Chapter 8 #3
The healer wiped her hands on a cloth, glancing at Ravin over her shoulder.
“Goldenseal root, echinacea, and valerian boiled into a tea and turned into a tonic. It will fight the sickness from within, ease her fever, and dull her pain. We gave her something similar earlier, but this one is more potent. Hopefully, it will put her into a deep sleep so she can rest. Rest is critical in healing, Lord Valeska.”
“I didn’t mean to offend, mistress,” Ravin said.
She merely returned her attention to Sylvi and nodded at me to help ease her into a semi-upright position. I gently propped another pillow behind her and brushed damp hair from her face, then brought the vial to her lips. “Sylvi, you need to drink this,” I murmured. “It will help you feel better.”
She made a small grumbling noise, her lashes fluttering. “Smells awful.”
I huffed a breath of amusement despite myself.
She’d never been a good patient. Even as kids, she’d always fought the healers whenever she got sick, especially when it came to taking tonics.
Still, I coaxed her gently, tipping the vial against her lips.
“Come on, Syl. Be a good girl for me.” She took a sip, grimacing at the taste. “That’s it… You need to drink more.”
“Disgusting,” she rasped.
Gods, even semi-conscious, she was stubborn. “I know. Just a little more. Please, Sylvi. Don’t force me to pinch your nose like I used to.”
She sighed heavily, but let me press the vial to her lips again. When she’d swallowed enough, her head lolled against the pillow.
“That’s a good girl,” I said, brushing my knuckles over her cheek.
The healer nodded approvingly. “She really should be moved to the infirmary. With that fever, she needs constant monitoring.”
I stiffened. “She stays here.”
The healer sighed, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. “Prince Jokullson, I understand you want to help, but the infirmary has healers on watch. We can use cool compresses throughout the night to keep her temperature down.”
“I can use my magic to keep her cool,” I countered.
She hesitated, then folded her arms. “My Prince, you’ll need prolonged use of your abilities. That’s going to drain you.”
“It won’t,” I lied smoothly. “It takes minimal effort to lower my internal temperature. She stays here. End of discussion.”
The healer’s mouth pressed into a thin line. “Very well. If she worsens or you can’t keep her temperature down, send for me immediately. Otherwise, I will return at dawn to change her bandages.”
I nodded once, then watched as she gathered her supplies and left.
A long sigh escaped Ravin as he rubbed his temples. “The healer is right, Jack. You need rest, too. You’re going to want to be clear-headed to deal with the fallout tomorrow.”
“I’ll be fine.”
He studied me, then exhaled. “I’ll let the guards know to fetch me if you need anything.”
“I do need one thing. Can you get a message out to Sylvi’s family first thing in the morning? They are going to be worried sick when they realize she didn’t come home, especially once the rumors about what happened reaches them.”
“Of course. I’ll deliver the message myself.”
I clasped his forearm. “Thank you.”
“Thank me once I’ve figured out how to spin those rumors in your favor.”
When the door finally closed behind him, I turned back to the bed.
Sylvi had curled onto her side, her breath too shallow for my liking, and when I touched her cheek, her skin still felt warm—too warm.
I climbed in behind her once more, pressing my bare chest to her back, letting the cold seep from me to her.
I’d managed to lower my body temperature significantly, but for my magic to truly work, I needed to touch her skin, for my hand to be as close to her core as possible.
As I couldn’t wrap my arm around her, needing to avoid putting any pressure on her ribs, I gently slipped my hand under her shirt and gripped her waist, my fingers resting on her bare hip.
I immediately felt my magic flow freely in slow, undulating waves.
I hated that I was touching her this intimately while she was semi-conscious, but I didn’t have much of a choice—I needed to keep her fever under control, and this was the best way for me to manage the intensity of my magic.
Still, she seemed to welcome my touch and snuggled against me.
This close, my lips were practically up against her neck.
I didn’t know what possessed me to deliver a small, chaste kiss against her soft skin.
Maybe it was the unbearable guilt chewing at me?
Maybe it was my fear of losing her? Or maybe it was my realization that this pull I was feeling toward her went beyond our friendship?
She moaned, but this one wasn’t birthed from pain, but out of contentment.
It pulled a half-smile at the corners of my mouth.
Nuzzling her ear, I whispered, “I’m here with you, Syl.
Take from me what you need. Take all my magic if necessary.
But you better break this damn fever, or I swear, I will plunge this whole damn kingdom into an eternal hoarfrost winter just to tear you from the claws of its flames. ”