Chapter 39
“Uh, thanks.” I brush past him and walk into the bathroom.
I take one look at myself in the mirror and grimace.
No wonder everybody’s being careful around me.
There’s blood splatters all over my face as well as a big red spot on my cheek that should turn a fun color.
Turning away from the mirror, I approach the bath.
More than ready to soak in a hot bath, I start the process of removing my clothes.
Surprisingly, it takes way more effort than it should.
My ribs protest literally every movement and even more so when I take the wrapping off.
Then there’s the task of actually climbing into the tub.
By the time I get settled, my forehead has a sheen of sweat on it.
I take a shallow breath and try to relax.
The hot water soothes my aching muscles, and I feel like I can finally relax a little while.
After a little bit, I reach for the soap, knowing I need to wash my hair and body before the water gets too cold.
The body part goes okay, but my hair is another story.
As soon as I try to lift my arms to wash my hair, pain erupts in my rib cage.
I close my eyes and will myself to breathe through the pain.
Knowing it’s not going to get any better, I grit my teeth and quickly wash my hair.
I manage somehow to get it washed and rinsed, but now my entire body hurts.
I mutter under my breath and after I pull the plug to let the water start draining, I begin the process of getting out of the tub.
I realize seconds into it, that this is going to be a lot harder than getting in.
Every movement I try hurts like crazy. I take a shallow breath and blow it out.
“Just do it,” I mutter to myself and grab the edges and pull myself up.
But halfway up, my arm slips. I can’t catch myself, and I fall back into the tub and hit my back.
Pain pulses through my chest at the impact, and I can’t catch my breath.
“Harper?” I hear Rauk’s voice but am too busy trying to get air back into my lungs to be able to respond. “Harper!”
The door opens, and adrenaline shoots through me. “What are you doing?” I shriek, or at least I try. It comes out in more of a wheeze.
“Relax. I'm behind the door; I can’t see you. Why didn’t you answer me?”
“Oh, I don’t know. I was maybe a little busy trying to breathe,” I snap, but there’s no heat to my words because my voice is still wispy because I can barely breathe.
“Are you getting out now?”
“No, I was planning on sleeping in here tonight,” I respond in irritation.
“Well, that’s a stupid idea.”
I’m pretty sure I can’t grind my teeth any harder than I already am. “You think?”
“Cover up. I'm coming in.”
“Have you lost your mind?” I demand. “You’re not coming in here.” I try to sit up, but pain ricochets through my body. “Go out,” I snap in anger.
“Cover up, or don’t; either way, I’m coming in. I’ll lift you out.”
“Would you get out? I don’t need you to lift me out. I’m not five!”
“You sure? Because you’re acting like it.” Before I can flay him with a comment, he speaks again. “I can hear the pain in your voice. Stop being stubborn and just let me get you out.” He pauses. “Or I can get Farrah to come to do it.”
“Farrah can’t lift me out of here,” I respond immediately. I don’t know why I say what I say next. Maybe if I really think about it, I’ll find a reason. “Just get Lox to do it; he’s strong enough.”
There's a pause. “Over my dead body.” His voice is sharp, and I hear the anger there. “Catch.” Instincts make me catch the towel he throws at me. “Cover up with that. You have five seconds.”
“Rauk!” But fearing he just might be serious, I grab the towel and wrap it around me.
“I’m coming in.” He appears above me, towering over me. Without a word, he bends down and puts one hand under my neck and another under my knees. I expect him to grunt when he stands, but he doesn’t make a sound.
I don’t look up at him. I’ve never felt more useless in all my life. “Well, this is fun. I guess you’re used to this, though.”
He turns his head to me, and I make the mistake of meeting his gaze. His eyebrows are raised. “Lifting naked women out of the tub?”
I smack his shoulder, ignoring the pain in my chest. “I mean with helping your sister. This is just like that.” I’m trying to normalize the incredibly awkward and intimate position I’m in.
He stops, just shy of the door, and locks eyes with me. “This is nothing like that.” His voice is gruff, and his eyes are intense. I look away, and he carries me out of the bathroom. Auri’s eyes widen when she sees me.
“Are you okay, Harper?”
“No,” Rauk says at the same time, I say, “I’m fine.” He sets me down on the bed, far more gentle than I thought he could be, considering the anger in his voice. He glares down at me. “You need your ribs wrapped. I can do it, but—”
“You are not wrapping my ribs,” I warn him, lifting my chin defiantly at him.
“You didn’t let me finish. I was going to say if you’re not comfortable with that, I can get your friend.”
“I don’t want to bother Farrah—”
He scowls at me. “If you tell me to get Lox, I swear—”
“What? No! I was going to say I can do it.” His gaze is intense, and I can almost feel his anger. “I don’t know what your problem is, but you need to tone it back,” I tell him without looking away from him.
He closes his eyes a moment. When he opens them, that intensity is dialed back just the slightest bit. He turns away from me and comes back a moment later with a fresh wrap. “I’ll do it.”
“No. Absolutely not,” I tell him.
“Just face away from me. You can wrap the front; I’ll just help make it tight and get the wrapping snug around your back where you can’t reach.”
“I’m not—” I start.
“Don’t make a bigger deal of this than it is; I’m just wrapping your ribs.”
I give him a dark look but don’t argue. If I keep arguing, he’s going to think this is more than it is; and it’s not. It’s just a friend wrapping my ribs, an acquaintance really. I don’t think we’re to the friendship stage yet. “Fine,” I cave. “Auri, close your eyes.” She closes her eyes.
“Go ahead and stand,” Rauk says, all business.
I do as he says, hating what we’re about to do.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this vulnerable before.
Of course, because of that, I do what I do best. I say exactly what I'm thinking.
“I guess this beats getting them wrapped in front of everybody today.”
His hands on my back go still. “What?”
"Reika wrapped my ribs for me right on the field, so I guess this is better than that.”
“Over your shirt or under?” His voice is a low growl.
“What?” I ask in confusion.
“Did she wrap your ribs under your shirt or over it?”
I frown at the question. “We flew back together; you saw me after the battle.”
“Under or over?” he asks through what sounds like gritted teeth.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but she made me take off my shirt.”
It's silent in the room. I turn my head, ready to ask him if he decided not to wrap my ribs. But the expression on his face stops me. His eyes lock on mine, and I nearly pull back at the look in his eyes. “There were nearly a dozen men on that field,” he growls. “Did any of them see you?”
I scoff. “Believe me. The last thing any of those men were doing was trying to get a glimpse of me shirtless.”
Those eyes don’t look away from me. “Are you really that clueless?”
My spine all but snaps at his question. “Are you really that much of a jerk?” I turn away from him, annoyed and in pain again. “Are you going to help me or not, because if not—” His hands move on my back again, and he hands me the wrap.
“Do the front.” His voice is gruff, but I've lost my fight. Now, I’m just tired and ready to move on from all these intimate, uncomfortable moments.
We work in silence. When my ribs are wrapped, and I can breathe a little easier, I grab a clean shirt from my bag and tug it over my head.
The movement makes my ribs ache, but I do it quickly.
When I finish, I’m sweating again. I sit on the side of the bed and try to catch my breath as I’m suddenly exhausted.
“Why don’t you let your ribs rest and heal for a little while,” Rauk suggests. I don’t need him to tell me what to do, but I’m so exhausted, I can barely keep my eyes open. I lay back on one of the pillows. Auri’s worried gaze meets mine.
“I’m just tired,” I whisper, so she doesn’t worry.
I think I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.
When I wake up some time later, the room is dark, except for the light from the fire.
Auri is sound asleep next to me. I hear heavy breathing and assume Rauk is asleep on the floor, but when I start to sit up so I can see, my ribs scream at me.
I give up and settle on my pillow and try to go back to sleep.
I don’t think I’ll be able to, but the next thing I know, there’s somebody banging on the door.
I jerk awake, wincing at the pain in my ribs.
I manage to sit up and blink, trying to figure out what woke me up.
Rauk appears at the foot of the bed, shirtless, looking like he just woke out of a deep sleep, yet is somehow completely awake.
I hate him for it. He glances at me a moment and then opens the door.
Farrah blows in past him. “Harper! They came after Kinsley! We’re going there now.
Kaldar said it was planned and intentional. ”
I blink, trying to process what she’s saying. My mind definitely works slower during the morning hours. I have so many questions, but all I manage to get out is, “What?”
Rysden appears behind Farrah, coming into the room. “Anybody else we can invite in this morning?” Rauk asks dryly, but all of us ignore him.
“What happened?” I ask, trying to get the cold, hard facts.
Rysden’s face is grim. “One of the guards at the portal told one of my men that guivre men came after Kinsley. She and her jag fought them off and got to safety before they shifted.”
I nod. “Good. Are she and the baby okay?”
“That’s what we’re going to see. The guard didn’t get that information,” Farrah answers. I don’t miss the look Rysden gives Farrah. She doesn’t either, apparently. “I’m not staying here, Rysden. Kinsley is my friend; I’m going to make sure she’s okay.”
“Me too,” I add.
I look over to Rauk, fully expecting him to say he’ll stay with Auri; but he surprises me. “I’ll go too.” I start towards the bathroom, but he stops me by stepping in front of me. “Are you sure you’re up to going after your injuries from yesterday?”
I look him dead in the eye. “Yes.”