She wouldn’t be used again or deceived again.
“People underestimate you because you underestimate yourself,” she told her reflection. “That stops now.”
She walked out of the bath, then stopped when she saw Bran at her open terrace doors, looking out.
“I need you to leave.”
He turned back, studied her as she stood, hair sleek and wet, her hand clutching the towel between her breasts. And insult and anger in her eyes.
“I have a salve.” He held up the small jar. “I can help with the wounds, and with the pain.”
“I don’t want—”
“Stop being a git. You’re not a stupid woman. You want to be pissed, be pissed,” he invited as his own temper clawed at him. “Stay pissed after I explain, that’s your choice to make, but now you’ll sit down and let me help.”
“You’re not in charge of me.”
“And thank the gods for that. But we’re all in this together, and I’ll do what I can to help the others in turn. But you took the brunt of it. Now sit down, and be pissed and smart.”
Refusing, she realized, was weak, was letting her hurt and disappointment cloud judgment. She needed to be strong and well to fight.
So she sat on the side of the bed.
He came over, set the salve down. And laid his hands gently on her head.
“That’s not—”
“Your head aches, that’s clear to see. She tried getting into your mind, didn’t she? And you’ve been crying. So your head hurts.” He brushed his thumbs over her temples, her forehead. “I’m not as good at this as others, but with you being an empath—”
“I’m not.”
“For Christ’s sake, woman, don’t argue with what I know.” Impatience snapped, a whiplash. “You block most out, but it’s there. Use it now, in a kind of reverse, and that will help me help you. Let me feel it, open up and let me feel. We’ll start with the headache, as you’ll think clearer then.”
Because he was right, because there’d been impatience rather than pity, she closed her eyes, offered her pain.
“There now,” he murmured, and his fingers stroked her brow, her skull, her temples. “It’s a dark gray cloud.” He ran his hands down, pressed thumbs into the base of her neck. “It’s whisking away as a breeze comes up. Cool and fresh. Feel it.”
She did, and the horrible, gripping pressure eased. “Yes, that’s better. That’s better,” she repeated, and nudged his hands aside. “Thank you.”
“You’ve cuts and scrapes and bruises, and a puncture or two. The salve alone will do for that, but this gash needs more. Annika did a fine—what do they call it?—field dressing. She’s an array of disparate talents. Let me feel it.
“Yes, it’s hot, and it throbs.” And would scar if he couldn’t fix it. It surprised him how the thought of that upset him. “But it’s clean. Nothing to fester here.”
“How do you know?”
“You know, and I can see what you know here. Help me cool it now, help me close it.”
She lost herself in his eyes. It occurred to her later he must have taken her into some light trance, but her feelings seemed to touch his, like fingertips, and the heat of her arm cooled.
“That’s good now, that’s fine. And the salve will do the rest right enough.”
A little dazed, she looked down to see the gash closed, and no more than a long scrape remaining.
“But, that’s—”
“Magick?” he suggested. “It’s healing, and you’re doing most of the work. What about your leg? You’re favoring the right one.”
“I don’t know. I must have twisted or turned my ankle in the cave. When the bats . . .”