CHAPTER 22
THE COLD TOUCH of the salve simultaneously chilled and stung Lenore’s ear. She flinched at the piercing cold that bit at her raw skin.
“Sorry about that, but it’s all part of the process of getting your ear back to tip-top shape.
” Hovering close to her face was Nox, his gaze completely focused on her injury.
A white robe draped his frame, its crisp whiteness contrasting with the dark, loose shirt and pants he wore underneath.
He continued to dab the chilled ointment on Lenore’s ear until he nodded to himself with confidence.
“It’s fine,” Lenore said. She resisted the instinctual urge to reach up and touch her ear. “How does it look?” There was no mirror in the room she was in. All she could catch were glimpses of her freshly rinsed and nearly dried hair and the movement of Nox’s arm.
“Hesper did a number on your ear alright, but once the stitches dissolve, I guarantee there’ll hardly be any noticeable marks. I’m just that good.” Nox grinned as he turned away, placing the ointment down on an ornate wooden cart that looked out of place in the rustic interior.
With his back to her, Lenore glanced around from her chair. Pip did the same, peeking from her pocket until she ushered it back in.
A variety of dried flowers and herbs hung upside down near the top of an arched window, subtly perfuming the area with a sweet aroma. Shelves lined the window’s alcove, filled with labeled jars, containers, and glass bottles. A tall cabinet claimed most of the wall beside it.
The slight squeak of the wheels attached to the cart brought Lenore’s wandering eyes back to Nox.
Scissors clattered against the wooden tray of the cart.
Nox picked up neatly clipped pieces of gauze as he turned to face her.
Lenore’s eyes fluttered shut as she felt the somewhat scratchy texture against her ear while Nox adjusted the gauze and tape.
A thoughtful hum sounded in Nox’s throat. “Try to resist touching your ear as much as you can. It’s all kinds of delicate here.” With a triumphant look, he applied the last piece of medical tape upon her ear. “There, that should keep everything in place.”
“Thank you.” Lenore’s soft voice carried a note of gratitude. “I thought I was going to have a torn ear forever.”
Nox laughed. “Nah. The blood made it look worse than it was. Keep the gauze on for another full day, then come back for another dressing change. In the meantime, try to avoid any water on that ear. Once it’s healing properly, just apply this ointment daily for another week.
” He shook a small jar. “If everything goes well, it’ll all be healed just in time for the Lunar Ball! ”
“Oh, fun.” Lenore grimaced. There was barely any time to even think about tomorrow, let alone what the upcoming days would hold before the ball. “I still have the Upper Moon Feast to go through tomorrow first.”
Nox’s eyes lit up. “Oh yeaah. It’ll be fun getting to try your cooking! Thanks in advance!” As he placed the jar next to her, he added, “And don’t forget your promise of letting me try what you brought from Arkhaven!”
She let out a small laugh and nodded. “I haven’t forgotten. But it looks like you’re feeling better about the mithrial blood.”
“Still heartbroken, but life goes on.” His hands went into his coat’s pockets.
“I asked my dad to sneak some for me, but he didn’t budge.
” A loud sigh escaped him. “The old man has been holed up in Auden’s place most of the time, trying to figure out what’s wrong with him.
But hearing what Hesper did to you?” He frowned.
“Maybe he’s gotta look for more than one cure. Our pack doesn’t go after Nyvens.”
The manic energy behind Hesper’s demeanor and his wild eyes flashed into her mind. Before Lenore could answer, the room’s door opened in one swooping motion, quietly creaking at the last second. An older woman with streaks of gray in her dirty-blonde hair entered.
Clara, I think, Lenore recalled. Both Clara and Nox were at the front of the clinic when they had first arrived, quick to act when they caught sight of the trio. The older woman introduced herself as they had led her to a room.
Clara set her eyes on Nox and scowled, an expression mirrored on Edmund, who had followed closely behind. Lenore offered Edmund a small smile, and though his gaze softened, his eyes flitted away, glaring once more at Nox.
“You left your whole station a mess!” Clara was quick to criticize, earning her an eyeroll from Nox. As she stormed over, Lenore then noticed a young teenage girl, hiding behind the woman’s white coat. A clipboard covered half of the girl’s face, while her big brown eyes stared up at Lenore.
“And here comes the cavalry,” Nox muttered. “Have you forgotten about Thalryn-patient privacy, Mom?” He glanced at Edmund. “And since when did I need extra supervision?”
“Oh, hush, you. Unprofessional medics get unprofessional treatment,” Clara retorted.
She turned to Lenore, her scowl shifting into a hesitant smile—the corners twitching briefly.
“How’re you doing, Lenore?” She didn’t wait for an answer as she looked over Lenore’s ear, her hand carefully pressing against Lenore’s cheekbone to tilt her head.
Gloved fingers brushed against the helix of her ear, a feathery-light touch that spoke of Clara’s expertise. Hums of approval resonated from her. She hovered over Lenore’s ear for a bit longer, carefully scrutinizing even the smallest detail.
“And? How is it?” Edmund spoke up, impatience creeping into his tone. He eyed Lenore’s injury from where he was, a subtle, worried crease forming under his eyes.
“One moment, Vesren.” After another look over, Clara finally nodded and stepped back.
“Well, everything looks proper. Nicely done, Nox. Nisa,” she turned her head and gestured at the young girl behind her, “Can you go and fetch a tincture of Ralissum?” As soon as Nisa nodded and took off, Clara looked back at Lenore.
“It’s a painkiller that’ll ease any soreness once the numbing wears off.
Just a few drops under the tongue and you’ll feel the effects soon enough. ”
Lenore nodded in understanding. She smiled, albeit a little shyly, with everyone’s gaze on her. “That’ll be much appreciated. Thank you, Dr. Clara.”
“We say Thalryn here, which refers to a healer. Thalryn Clara or Thalryn on its own works perfectly fine. But you’re welcome.
” Just as Lenore rose from her chair, Clara raised a hand to stop her.
“Could you wait just a few minutes? Every patient of mine gets a healthy herbal brew before they go.” Her gaze stayed on Lenore for a bit longer than necessary.
“Your body should be fine with it, even if you’re…
newly turned.” A subtle hint of wariness infiltrated Clara’s voice.
Lenore tried to ignore it. “I appreciate it, thank you.”
Clara smiled faintly at her then made a quick sweeping gesture toward Nox, silently urging him to follow behind.
In a matter of seconds, both Lenore and Edmund were the only ones left. The room suddenly felt all too small while Edmund’s presence became all too big. She kept her eyes away from him. Her hand ran through her drying strands of hair, a burst of self-consciousness affecting her out of nowhere.
“So—”
“I—”
They both spoke up at the same time, and quickly stopped their words. Their eyes took hold of each other. Butterflies fluttered in Lenore’s stomach, as a soft pink dusted her cheeks.
“... You go ahead,” Edmund said. His stoic expression guarded his inner thoughts, and Lenore wondered if she was the only one caught in a dizzying mess of nerves.
“Oh, um,” Lenore started, then stopped. She took a quick, steadying breath as she mentally told herself off for acting off-kilter. “I was just surprised you stayed. I know you’re busy, so you don’t have to stay if you have other things to do.”
“I would have checked on you anyway, so what’s the point of going at another time?” Edmund shrugged it off, but Lenore thought she saw a hint of red on his cheeks. “At least now I know everything has been properly handled.”
In a quick burst, she blurted out, “So why did you show up in the first place?”
Edmund’s shoulders immediately stiffened.
“You were training the other werewolves, weren’t you? So why... why were you there?”
“We’d already been training for hours,” he replied, a little too quickly. “It just happened to be a convenient time to call for a break.”
Lenore squeezed her arms against her sides. “Right after you saw me?” she asked quietly.
“It wasn’t right after,” Edmund muttered.
“Were you following me?” Heat radiated off her face, embarrassed by her own blunt choice of words. She quickly held her hands, her elbow hiding Pip’s wriggles. No doubt the light sprite was giggling, but it was kind enough to hide the sound.
His eyes turned wide. “That’s—” He laughed incredulously, but his face flushed a deep red, the color reaching his ears. “That is not how I’d put it.”
“Well?” she pressed. “How else would you put it?”
“I—” his brows furrowed, a weak attempt to shadow over the abashed smile he couldn’t control. “I was only planning to check in with you.” His eyes averted, and his jaw clenched briefly to gather himself together. “It all worked out, anyway.”
“... It did,” Lenore said with a small smile.
The tips of her boots clicked together, her way of letting out the fluttery giddiness that rose in her.
She lifted a hand toward her cheek, her own eyes kept to the side as she rubbed at the soft, heated skin.
A soft sigh spilled from her lips. “You came just in time.”