“You’re not dead, and would’ve been without Bran and Sasha, and even then. Internal injuries—kidneys, spleen, liver—severe enough we nearly hauled you to the hospital, but Bran had another solution. His grandmother.”
“She looks like Arianrhod. I talked to her. I think.”
“You did, more than once, I’m told. She’s a healer, an empath. Bran swore by her skill, and he didn’t exaggerate. I’m not sure you’d have full use of that hand again without her.”
“Then I’m grateful. How long have I been down? A day? Two?” she asked when he only shook his head.
“You walked into the forest five days ago.”
“Five?”
When she shoved up, gritted her teeth against a gasp of pain, he rolled out of the bed, poured something into a glass. “Drink it.”
“I don’t want to sleep again. Five days?”
“Fine.”
“Where are you going?” she demanded, close to panic as he turned to the door.
“To get the others.”
“Don’t. Just wait. I want to get up.”
“I want to dance with a naked Charlize Theron. We all have to face limitations.”
“I’m serious. What time is it? Where is everybody?”
“Even though you talk in your sleep, it was more peaceful when you were unconscious. It’s nearly ten thirty—that’s p.m.—and I imagine the rest are downstairs.”
“Then I want to go down. If you could just help me up, just give me a hand.”
He huffed out a breath, walked back, plucked her out of bed.
“I didn’t say carry me down.” Mortifying. “I don’t want to be carried.”
“I go down and bring them to you, or I carry you down. Choose.”
“I’ll take the ride. Wait—mirror.”
He stepped around, turned so she could get a look in the cheval glass in the corner of the room.
She saw a big man all in black holding her as if she weighed as much as a puppy. And she looked pale, fragile—too thin.
“I do look like hell. I should appreciate the honesty.”
“No point in lying about it. You looked worse even yesterday. He all but choked the life out of you.”
In the mirror, their eyes met, and on the meeting his went blank. “I don’t remember that. Why did he stop?”
“Best guess is he heard me coming.”
“You? How did you know to come?”
“I saw you head into the woods with what I t
hought was Sasha,” he began as he carried her from the room. “And then I saw Sasha come down the stairs in the house. Easy enough to put it together. I wasn’t quick enough to stop him from giving you a kick in the head. You were seeing double every time you came out of it for the first two days. Sicked up even the broth they tried to get into you until yesterday afternoon.”
“Glad I don’t remember that. I hate puking. You read to me. You and Sawyer and—”