Page 58 of Horns & Heart
Chapter22
Beyond the gate to the churchyard, a path led to the church proper, old and built on or near the ancient structures mixed in with the newer gravestones.
I was bleeding all over the path while a distraught Nokim had his arm around my waist to help me along.I’d managed to fall directly on my nose, and while I didn’t think anything was broken, the fountain of blood I was producing was worthy of a slasher movie.
“You poor thing.”Nokim clicked at me.“Vergis, you are well?”
Vergis had caught up with us, silently, and was walking on Nokim’s other side.
“Better now that I don’t have to mind the human anymore.I’d be even better if we could just head to the Stone now.”
Nokim made a rumbling sound.“Fellisse should tend to Rory.Look at him!He’s losing so much blood.”
“Inkiri?”I managed.“He okay?”
Nokim didn’t have to answer that.Just as the words left my mouth, Inkiri leaped up the few steps to the path and barreled toward us, or rather, at me.My heart beat faster when he got to me and wound his arms around me, Nokim managing just barely to step aside.
I sagged against Inkiri and hugged him back as tight as I could, but he pulled away fast.
“Get Fellisse,” he said, and Nokim took off at a run.“Sweet thing.”Inkiri clicked at me, his low, soothing clicks, and cupped my face in his palms.“What happened?”
“He ran to meet Nokim.Lacks coordination, though, and broke his fall with his face,” Vergis said.
I glanced over, and I could see it in Vergis’s face.He wanted what I had and knew he couldn’t have it.It occurred to me that another man might have simply killed me or hesitated a few seconds for the orange spider to finish the job.Vergis had done neither.He’d brought me back here, to Inkiri.
“Thank you, Vergis,” I said, and this time, I really meant it.
Vergis narrowed his eyes.“Broke his fall with his noseandhis head, apparently.”
Inkiri went on clicking.“All will be well, sweet thing.”
Before I could tell him that allwaswell now that we were all together, he scooped me up like ice cream and proceeded to carry me toward the church.We didn’t go inside though, just headed past it.
Inkiri jumped the wall that enclosed the church area.That was both impressive and sexy, seeing as he was carrying me.When he started across the field beyond, I saw Nokim and Fellisse coming at us at a run.
“It’s just a bloody nose,” I said.“I’m fine.Ink, are you okay?Is everyone?What happened?”
I would have told him to put me down, but all evidence suggested that was a bad idea.Plus, being carried was really nice.Exhaustion was still haunting me like the ghost of a night spent partying.
“Sweet Sadir,” Inkiri said.“We’re all well.”
That wasn’t quite right though.I reached out a hand to cup his left cheek.He hissed and pulled back, and I looked closer and saw that he was sporting a shiner.
I frowned, torn between holding a hand to my bleeding nose and caressing his face.“Seriously, are you okay?”
“Nothing that won’t heal within a day, sweet thing.”He was smiling.He looked so handsome when he smiled.
When our eyes met, we had another minor movie moment in the meadow a stone’s throw away from the Stone of Destiny.Unfortunately, the moment was rudely interrupted by Fellisse taking my chin and turning my head to face him.
“That’s a good amount of blood,” he said.“Where do you hurt, Rory?”
I tried slapping his hand away, but to no avail.Fellisse would not be dislodged, and he went about pulling my bottom eyelids down so he could look at my eyes, then he felt his way up to my nose and exerted gentle pressure.
I winced then.“I fell.I’m fine.”
“He had a bout of hypothermia too,” Vergis said.“He took a detour to the other world, the one where the beasts come from.”
Inkiri made a hissing noise, and Fellisse lifted my head so he could stare into my nostrils.Ugh.
