She didn’t budge.
“If I could just finish your stitches,” said Thane, “Harm can go get you some fresh clothes.” His expression was patient, affable. About as far from her father’s current glower as could be. “I’m sure you’d be more comfortable.”
Because she wasn’t keen on bleeding out either, and she figured being reasonable would get her further than attacking both of them with her stolen scalpel, Marley nodded.
Her father made a growl of protest and the doctor shot him a steely glare.
“Get the clothes,” he said, “and go cool off. She’s going to be fine.”
Harm gave her a long, measured look. “Be a good patient. Please,” he bit out. He stalked across the room and out the single door.
Marley exhaled and lowered the scalpel.
God. God. Her father. What kind of Twilight Zone existence had she fallen into?
Thane held out a hand and helped her over the fallen equipment, back to the surgical gurney. The surface was cold beneath her bare back, and she had to fight not to shudder.
Thane gently prodded around her wound. “Can you feel that?”
“Not really.”
“Okay, good. The local anesthetic hasn’t worn off yet. I’ll make this quick.”
A few minutes later, the door opened and the warlock from her apartment stepped inside, a small pile of clothes in his hands.
Thane lifted a brow. “Where’s Harm?”
“He went to talk to Tara.”
The two men exchanged a glance that had her stomach twisting into knots.
The warlock stepped up to the table. “He sent me with some scrubs. I’m Diego.”
“What aren’t you telling me?” she demanded. “Harm said Ian was in holding. He’s all right, isn’t he?”
“Settle down,” said Thane. “You’re tensing up again. I’m trying to keep these stitches neat.”
She made a conscious effort to relax her muscles. “Tell me. Please.”
Another wordless communication between the doctor and the warlock.
“There’s nothing for us to tell,” said Thane. “He’s in holding, all in one piece. Other than that, our full attention has been on your condition.” He snipped off the suture. “Done. Now, wait just a bit. I need to check you.”
Marley lifted her gaze to Thane, intending to ask what he was doing, but the sight of his eyes gone pure white stopped her tongue. He held his palm just above her skin. The space between began to glow and pulse as some kind of energy gathered there. Tendrils of light shot into her, like one of those electrostatic globes. The sensation was odd, pins and needles beneath her skin, but it didn’t hurt. After a few more moments, the energy faded, and his eyes shifted to an ordinary brown.
“Clean bill of health,” he said. “There’s no interior damage, no internal bleeding. Despite the complete impossibility of that, you’re fine.” He flipped off the blinding light above the table. “Medically, I’d love to know the explanation for your condition.”
Marley thought of the binding spell, wondered what exactly she’d done by changing it. “I don’t actually know.”
Thane helped her sit up. “Well, we won’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Now, I expect you want to clean up.” He showed her into a bathroom behind a screen at the far side of the room. “We’ll be right out here.
Marley stripped out of her grimy clothes and turned on the water. Through the door she could just make out the low murmur of their voices.
“…sure he needs to go there without supervision?”
“Corin’s there. He won’t let him do anything stupid.” She could almost hear the shrug in Diego’s voice.
“We don’t know how far Harm will go. She can say he didn’t hurt her until she’s blue in the face, but I don’t think Harm will believe it.”