Flame Thrower (8 page)

“What is it going to take, Edda? Do I need to do anything now?” Ryan’s tone changed from calculated to empathetic the moment Edda called him to action. Ryan now had something to do and he was ready to fulfill that demand.

“Just watch over her. Stay near and it will mentally ease her mind.” Edda moved as if she was going to walk down the steps, but paused. “One last thing. If I might add, you seem to be very attached to her as well, Sir. Don’t do anything rash because of it. Be careful to make decisions based on logic, not emotion. I can see your love brewing and love makes us do stupid things.”

Wallace snorted and then barked a laugh that he could no longer contain. “You are wise, Edda!” Wallace choked out. “I just gave him that same lecture! You should come to the palace and counsel him at my side!”

Edda’s face contorted in revulsion. “No, thank you, Captain. I’m more suited for country bumpkins than I am for your court environment. If you ever find you need help getting through his stubborn head, I’m just a message away,” she jested. Next she pinned Ryan with her motherly eyes. “If you need me, send for me, Sir. I’ll come. I don’t think you’ll need me though,” and she winked. “Love has a way of healing all things, so just let it develop.”

Ryan groaned and used his strong hands to cover his face in mock annoyance. “Argh, this is not love at first sight! Will both of you stop with this nonsense?”

Edda laughed and winked at Wallace. “Whatever you say, Sir.”

“You two seem to be filled with the same wisdom at the moment, so I think we are finished with this conversation?” He looked between the two with an aggrieved expression. “Since I’ve now received this same advice twice?” he added.

When Edda nodded, Ryan approached and touched her shoulder. “Thank you for coming here. I was afraid to use my own healing skills and push Tillian too far with her prejudice of magic, not knowing where she was from. My fears were confirmed when I learned she was from Folkyn. Your more subtle healer skills are what she needed, not more terror. I’ll see what I can do once she is asleep and, therefore, won’t feel or see the healing.” He sighed, because he dreaded what he’d find broken and how was he going to deal with the searing anger as a result.

Edda searched his face and smiled a sad smile. “It’s not as bad as you think my liege. She is stronger than she appears.”

Hearing that didn’t stop his imagination from running wild and Ryan returned her kindness with a half smile of his own. “You were compensated?” He looked at Wallace who nodded. “Excellent. I’ll have a guard escort you and Girdie back to the village now.” While he spoke he signaled a younger guard who approached the small cabin.

“Bennett here will take you home.” Ryan didn’t even wait to hear whether the healers said good-night or not, for he already moved towards the front door. By the time they could draw a breath, he was inside and had the door firmly shut behind him.

Ryan leaned against the door and slowly surveyed the darkened room. Tillian barely registered his arrival, being half asleep and burrowed beneath the covers. He could clearly see her pleasure at sleeping in a warm safe place and tried to envision what she’d been sleeping on if something so basic gave her this much joy.

The light in the room faded because the fire had died down. Ryan moved there, and fed it some logs before he determined what he was going to do. The creaky floor boards announced his presence, forcing his steps to be softer. His intention wasn’t to stomp around waking her up, so he slowed down and silently squatted before the fire. He needed her to be fully asleep before he tried any form of healing and it was only a matter of time. When he completed what he set out to do, he turned towards the bed surprised to find Tillian watching him with heavily lidded eyes.

His heart thudded a few times heavily in his chest at the sight of her. Unable to do more than stare at her like an imbecile, he continued to hold her gaze before shaking his head in amazement at how unbalanced this woman made him. Finally releasing a sigh, he asked, “Are you thirsty?” He couldn’t deny the flutter of nerves in his stomach at seeing her awake and watching him so intently.

“Yes, thank you.” Tillian said, sitting up. She tucked the blankets around her before she accepted the mug he handed her. After she drank the water, she snuggled back into the warm mattress. “I appreciate you bringing the healers. That was very considerate of you.” Tillian said with a voice thick with exhaustion. She fought the sleep aid Edda gave her. She hated being this powerless against her own body but this time she didn’t mind giving up. Making the situation even more acceptable was the fact Ryan had returned.

He just watched her. His fingers twitched to reach out and caress her cheek, but he resisted. “I would have done that for anyone, but Tillian, you are not anyone. You are a Princess. If we were closer to the palace, I would have taken you there first. Edda is the next best thing to the palace healers, so it was the least I could do.”

He lost the battle and his strong fingers traced her cheek and eventually cupped her face. That little contact sent fingers of arousal that tickled her body, causing her to react. He saw that flash through her eyes and sighed. Now was not the time. “You look exhausted, Tillian. Sleep.” Ryan squatted inches from her face and now that she was clean he could smell her natural earthly scent. She smelled of the desert and of sand and of wild cactus flowers. She smelled divine. Sighing to himself because he knew he was lost to her charm, he started to move away before he did anything that crossed a line when her hand reached out to stop him.

“You won’t leave, will you?” Tillian’s eyes swirled with a mixture of desire and anxiety while she waited for him to reply.

He could easily see the signs of whatever drug she’d been given now he was looking for the symptoms.

“I won’t go anywhere. I don’t think I could even if I wanted to. You have bewitched me, I must confess, so I’ll stay right here while you rest.” Ryan returned his hand to her face and reveled in the feel of her skin against his palm. Equally, he enjoyed the desire blooming in her eyes the longer his hand remained.

Tillian closed her eyes at his touch as pressed her cheek into his palm. “Good.”

He felt her heart racing from that little contact and knew he probably added to her induced discomfort. He was about to move his hand away when her eyes flew open. The reaction halted his movement.

With an intensity Tillian didn’t know how to interpret, a gripping panic seared through her mind that Ryan was going leave her side. She realized in that split second that it was because of the drugs; that Ryan helped ease the pain of the effects, and Tillian didn’t want him to leave. It was dishonorable of her but she couldn’t handle him in this same room and not in this bed. “Don’t leave,” she desperately whispered. She saw the confusion appear in his eyes, but she still felt the gripping panic and begged again, “Please, don’t go.”

“I’m only going to the other side of this tiny cabin.” He wasn’t sure how to interpret her reaction. He wanted nothing more than to stay right where he was, but doing so would have qualified for what Wallace would have accused–of pushing too hard.

“No, please don’t leave right here. Your touch eases my pain and it feels nice. I know this is a little improper, especially for both of us, but will you lie with me instead?” She was already ruined, so what was the harm in asking?

Ryan, even being a stranger to her, eased the effects of the drugs dramatically. When he wasn’t touching her the discomfort returned. There was something about him that made it all go away; therefore, Tillian wanted him to stay. On the other hand, he also inflamed her desire to be set free and feel a mind shattering release that she knew would come if he would only seduce her.

Ryan audibly groaned. “Tillian, I’m not so sure this is a good idea. I’m a man after all and you are the most incredible woman I have ever met. I don’t trust myself not to betray your trust,” Ryan said honestly. He wanted this as much as she did, but he needed to be the rational one at the moment. Declining her request was the honorable thing to do.

She smiled. “You are just being a gentleman. I understand, but right now I’m more interested in stopping my pain. Your touch seems to do that, so I’ll gladly accept the risks of you lying by my side while I sleep,” Tillian countered, followed by a large yawn as the sleep aid took hold. To prove her point, the rickety bed groaned when she slide over and made room for his larger frame.

Ryan was powerless to resist her request. Within moments, he had his boots off and slid under the blankets. He wasted no time collecting her to his chest where she settled her head resting on his heart.

Tillian sighed in contentment. “Thank you, this is much better,” she whispered. Her tiny arm snaked around his waist and held him tight. She heard him smother another groan when her hand move across his abdomen, caressing his firm muscles that twitched in response.

While he held her this close, he chanced a little examination of his own, so reached out with his magic and gently scanned her body. He felt a simmering fury at what he found, but mostly focused on the drug that sailed through her veins and held her body captive to the effects.

That drug he’d have to just let run its course without a major healing and that was out of the question considering it usually required a tremendous amount of effort to burn anything from the blood. The recipients typically felt the effects of that healing for days, so he accepted he’d just have to be patient. The rest was mostly bruising and the internal injuries present were not severe. With confidence, he knew he could heal those with little effort and without much notice.

Tillian wasn’t allowing herself to succumb to the pull of the medicine and fought sleep. She wanted to stay right here with Ryan. He looked down at her and found her eyes open and then carefully brushed strands of her hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ear. “You feeling better?”

“Hmm. Yes,” she mumbled against his chest.

“Tillian, I’m normally not this forward with women, but you are affecting me in ways that I’m not familiar with. You’re quite charming, my dear,” Ryan said softly. His fingers continued to stroke her cheek while he spoke. Just touching her felt right and he didn’t want to stop. They lay like that for while until he spoke. “Tillian?”

Her voice was slurred. “Mmm. Yes?”

“You really need to sleep. Let go,” he said with a tenderness that surprised even him.

“You’ll leave if I do.”

“No, I won’t. Sleep. I promise to stay right here,” Ryan added quickly because he wanted her asleep in order to perform his own healing. It was destroying him to have to wait, but he refused to traumatize her any more than she already was. He could be patient.

“I’ll hold you to that promise, Ryan,” Tillian said just as a wracking yawn split her face. She really couldn’t fight the medicine any longer. Once she let go and didn’t resist, Tillian fell under the pull within moments.

He knew she was truly out when her weight draped over his chest in a comforting position.

The only sound in the room was her even breathing, slow and steady. Ryan had never felt this content, this complete as he did right now. She was sprawled on his tall frame and molded her body to his—perfectly.

The front door opened a crack and Wallace stepped in to retrieve something. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I waited until she fell asleep,” he said, but his eyes delivered the accusation that his lips didn’t voice. He paused to eye the couple before digging in his bag, pulling out a smaller satchel and moved towards the door.

Ryan rolled his eyes and tried not to look guilty. “It’s not what it looks like, Wallace.”

“I didn’t say anything, ” Wallace said even though he smothered his smile. He knew damn well what it looked like. In a hushed voice he leaned towards the bed and added, “It sure looks like you’re in bed with the Princess and she’s asleep on your chest. Am I mistaken?”

Ryan resisted the need to laugh and repeated, “It’s not what it looks like. I guess my touch helps ease her pain, so she asked if I could lie here with her. I didn’t force it.”

“Ah, yes, that explains it,” Wallace said again with a certain smugness. He trod on that invisible line between ‘king’ and ‘friend’, but he couldn’t resist.

“I did try and be a gentleman. I did refuse.” Ryan’s eyes instinctively looked down at Tillian’s sleeping face and a peace settled over his features. “I didn’t stand a chance against her pleas, not one bit.”

Wallace chuckled. “I think you should have a long conversation with my wife when you get back, Ryan. I’m sure June would agree with me that there is more going on right now than you ‘being a gentleman’. We all can see your affection, so its time you accept it yourself. You love this woman. Just think about it while you hold her there and tell me what you decide in the morning,” Wallace said earnestly. “Good night. I’ll be on sentry until dawn, so you have plenty of time to work through your feelings by then.”

“It’s not love at first sight!” Ryan said half-heartedly. Now that Tillian was in his arms, he had a harder time denying that statement. She felt as if she belonged there, and nowhere else.

“Just think about it. The faster you accept what this is, the faster we can come up with a plan. Until then you’re going to be torn. Decide.” Then Wallace was gone, leaving Ryan alone with Tillian and his spinning mind.

After about an hour, he decided she was deep enough asleep he could complete the healing without disturbing her at all. Reaching within himself, he pulled the magic he needed and a burning white light only visible to those who were trained wormed its way into Tillian’s mouth, illuminating her entire body as if she were being lit from the inside out. He loved healing spells, for they always made the body appear ethereal and fantastic. Even her hair seemed to take on a glowing light and illuminated deep highlights that were hidden in her black mass. While connected like this, he could sense every pore, muscle and flow of blood that made up whomever he healed. Now was no exception and he greedily searched in all he could see.

He found numerous injuries that he hated to find, but he had a purpose to do this. He bit back his angst and combed over every inch of her five foot frame until he’d discovered every scratch, bruise or nick that needed attention. The worst injuries were internal, so he spent a tremendous amount of time healing those. Internal wounds caused the greatest risk for they were unseen and could cause deadly devastation if unattended. She had one of those but he was able to heal that first, saving her from severe pain and death down the road. He mentally added each one to his list and moved to the next.

Wherever the light touched, it healed the remaining injuries which were caused by the rough treatment over the past two months. Well, with the exception of the drug in her veins, that is. Ryan watched it all and felt a smug satisfaction that she was officially made whole once more. Now he could focus on her emotional trauma next.

Tillian reacted to this even on the deepest levels of her subconscious and Ryan watched her adjust in slumber. With the absence of pain, she sighed, snuggling closer in peace probably for the first time in months. He inhaled her scent and then closed his eyes, preparing to sleep himself now he’d completed what he’d been waiting to do. While he listened to her rhythmic breathing, Ryan suddenly jerked out of a light doze by her voice. He thought he dreamed it but she called again and then began to talk. Ryan came fully awake, but didn’t move, listening to this dream conversation and prayed he learned something new.

“Gareth?” Tillian called, her body thrashing as if she searched for someone.

Ryan stiffened at the call for another man and realized he’d never even asked if she was betrothed to another. Tillian moved again, and Ryan then recalled the Crown Prince was named Gareth, so she must be calling to her brother.

“Gareth?” She called more urgently.

Ryan was torn between ignoring her calls or answering and getting her to talk. Maybe he could uncover some of the mystery surrounding her appearance in Yorath. Sometimes the mind did tricks when under stress, and he decided to do the unthinkable. He would play along, get her to talk more. He hated himself for this charade, but he knew it was important.

“Gareth, answer me!”

“I’m here, Tillian.” He knew what he was doing was wrong, but if he was going to help her, he needed to know what happened to her.