“You’ll want to mask your smell,” Austin said. He’d barely moved since he’d changed, each action probably radiating anguish through him.
“Yes. Great idea. A good old-fashioned mud bath ought to do the trick.” Edgar put up his thumb before hurrying away.
Austin’s eyes flicked to me. He didn’t say anything.
“You don’t have to play tough with me, Austin. I peeked. You’re—”
“Did you like what you saw?” His voice was low and thick, sending shivers across my body.
My face heated. “You’re in incredible pain,” I said, ignoring the sexual innuendo. He tended to relax when he was dealing with pain. His focus slipped, and his grip loosened on his usually iron-clad self-control. “Why didn’t you slow down or opt to find the basajaun another day?”
He shook his head, his eyes roaming my face. “I’m good.”
I laid my hands on his chest just above his pecs, his skin too hot. Heavy bruises marred his ribs. A gouge bled from the left side of his stomach and another gash dribbled blood down his thigh. Moving around him, I found scrapes and scores down one side of his back, the skin already black and blue around them.
“Okay,” I whispered, guilt tearing at me, thinking about how best to heal him. Thanks to Edgar’s diligent work with the book he’d found in the garden, I didn’t have to guess when it came to healing anymore. I had a few options at my disposal.
The fastest healing method would work quickly, but Austin would be in excruciating pain until the end. That one was best with large or near-fatal wounds. The second type masked the pain a little, like a localized numbing effect, making the patient more comfortable. The third and slowest method allowed me to make the patient feel however I wanted, completely cutting out the pain. This was dangerous in battle because the body would still be hindered by the slow-healing wound. The person would feel capable of moving like they normally did, without actually being in a condition to do so. But all he had to do was hang out and eat dinner. He’d be fine.
“I’m so sorry,” I said, erasing his pain while grazing my fingertips down his broad back. “I really thought I toned the magic way down. I shouldn’t have let you test the tripwire.”
“I offered to test it knowing this was a possibility. It’s fine, Jess. This is my job.”
A discolored area was just above his left butt cheek, and I curled my fingers around his hip before running my thumb over it. Dirt, not a bruise. My other palm flat on his spine, I closed my eyes and magically felt down into his body, sussing out the hurts and aches, of which there were plenty. If he’d been non-magical, or even in human form at the time of the incident, I probably would’ve killed him.
Fear welled up inside of me. I had to be more careful. I had to try harder. To learn faster. I couldn’t subject my people to this. I couldn’t ask them to wander into harm’s way, potentially being swatted down hard enough not to get back up.
I tried to move back around to his front, intending to delve down into the ribs and see if anything was broken—my magic could essentially act as an X-ray, which was pretty freaking amazing—but he tensed.
“Probably best if you stay back there,” he said softly. “Things are looking up on this side.”
I chuckled and kept moving, but I stood farther away as I circled around him so I didn’t touch his erection. The thing had a long reach.
“It’s nothing I haven’t seen a few times before.” I placed my palm against his ribs and closed my eyes. Deep muscle bruising. The magical razors hadn’t just slashed through his skin and muscle; they’d clearly packed a punch as well. No broken bones.
“You’ll heal. Is the pain gone—” My breath hitched as I felt one of his hands low on my hip, sliding around. The fingertips on his other hand dusted my jaw line. Fire erupted in my core, suddenly pounding. He wasn’t the only one with a loose leash on his control.
He spread his hand across my lower back, his ring and pinky fingers technically on my butt, his other hand curving around the back of my neck. Soft pressure urged me to step forward, closer to him. Against him.
I fluttered my eyes open, meeting his cobalt eyes, deep and soft but also burning with desire. They settled on my lips, almost like a physical presence. His hand on my back slipped lower, his pinky and ring finger on a cheek now, the rest of his hand sure to follow. Heat coursed through my blood, and it was hard to breathe. Hard to think.
“You are absolutely amazing,” he whispered, his breath feathering me with the scent of honey and cinnamon. Electricity crackled between us, heat soaking into me through his touch. “Your power is awe-inspiring. It is an honor to train with you, Jacinta. It is worth the pain.”