wearing kilts with filed teeth that scared the shit out of her. She had been hoping that part had just been her mind playing tricks on her, but she was wrong. It was real and scary as hell.
The women at least didn’t file their teeth, and the more she looked around she noticed not all the men did either. Actually a few of the men were quite handsome, not that she’d want to cozy up to any of them. They were still evil creatures with unnatural wings who wanted her dead, but at least they didn’t all look like they were straight from her nightmares. She couldn’t figure out if that was worse or not.
She stepped closer to Liam, who had slowed his strides so that her short legs could keep up with his much longer ones. She only came up to the middle of his chest. Standing next to him made her feel that much smaller. That much more insignificant.
The bonfires were already burning bright in the center of the village. The pole that she had been tied to the night before still stood there, as ominous as ever and complete with blood stains. She guessed some of her own blood marked the wood now too. She could only guess how many people stood there before her.
A wild animal was roasting over one of the fires, being turned on a spit by a teenage girl who was giggling with a boy around the same age. A tent was being erected not far from them and tables were being dragged in by a group of women while the men flew into the trees to tie the sheets of fabric to them to create a canopy.
Up In Flames (Netherworld Series Book 2) Page 5