Page 66 of The Mating Quest

He forced a little past her lips and she drank as he kept murmuring to her. The contents were finally in herstomach.

Tristan gestured. “Get away from her. This is the nastypart.”

The glass vanished. Suddenly Ilana began coughing and retching. Tristan helped her get on her hands and knees and smoothed back her hair, tucking her braid into her leathervest.

“Shouldn’t she do that in a sink?” Ryanasked.

“Not if you want the entire complex plumbing contaminated.” Tristan stepped back. “Here wego.”

Ilana suddenly vomited violently. Thick black goo, streams of it spilling past her pale lips. Out of the goo piling on the concrete, dozens of black spiders climbedout.

Ryan yelped and backed away, as did Lucas. Ethan watched in horror. That was inside Ilana? The smell made him gag again, as if darkness had crawled out of rottingcorpse.

Tristan flicked out his hands. Silver streams of light shot from his fingers, incinerating the spiders. Banshee shrieks ensued as they died. Ethan and Ryan clapped hands over their ears. The wizard kept destroying the spiders, dear goddess, so damn many ofthem!

Finally Ilana ceased her vomiting. She glanced up, but her eyes were normal, if not a little moist from the force of her body ridding itself of toxins. “I don’t feel sogood.”

Tristan smiled, and vaporized the black goo, leaving the pavilion clean once more. A fresh breeze blew through the area, eradicating the noxious odor. “I daresay that is an understatement, my dearIlana.”

Ethan helped Ilana into the condo, followed by theothers.

“She needs a hot shower, as hot as her skin can stand.” Tristan put a hand on her forehead. “Give me a minute and I will fix the plumbing. Do not give her anything to eat or drink. Notyet.”

Ilana stumbled over to the sofa and sat, head in her hands. She still shivered and her skin was icy. Tristan was right. She needed to warm up,fast.

“Can you walk?” he askedher.

She started to rise, swayed on her feet. Sighing, Ethan carried Ilana into the bathroom. Tristan was on his knees under the sink, wearing … blue jeans? Part of his butt crack showed. The wizard scrambled to his feet, waved the wrench he held. “Do you like my plumber’soutfit?”

Ethanglared.

Tristan sighed and his normal clothing reappeared. “The hot water heater is fixed. Turn the knob all the way up and it will be hot, but not scalding. She needs to get warmquickly.”

He waved a hand and suddenly Ilana was naked. Ethan looked down and growled. Tristan sighed again. “Do not waste time, Ethan. I’ve sent her clothing to Caderyn to clean and repair. It would take you too long to remove her leather. Now, will you get her into the shower or must I do that aswell?”

“Get out,” Ethan said, walking into the shower. A hand seized his shoulder. He turned to see Tristan looking athim.

“I am proud of you,Ethan.”

The wizardvanished.

Ethan helped Ilana sit on the shower bench, unbraided her hair, and then he stripped off his clothing, glad to be rid of the stink of everything they had fought. Soon as his discarded clothing hit the tile floor, itvanished.

Glancing upwards, he said, “Thanks for the cleaningservice.”

“No problem,” came a disembodied voice. “I will start dinner for all ofyou.”

With impersonal care he washed her carefully, not noticing her nudity, only her shivering pallor and her misery. He took special care of her hair. Then he quickly washed himself, the spider burns healed, but his entire body feeling sticky anddirty.

Ethan dried them off using the towels. They were warm and wonderful and dried off even their hair quickly. Tristan had left flannel pajamas on the sink for Ilana, gray sweatpants and a T-shirt for him. His mouth quirked as he helped Ilanadress.

The pajamas had dancing wolves onthem.

When he emerged with Ilana, he carried her over to the sofa, thankful it had been pulled out into a bed. Ilana sat down and rested against thepillows.

Tristan was in the kitchen humming. The smell of a delicious beef stew hovered in the air. Despite his concern over Ilana, amusement filled him. A wizard…cooking?

He hoped the Silver Wizard made something tastier than the disgusting potion Ilana haddrunk.