Page 114 of Shifting Tides
“Let me see,” Tobias said, craning his own neck to inspect mine.
And I realized that, even though the incredible warmth was gone, so was the screaming pain. I tentatively lifted my hand toward it and touched my fingertip testingly to the surface of my skin. There were no bumps or dips, not wet liquid. Nothing but smooth, unblemished skin. Not that I could see it, but it didn’t even feel like I had scars from the teeth punctures.
I snapped my head up at Ajax in shock and amazement. “You can heal people. Is that a harpy power?”
Ajax blinked at me, then looked at Tobias. “We’d better check her head. It sounds like she might have hit it pretty hard.”
I swatted his hand away as he moved to scrutinize my scalp. “I didn’t hit my head. I’m just new to shifters, and I didn’t know harpies could do that.”
Ajax looked questioningly at Tobias again, and Tobias nodded. “Okay, well, do you know if you got hurt anywhere else?”
I pursed my lips, taking a mental inventory of all the sensations throughout my body. From as much as I could tell, nothing else hurt.
“No, I don’t think so,” I concluded.
“Well, we should do a full body examination anyway,” Ajax said, nodding enthusiastically. “Let’s get this shirt off.”
He reached for the bottom of my shirt, and Tobias’s free hand shot to grab his wrist with a speed and ferocity that surprised me.
“Wanna lose that hand?” Tobias snarled dangerously, and I could almost swear I saw wisps of smoke trailing up from his flared nostrils.
“Whoa, easy.” Ajax wrenched his forearm free of Tobias’s death grip and held both hands in the air in a submissive gesture. “I’m just doing what you asked me to do.”
While I had to admit it was kinda hot that Tobias had defended my honor like that, or whatever it was, I also didn’t want anyone else to get hurt tonight.
“Oh, that’s right, my hand,” I said when the memory came to me.
I untucked my right hand from where it was smooshed between me and Tobias and unfolded it in front of me. The gash I’d slit with the arrow was still there, smeared with my blood. Odd that it only hurt once I remembered it was there, and now that I didn’t have the searing pain in my neck overriding my senses, it definitely hurt. Kind of like a papercut, but tenfold.
“Here.” I offered my hand to Ajax, and this time, I didn’t wince at his rough treatment as he clasped his hand over it.
The warmth came, and I couldn’t help but smile as I marveled at the now familiar tingling sensation. Just like before, it was over too quickly, and I missed the heat when he let go.
“Is there anything else?” Ajax asked, somewhat impatient now.
Tobias looked down at me assessingly.
I shook my head, certain that I hadn’t suffered any more injuries. And if I had, well, they wouldn’t be more than scrapes and I’d live.
“Alright, so…we good?” Ajax asked, gazing at Tobias expectantly. It made me wonder what sort of favor he owed Tobias, but I wasn’t going to get into that right now.
“We’re good,” Tobias told him gruffly.
“Sweet.” Ajax popped to his feet. “In that case, the next time you need my services, it’ll be my usual fee. Later.”
He gave us a two-finger wave before heading out the door with a spring in his step.
“Okay, well, that was weird,” I said after a brief silence when we were alone again. “But, um, thank you for doing that.”
He shook his head, a scowl weighing down his eyebrows. “I should’ve done so much more. I should’ve—”
I pressed a finger to his lips. “Tobias, there was nothing more you could’ve done. And the very fact that you came at all, that you saved me…”
My emotions at that fact were spilling over inside me, suddenly too much for me to handle. I wanted to kiss him and never stop. I wanted to hold him tight and never let go.
“It means more to me than you will ever know,” I admitted finally. “So please, don’t beat yourself up over what could’ve happened or what didn’t. You saved my life. And I owe you a debt I have no idea how to repay.”
His expression still looked somber and self-deprecating, his gaze decidedly cast away from mine.
