by Tracy Deebs
Page 44
“I could, but eventually I’ll still have to move her to treat some of her injuries, so why not do it now? It’ll be more comfortable for her. ”
That’s all Kona had to hear. He placed me carefully on one of the rear chairs, which had a footstool that opened up and a reclining back, so I was almost lying down.
“Sorry to interrupt, Kona, but can you tell me where you think we should go?” Mahina asked from the pilot’s seat. “I’m sure Sabyn’s guards will be here any second and I, for one, would really rather not be around when they show up. ”
“I would,” Kona grumbled.
“No, you wouldn’t. These are just his guards. I’m sure Sabyn is back at the castle, stuffing his face with bonbons and bemoaning the lack of competent help. ”
I laughed, then regretted it when my ribs throbbed. Zarek, who was checking my vitals, noticed but didn’t say anything. I was totally onboard with his silence. Kona was already livid, and no good would come from getting him more upset than he already was. Although I had to admit that his attitude confused me. When we were coming back from California, he had barely been able to stand being in the same ocean with me. Now he acted like being separated by the width of a chair was too far of a distance between us.
“Set course for the South Pacific,” Kona told her. “My people will surround the ship and protect it from whatever comes along. ”
I glanced out the window at the guards who were three deep around the subbloon. “It’s almost enough to make me wish Sabyn would show up, just so we could get rid of him. ”
“You have no idea how much I wish that loser would appear, right here, right now,” Kona growled
“Where in the South Pacific?” Mahina asked as she messed with coordinates. My ears perked up. I had surfed Tahiti and Samoa, knew the waves were amazing, but I couldn’t imagine what Kona wanted down there. The last time we’d been that far south it had been at Tiamat’s behest. As weakened as we were now, I couldn’t imagine trying to confront her. Of course, that could just be my pain talking, but even so, it seemed like a singularly bad idea.
“It’s where I’ve been staying,” he told me. “I’ve got a kind of home base there that we can operate from. ”
“Operate from?”
“You’re not just planning on taking this, are you? Tiamat and those bastards have stolen our kingdoms, not to mention a dozen or so others. Tell me you weren’t just going to let that stand!”
“Of course not!”
“Okay, children,” Zarek cut in. “Can we plot ocean domination later? I need to talk to my patient. ”
Kona clammed up, though he did make a go-ahead gesture that had Zarek smirking and me squirming uncomfortably. We were falling into old patterns with each other, and I didn’t know what to do about it. It was one thing for Kona to help me when I couldn’t physically manage something, but it was quite another for him to be this proprietary. That gesture had been all selkie king giving permission for the healer to treat his woman and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. If it was a friendship thing, fine, but it smacked of something more. Something darker, more possessive, and that I didn’t know how to handle. Especially when I was in such bad shape that I could barely keep my eyes open or track the conversation.
Zarek must have realized that I was drifting in and out, because he was suddenly snapping his fingers in front of my face. “I promise, Tempest, you can sleep soon. But right now I need you to concentrate. I have to ask you some questions and you have to answer them. ”
It was through sheer strength of will that I managed to do what he asked. He started with my head, poking and prodding and asking about pain, dizziness, blurred vision. His mouth grew grimmer with every question I answered in the affirmative, as did Kona’s, though I tried my best not to look over at him.
Zarek moved on to my neck, then my torso, stomach, and ribs. He pressed low on my pelvis, asked if anything hurt. It did a little, but the last thing I wanted was for him to get personal, to ask if Sabyn had hurt me any way but physically. He hadn’t, but that didn’t mean I relished answering the question in front of Kona and Mahina.
Zarek didn’t get the hint though, or if he did he didn’t care, because he asked me anyway. I’m not sure who looked more horrified, my ex-boyfriend or my best friend, but I quickly answered in the negative. Zarek nodded, but I wasn’t sure if he believed me. The temperature in the subbloon plummeted, and I knew Kona too was struggling with whether or not to accept my answer.
After he’d checked out all my organs and critical areas, he moved on to my ankle—which felt much better after he rested his hands on it and sent heat pulsing into it—and my hand, which started to throb the second he touched it.
Zarek winced in sympathy. “It’s started to heal this way,” he told me. “I’m going to have to rebreak the bones to set them properly. ”
I nodded. I’d expected as much.
“Don’t worry, though. I’ll put you out for it and you won’t feel—”
“No!” The word burst from me.
Zarek looked at me in confusion and disbelief. “You want to be awake when I rebreak and set your hand? Are you crazy? Or just a glutton for punishment?”
I shook my head, tried to explain without actually saying it aloud. All those days and hours I’d missed after being drugged or beaten into unconsciousness at Sabyn’s hands, they felt like a violation of the worst order. The idea of voluntarily submitting for more of the same—even if it was medically advisable—turned my stomach. I didn’t want my consciousness, my ability to sleep or wake up, to be under anyone else’s control ever again.
But to admit that was to admit just how badly Sabyn had damaged my psyche, and that I wouldn’t do. Kona was strong. Mahina was strong. I would be strong too. My clan deserved it and so did my friends. So did I.
Zarek must have realized that I meant business, though, because he didn’t push the issue. He just left it alone as he went about trying to heal everything else that was wrong with me. Which, when Kona asked for a rundown, I found out was extensive.
“She’s got a pretty severe concussion, especially if the symptoms are lingering on this long. I’m going to put that down to lack of medical attention and hope that I can take care of it. Then we’ve got what I believe is a hairline fracture in her jaw, three broken ribs, four broken fingers, a sprained ankle, a bruised pelvis, internal damage to her kidneys—which I fixed as soon as I found it—and more bumps and bruises than I can shake a stick at. Not to mention the fact that she’s severely dehydrated and has lost fifteen pounds she absolutely could not afford to lose.
“It’s a good thing I’m coming with you guys. It’ll take me three or four sessions to get all this stuff at least on the mend. ” I knew what he meant—he couldn’t heal me completely because I wasn’t selkie. The best he could do was give me medical attention and then help the healing process along. Which was fine with me. After all, it was better than what I’d been getting in that dungeon, but it was obvious that Zarek wasn’t happy he couldn’t completely fix me. Then again, he was a healer. It was in his nature to want to heal.
“Well, let’s get started,” I said brightly, hoping to both lighten the mood and move things along. The looks I got from the other three people in the subbloon told me that I had obviously put a little too much perkiness into my voice. Mahina in particular looked like she thought I had crossed the line into deranged. But at least it got Zarek moving.
