Page 26

Kai refrained from making a face, the pain too bad to protest any further.

The stool toppled dangerously with his weight but once he was balanced it was all right.

The woman dropped to her knees, carefully opening the satchel beside her.

“Get the jacket off,” she said without a glance at him. How could someone this soft-looking be this brute?

Under immense pain, he started to undo the buttons on his jacket, wincing with every movement that stretched the slashes on his side. With an exasperated sigh, the woman slapped his hands away.

She looked up at him, the depth of her eyes holding him captive for a moment. Not the eyes he hoped for.

One after one she got rid of the buttons before leaning closer to push it off his shoulders. With a groan he tried to help her, the scent of hyacinth wafting around him.

She carefully slipped her hands along the waistband of his trousers, pulling out the hem of his shirt, to finally reveal the wound.

“Oh hell, I think I’m going to pass out.” He swallowed as the dizziness grew at the sight of it. The flesh was red and angry, creating a stark contrast to the black blood that crusted all around the slashes.

A sharp inhale from the woman. “Did you get poisoned?”

“No,” he gritted his teeth as she prodded lightly at the wound.

“Why is your blood that colour?”

“How should I know, isn’t that your expertise?”

A cold glare was her answer.

“Well, you might want to get this checked out by a healer once you return to the palace.”

Kai gave her a non-committed nod. Her fingers ghosted over the wound, trying to see where she should start stitching. When she didn’t prod the wound, the cold from her skin was almost welcoming to the angry-looking flesh.

She pulled out a small vial of clear liquid and Kai watched the way a few strands slipped out of her well-made braid, tickling the hard edges of her cheeks. Her skin was flushed from the cold, coating it in a lovely tint.

Kai came across one or two witches in his life but never once did they look the way she did. He guessed it was due to her being a bastard, magical blood mixed with human one. He could tell by the human colour of her eyes that she was not a full-blooded witch.

She uncapped the vial, throwing a quizzical look at him.

“What’s your name?” He asked.

“None of your business.”

“Are you always this charming?” He tried one of his crooked smiles at her, knowing no woman could resist it.

But her eyes only narrowed further, before she grabbed the sleeve of his jacket and ripped it off.

“Hey! That was my favorite jacket!” Kai protested, wanting to get up but she quickly pushed him back down on the stool, towering over him like a vengeful angel.

“It does not matter if you know my name, since after today we will never see each other again. Now open your mouth.”

“What?” he asked, getting annoyed by her rudeness.

“Open. Your. Mouth.”

“Why should I—”

She shoved the ripped part of the sleeve into his mouth. How dare she!

A muffled curse released from his throat as she grabbed his chin roughly in her hand, making his teeth chew down on the fabric.