21. Chapter 21

A low fire burned in the stone brazier, creating dancing shadows inside the tent. My head pounded as if a gang of heartless elves had taken up residence inside my skull, hammering against it to get out. Opening my eyes hurt as grit scraped against my lids. I blinked a few times to focus on a shadow sitting at the edge of the fur nest I lay in. Leaned against a tent pole, Dzur-Khan didn't look good. His cheeks were sunk in, and dark patches under his eyes made them appear deeper set. Frown lines creased his furrowed brows even in sleep. And yet, he was still the most handsome man I had ever seen, as attested to by my heart, which gave a slight flutter and a flip-flop inside my stomach.

I tried to raise myself on my elbows, but I was too weak. Weaker than I had ever been, weaker even than after I had caught malaria some years back. My arms shook under the strain of keeping my upper body up, and the elves inside my skull renewed their efforts to escape—not that I blamed them; I wanted to get out of my head, too.

With a low sigh, I fell back. The movement, however, was enough to rouse Dzur-Khan. Instantly, his eyes searched for me, and a smile split his face when he realized I was awake.

"Amber," his voice was hoarse and raw.

"Good morning?" I managed before a weak cough interrupted me.

"Waro?" He was up before he spoke the last syllable and back by my side within the blink of an eye.

Gently, he lifted my upper body as if he had done so a hundred times, supporting me while he held the cup against my lips. The cool water tasted heavenly against my dry throat, and greedily, I drank until the last drop was gone.

"More, please," I requested, hating myself for my weakness.

He shook his head. "Wait."

I sighed and allowed my body to fall fully against his arm, relishing in his strength and giving myself over. I had never surrendered in my life, but with this man, all my defenses went down without a second thought.

He was right, too; the water churned in my empty belly, and for one worried moment, I was convinced I would spit it all back up over his lap. When I managed to keep it down, he brought me another, holding out two white oval pills.

"Lexi said to give them to you."

I scrutinized the pills. I didn't trust Lexi, but the pills looked like your regular run-of-the-mill Tylenol, and the elves wouldn't ease up. My hand shook when I took the white ovals from his outstretched palm. It was an effort just to bring them to my lips as if twenty pounds of weight were attached to my wrist, which was when I remembered what had happened.

I swallowed the pills and allowed Dzur-Khan to help me drink again before I raised my left hand to my face. My fingers were still swollen like kielbasas, and so was my wrist. When I turned my hand, I noticed black Sharpie markings and black lines spreading out like a spider's web from the original bite site. Only now, there were two cuts, looking like an X with the bite in the center.

"Your handy work?"

He probably didn't understand my words but got the idea. He nodded solemnly. "Poison."

My entire arm was numb. There was no pain, just numbness. I tried to wiggle my fingers, but nothing happened. Fuck me , my mind cursed before I looked at the bright side; at least it hadn't been my right hand. I was a lousy shot with the left. Which reminded me… "Willis?"

"Alive," Dzur-Khan grunted, making it clear he would have preferred it otherwise. "Waiting."

Despite the pain and general discomfort, I smiled brightly up at him. "Aw, for me, honey? Thank you."

The sarcasm was lost on him, and it was a good thing, too, because I did feel genuinely touched. I just had a hard time showing it.

He grunted again, then managed a short smile, too. "Hungry? "

"Famished," I agreed, deepening my smile because this little exchange seemed to become a theme between us.

He must have caught it too; he flashed his bright white teeth at me, and, grinning from ear to ear, he repeated, "Famished."

He helped me sit up, stacked some pillows, and left the tent, only to return with a small bowl of some kind of gruel that didn't look appetizing at all. It was a good thing that my stomach resembled an empty pit and screamed for sustenance. Closing my eyes, I allowed Dzur-Khan to spoon-feed me, something that would have been incredibly hot had I been able to raise an ounce of energy.

Surprisingly, the gruel didn't taste half bad. It was a bit gritty, with a hint of bitterness, but it was warm and filled my belly.

"Poison," Dzur-Khan said again, pointing first at my hand, then at my bowl. It was a good thing I trusted him because, for a moment, I thought he meant the food until I realized that he probably meant there was some kind of antidote in the gruel.

"Thank you."

My head was even starting to feel better. I wasn't sure if it was because of the food or the pills, but I was beginning to feel like I was going to live.

"Sleep," Dzur-Khan ordered gruffly after I ate my fill.

"Ahm…" I wasn't a girl who was embarrassed easily; being out in the field with guys, you learn quickly that modesty isn't what it's cracked up to be. I didn't know why I was so reluctant to ask for his help to clean myself up and go pee, but it was there.

"I need to pee and bathe," I managed .

He cocked his head questioningly. Of course, these were the words he wouldn't understand, and I wouldn't know in his language. I mimed washing myself, and his expression lighted. He went to retrieve a wooden bowl and a piece of cloth. Realizing he must have done the deeds before, my cheeks actually flushed for the first time since… I couldn't even remember, probably since I was a child.

I shook my head and mimed getting up, holding my lower parts until, with a sigh, I pretended to have a dick, holding it as if I was peeing. A low rumble moved through his chest, which quickly turned into a chuckle that turned into loud laughter that had him doubling over his waist.

"Glad my pantomime skills amuse you, or is it because I need your help?" I grumbled, but a bubbling sensation rose in my chest as well, and soon, I was fighting for breath and bladder control as I was laughing hard.

"What in the world is going on here?" A woman appeared in the entryway, Lexi.

My laughter stopped, but Dzur-Khan's didn't, and he sent an apologetic grin at Lexi that strangled my throat. Had these two become cozy while I was on my deathbed?

"I'm glad to see you getting better," Lexi remarked; with such an earnest expression, I almost believed her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like Wile E. Coyote after Road Runner dropped a boulder on him," I answered honestly.

"Did Dzur-Khan give you the pills?"

I nodded, scrutinizing her. "Have you been taking care of me? "

"Mostly, it was Dzur-Khan, but I helped out where I could. I used to be a nurse in my old life," she filled me in. "I got some antibiotics in you, too, which you should continue. Not sure if they're helping with the bite, but if that cut gets infected…" she trailed off, both of us aware of where that would lead.

"Thank you," I managed.

"What happened with Gwyn… that wasn't me." She lowered her head. "I never had a chance to apologize to her. I… hung out with the wrong crowd, and I swear I didn't know what they were planning. I thought Sandra was going to talk to her… I should have known better…" she didn't finish.

I wasn't sure I believed her, and I wasn't sure I cared either, but she had taken care of me, so that had to count for something, right?

"Well, I appreciate what you've done for me."