Chapter Twenty-Three
Selina wanted to be up and moving within a few days, but it came as no surprise to him when a week and a half flew by before she was finally able to stand and walk on her own. Albeit limping.
She still winced when drawing in a full breath, but the healer gave her instructions to walk outside every day. It didn’t take long for others in the village to recognize him, especially with his magic a constant swirling storm of chaos.
He’d marched right up to the village elder and gave explicit instructions that if anyone entered the village, he was to be the first to know. The male had nodded, his fear nearly palpable as he assured him visitors this time of year were rare. Everyone was busy visiting one of the major cities to celebrate the coming solstice.
The innkeeper kept her distance, delivering supplies whenever she thought necessary, and the healer stopped by every morning to check on Selina.
Her bruising had shifted to a nasty yellowish color and looked far worse than it had in the initial days. The swelling in her face was gone, thank the gods, but discoloration still lingered around her eye and beneath her jaw.
Rion paced the inn hallway whenever Selina kicked him out and walked the building’s perimeter when he needed fresh air. One night, he’d even slept on the roof, with his magic guarding Selina’s door, of course.
She was moody, as anyone might be when cooped up for too long, but gods—Rion wasn’t sure he could survive another night of her endless demands for perfection.
Food had to be warm, but not too warm. Her sheets needed to be changed daily because sleeping on sweaty ones was only for barbarians, never mind the fact that she showered every night. And the wine, gods, if he heard about the wine one more time he might chuck it all into a fire and force her to go without.
Rion rubbed his temples, then grabbed the tray of food from the counter. The innkeeper left it there every night, and every night she tasted it. The female had even gotten the courage to offer him a smile or two. She never complained, only bowed and offered her assistance should he need anything. Coin definitely went far where courtesy was concerned.
Rion marched up the stairs, listening to the sounds of night outside the windows. He’d barely closed the door when Selina said, “We need to leave tomorrow.”
“The healer said you should take a few more days.” He set the tray on the table beside her.
“We won’t make it to the rendezvous point if we wait.”
Rion handed her a drink. Thankfully not wine tonight. He might have mentioned something to the innkeeper about supplying a different beverage. “What rendezvous point?”
Selina eyed the liquid and made a face. “It’s something I developed with my team. We’re set to meet on a certain day when we believe the mission should be over. If we don’t show up, they’ll think things took a turn for the worst.”
He shrugged. “Let them worry for a few days. We’ll meet them back in Nàdair.”
She eyed him. “My team will not leave me behind.”
“So let them wait.”
Selina shook her head. “If I don’t come back, they’ll head to Whiteridge and raze the entire thing to the ground.”
Rion shrugged again. “It’s nothing they won’t deserve.”
“But it’ll blow our chances of finding the ones involved.”
“We know who’s involved and if your team takes them out without realizing who they are, then I’d consider that a win.”
“I don’t want my team to take them out.”
Rion paused at her tone. Studied her face. “You want to be the one to do it.”
She didn’t meet his gaze. “I’ve never failed an assignment, and if it gets back that my team decimated the city instead of publicly executing those involved like we’d originally planned . . .”
“You’re worried about your reputation?”
“Yes, yes, I am.” She shot him a look when he opened his mouth. “I have worked very, very hard to earn it and it’s not something I want thrown to the wind just because I made a stupid mistake.”
Rion let the silence stretch between them. “Even if we get there in time, you’re still in no shape to fight. You’d only slow them down. Our best bet is to return to Nàdair where I’ll secure a new group, probably recruit my sister just to give her the satisfaction, then handle the problem myself.”
She grimaced. “I don’t want Saoirse involved. If she finds out I failed, she’ll never let me live it down. Alec will find someone else for his top secret missions, and my team will be thrown on a list to handle the leftovers.”
Rion shrugged. “You won’t be out of a job, why would it matter?”
“It matters to me ,” she emphasized. “I don’t want to be picked second. I don’t want to be mediocre.”
Rion sat back and stared out the window. He could see the frustration written all over her face. Saw it in the way she clenched her jaw. “How long did Alec give you?”
“Two months.” Not enough time. Not for her to fully recover.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before sitting forward again. “I don’t imagine you’d let me and your team handle it while you sit back and take the credit?”
“Why, so my team can question my abilities themselves?”
“I don’t think they’d do that. Accidents happen on assignments all the time.”
“I let myself get captured. That’s hardly an accident.”
Rion thought through his next words carefully. “Even if we reconvene with your team, there’s no way your body is going to be healed enough to fight. There’s nothing you can do about that.”
She sighed and her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’ll never recover from this.”
“You will. I’ll ensure it.”
She scoffed. “Careful, you’re starting to sound a lot like a friend.”
Friend. The word sounded nice, even if it wasn’t enough. “I kind of like the sound of that.”
Her gaze lifted, a smile at the corner of her mouth. “I think I might actually miss having you around.”
His heart beat just a little faster. “I don’t have to go anywhere.”
Her lips parted and her eyes flickered between his. “Rion—”
“I know we’ll have our orders. We’re duty bound to Brónach, but it might be nice to . . . meet up in between. When we have spare time. If you wanted.”
“Time,” she shook her head. “Such a stupid concept for the immortal, isn’t it? We’re told we have infinite amounts of it, and yet so often it’s cut short.” Rion didn’t know how to respond to that, so he kept quiet. She chewed her bottom lip, an act that was far more distracting than he thought it should be. “We’ll meet up with my team and go from there,” she finally said.
Rion nodded. “I can have transportation ready whenever you are.”
“Give me an hour.”