Chapter 24
Thank You
Sinta
It was pouring rain by the time I went back for my things, got changed, and headed for Rising House.
I hadn’t brought an umbrella with me and trailed a stream of water when I entered.
“Sinta, is that you?” Someone calls – I think it’s Fade.
“Yeah.” I call back, slowly making my way into the kitchen.
The boys are gathered around the kitchen bench, towels and raincoats piled on it, and are excitedly chatting away.
“Sinta, we are—Holy shit!” Rapid gapes.
“Mes dieux, Sinta, what the hell happened?!” Fade demands.
They rush towards me, Elijah gently tugging off my jacket and Fade trying to carefully examine my face.
“Combat class.” Is all I offer them, moving stiffly.
Elijah rushes away with my jacket and bag and then sprints back, the picture of concern. “Trevone’s an asshole, but he let them do this to you?”
“You’re really surprised she got her ass kicked?” Tomashi snorts, casually leaning against the bench with his arms crossed and a cocky smile on his face.
I glare at him, but the smile on my lips is triumphant. “I won, actually.”
His cocky smile droops, eyes narrowing.
Rapid huffs an odd sound, coming closer as Fade and Elijah continue to fuss. “Do I even want to know what the other chick looks like?”
“Dude.” I correct. “A big ass guy. Someone called Tremore.”
Fade and Elijah draw back, eyebrows raised.
“Tremore? Matthew or Markus Tremore?” Fade demands.
I shrug. “I don’t know. He’s my age, in my year. He’s big and bulky, has kind of a square-shaped face. It took a lot for me to take him down.”
“I don’t doubt it. The Tremore brothers are from a long line of Bruin Berserkers. Mythic bear shifters – they’re feral fighters.” Fade mumbles, taking in my injuries with new eyes. “Why aren’t you healed?”
“The healer was busy, and I had an important meeting with my Counsellor. I’ll be fine.” I tell them, pushing up the soaked sleeves of my sweatshirt but forgetting about the claw marks on my arm.
I hiss as the fabric drags over them and cradle the limb to my stomach.
Elijah growls, gently grasping the limb and twisting it towards him. “He clawed you?”
“Yeah.”
“Please tell me you murdered the bastard?” Rapid demands.
“He had to be carried out of the Pit.” I tell him with a smile.
Rapid’s wicked grin gives me butterflies. “That’s my girl.”
I wasn’t sure I ducked my head quick enough to hide the blush.
“I can heal you.” Elijah offers, still gently prodding my arm. “I’m in my second year of healing medicine. It shouldn’t take longer than five to ten minutes.”
“Take him up on it, Sinta. He’s a pro at that stuff,” Rapid assures me, gesturing around at them all. “He’s had to fix all of us up at one point or another.”
“Well, it’d be a lot easier than going back to the nurse’s office.” I admit.
“Is this the only big wound?” He asks.
“Er, no. I have quite a few. Do you need to see them to heal them?”
He nods. “Yes. If you aren’t comfortable with that, we might have to take you to the healer.”
I really didn’t want to go all the way back there. I felt drained – both physically and emotionally. “No, it’s okay. But maybe we could go to my room or something?” I hedge, sneaking a glance at the others.
Fade gives me a gentle understanding smile, Rapid is grinning like a fool, and Tomashi is wearing his default expression.
Grumpy with a sprinkle of smartass asshole.
“We can do that. The bathroom might be an even better idea – healing you won’t get rid of the blood.” He says and turns to gesture me ahead of him.
I nod and stiffly head for the stairs, a bit slower than I’d like. “I’m really stiff. You can go ahead if I’m too slow?” I offer.
“No, I’d rather stay behind you. We don’t want your legs to buckle on the stairs and then have to heal a cracked skull too.”
I wince at the vivid image of my brain leaking out of my head. “Yeah, no.”
“We’ll wait down here for you guys.” Rapid calls. “Elijah, fill her in on our plans. I promise it’ll be fun!” Rapid directs the last part to me.
I toss him a confused look then focus on climbing the stairs.
Elijah was right to stay behind me, my legs were so wobbly and sore I stumbled and weaved like a newborn calf.
He had to place a steadying hand on my lower back as we climbed.
The heat of it seared my skin through the cold soaked shirt.
I lead the way into my room then into the bathroom, cringing in pain and practically panting by the time I stop to lean against the sink.
I hear the bathroom door close, then Elijah is beside me and offering his hand.
“I can help you undress, or we can cover you up with a blanket if that’ll make you more comfortable?”
“It’s okay,” I laugh, beginning to tug my shirt off. “Sweet of you to offer. I’m not shy about my body, there is just something else I’m…. private about.”
“Okay.” He says, but I can hear his curiosity.
I briefly think about Mr Orichalcum’s suggestion. Elijah was quiet, the kind of male that felt reliable and honourable from the first meeting. I felt like he was trustworthy – he was about to help me when he didn’t have to, after all. That wasn’t a little thing when it came to Fae. Most weren’t generous at all, and others were generous with the expectation of a favour.
Elijah, with his quiet steadfast demeanour, seemed to be a rare, kind Fae.
He helped me remove the sweatshirt, leaving me only in my bra, and then hesitated with the loose-fitting jeans.
Tackling the button and zipper with one hand, I started pushing them down.
Clearing his throat, eyes darting around the room, Elijah lowers to kneel and help me step out of them before setting them aside and rising.
“Gods, he used his powers?” He growls, taking in the ugly-looking areas that were blistered and red.
“Not very well, but yes.” I murmur, turning towards the mirror and cringing at the mess of burns and blisters on my chest, right above my breasts. “This is the worst of it, though.”
I turn towards Elijah and point to the burn, just below the junction of my collarbones, the injury spanning most of the skin and even blistering the edges of my Marks.
Elijah takes his sweet time pulling his gaze from my black lace-clad ass to my chest, the hazel-green orbs snagging on my matching bra.
I wave a hand over my chest, smirking. “Elijah?”
He clears his throat, shaking his head, his blonde locks falling into his face.
“Sorry.” He rasps, eyes refocusing on my burn. “Fuck, what did he hit you with?”
“This orangey-red ball of power. I was too close, and the hit sent me flying across the Pit.” I explain. “Before that he just threw smaller balls of magic at my legs, trying to trip me I guess.”
Elijah’s chest rumbles, his jaws clenching.
“I’m alright.” I whisper, watching his eyes flash between hazel-green and pure feline. “It barely hurts.”
“You almost didn’t make it up the stairs.” He grits.
“Because I’m stiff. My muscles are protesting the fight, is all.” I try to soothe, realising he’s probably having some sort of internal battle with his beast.
I had no idea what that was like, but from the way his body kept tensing and flexing, I didn’t think it was pleasant.
“I…. I have to touch your chest. To direct the healing magic.” He cautions, face still tense.
I nod slowly, looking up into his face, since he’s at least a foot and a half taller than me. “That’s okay, Elijah.”
He nods, looking over the wound, bending his neck at an awkward angle to examine it.
“I think I’m too short.” I giggle when he is forced to crouch slightly.
A smile tugs at his lips. “I never realised how much of a shrimp you are.” He teases.
“Shrimp? I’ll show you shrimp!” I threaten, shaking a fist at him.
Rumbling a deep chuckle, he steps forward and surprises me when his huge hands circle my waist and lift. He sets me on the counter with ease and moves his hands to rest beside my hips.
“Is this, um, better?” I ask him.
He examines the wound, his head just about level with my chest now, and slowly nods. “Oh yeah.” He murmurs.
I duck my head to hide my girlish grin, my eyes squeezing shut.
Feeling the soft touch of fingers skimming along the edge of my Mark, just above my left breast, I peer at him from beneath my lashes.
“They’re beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Snake Shifter with marks like these.” He murmurs.
“I’m one of a kind.” I whisper.
Literally. And I’m thinking about telling him everything.
Smiling, Elijah moves on to lightly skimming his fingers over my burns.
I hiss at the tenderness.
“It won’t hurt when I start; it’ll feel like I’m putting cool water on your skin, then all you’ll feel is relief.” He says, smoothing his fingers to the centre of my chest and flattening his palm over my sternum. “I’m going to try and heal everything in one go, but your magic might not allow me to. We’ll try anyway.”
Since I had no magic – yet, hopefully – he had nothing to worry about.
“Go ahead.” I murmur, my feet brushing his sweatpant-clad legs, my hands resting on my thighs that are spread to make room for his hips.
He's built, but lithe.
He’s so close I can study every dip of muscle, the way his shirt moulds to his shoulders and chest.
He has tribal Markings on his arms, some of them hieroglyph-like and depicting a roaring lion.
I study them as I feel a gentle pressure spreading from Elijah’s palm over my chest, down my arm, to the rest of my body. He’s right, it feels like I’m submerged in a pool of gentle, cool water. The relief is immediate, so profound I feel it all the way down to my soul, my dragon puffing a contented sigh – the first bit of movement from her in hours.
“How does that feel?” He murmurs, shifting and brushing his hip against my leg.
My fingers feel drawn to it, curling into the pocket of his sweatpants. “Perfect. I feel great – energised.”
“Good.” He lets his hand slip, falling down between my breasts and spreading out over my thigh. “No soreness?”
I shake my head, eyes rising to meet his. “None.” I whisper, studying the wide black of his pupils.
He nods, clearing his throat.
But he doesn’t move, and his hand twitches like he wants to dance his fingers over my skin.
“Elijah?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I trust you?” I demand.
He blinks, his hand firming, his hips settling against me. “Of course you can.”
The way he says it. So earnestly, wholeheartedly. Like he means it with every fibre of his being.
It's exactly what I needed to hear.
But I also needed to be sure.
“Swear it. Swear that I can trust you and that you will keep my secret.”
He pins me with a wary look.
“It’s not dangerous to others – just me. If the wrong people knew about me, I wouldn’t be safe.” I explain. “I promise that if you swear it will bring no harm to others.”
His eyes dissect me, and his hand clasps my own. “I swear to ward your secrets, unless they cause harm to others. On my honour and my beast.”
Warmth flares between our palms, as if we clasped a warm stone between us.
He'd sealed the oath with magic.
I’d seen it done, but never sworn one myself.
“I’m a Dragon Shifter, but I’ve never shifted, and I’m starting to go through the Shifting Fever.” I tell him succinctly.
He jerks and the hand on my thigh spasms.
Worried he might pull it away, I slip my own over it and curl my fingers tightly in his pants pocket.
“What?” He demands.
“It’s why Mr Orichalcum placed me here. He thought it would be good for my dragon. He said I needed to tell someone in the House, someone I trust, in case the Shift hits me.” I bite my lip, begging him with my eyes not to make me regret this. “I can trust you, right?”
He blinks at me for a moment, his gaze falling to my Marks, his brows rising the longer he stares at them.
“Your Marks make a lot more sense.” He mutters.
We both jump as someone bangs on the door, almost startling me off the counter if not for Elijah’s quick reflexes.
“Come on, you two.” Rapid whines, banging again. “Have you told her yet, Elijah? Come on, come on!”
Elijah curses and reaches out for a towel, handing it to me.
I wrap it around myself, but I’m more focused on him.
“I….” He stares at the door, wincing when Rapid begins pounding on it again. “I won’t tell anyone. And I’ll help, if the Shift hits you.”
A huge breath of relief leaves my lungs. “Thank you.”
“But you should think about telling everyone else, too. You can trust them.”
I raise a doubtful brow.
“Ah, maybe not Tomashi, but the others would never betray your confidence.” He says, utterly sure.
“I’ll think about it.” I tell him.
“Come on!” Rapid calls again, smacking the door.
I snort and go to open it, but Elijah grabs my hand and swings me back to him, taking me off guard.
He dips down and presses a firm, sweet kiss to my lips, his eyes pure gold when he stares into mine.
“Thank you for trusting me.” He murmurs. “Now we better go before he breaks that door.”
I nod, turning to follow as he moves.
My lips burned, but in the best way.
As I watched his wide shoulders beneath his T-shirt, I had only one thought.
I wanted him to do that again.