21 Shades of Night, page 357
“Anything interesting going on tonight, brother?” Tor strode toward him in his belted plaid and shirt, his golden shifter eyes bright in the near dark.
“Not a thing, although that alone is making me even more restless.” The wind rose and fog swirled over the treetops. The brisk breeze lifted his black hair and plastered his white shirt against his chest. He palmed his belted sword resting snug at his side. “Are you here to take over?”
“Aye, I’m on watch until dawn.”
“Good, then I might just go for a quick walk, let my bear have a wee stretch before I head to bed.” He clapped Tor’s shoulder as he walked past him then bounded down the stone stairs and jogged out the gate under the raised portcullis. Allowing his bear his release, might just help to settle him down.
More fog swirled, the wind rushing around him. Within the churning haze, two women suddenly appeared, one of them Cherub. He’d never mistake the Fae Angel of Love, not when she’d visited him a time or two along with the odd patient from far in the past. The lass she held onto with one arm around her waist staggered on her feet and clutched her head. Blood oozed through the ivory strip of cloth bound around her head. She must be another patient, and with her velvet gown of cream sweeping to the ground, its sleeves draping over the backs of her hands, quite clearly a lass from another time. Aye, her clothing was from centuries past.
“Tavish, there you are.” Cherub waved out to him. Her creamy skin sparkled, the glimmer a physical attribute held only by the eldest child born within the ancient royal line of the fae. “My apologies, I lost my focus as I opened a portal and missed arriving in your medical rooms, although no’ by far. I need your aid.”
“What can I do to help you?”
“This is Julia. She’s close kin, and took a nasty fall from her horse and wounded herself. Could you take a look at her injury?”
“Of course I can.”
“You all right down there, Tavish?” Tor gripped the crenellation as he leaned over it, his black hair falling forward over his brow. His gaze darted to Cherub and he grinned. “Welcome back, Cherub. So you’re the one causing the air to stir.”
“Evening, Tor. I brought Dr. Tavish a patient, a very important patient from Gilleoin’s time.” Cherub smiled at his brother. For so long Cherub had hidden her true self from their clan, preferring to remain cloaked on her visits due to her sparkly skin, but no more, not since she’d become mated to Kirk, one of their chief’s three sons.
“Let’s get the two of you inside and I’ll see to this very important patient.” Tavish went to scoop Julia up so she needn’t walk but then stopped. She wasn’t from his time, might find his actions far too forward. Instead, he offered her his arm.
“Thank you.” Julia slid her trembling hand through the crook in his elbow and curled her fingers around his wrist, her touch so sweetly warm and making his bear stretch deep inside him, as if itching to get closer to her. That had never happened to him with a woman before.
He shook the thought off as Julia glanced all about, taking in the high curtain wall, the forest then the gravel driveway which led around to the back of the keep to a large parking area in the rear. “I take it this is your first time here?”
“It is, although I expected to see something…different. Particularly since I’ve traveled over eight-hundred years through time.” She watched her feet with each unsteady step she made.
“Just wait until you get inside.” He guided her across the stony ground. “You’ll see ‘different’ then. That I promise you.”
“Julia, you’ll love seeing all that this time offers.” Cherub led the way under the arch and into the bailey. “Like electricity and running water. I have a home in this time which is located not far from here at Angel Bay. I dearly miss being there when I flitter all about.”
The brisk breeze rose, swirled Julia’s scent around him, a sweet white rose fragrance that tickled his nose. She smelled so soft and feminine and he dragged in an even deeper breath to capture more of her elusive aroma. His bear fairly purred his pleasure from deep within.
Julia’s gaze lifted to his, her blue eyes as stunning as a clear summer sky and holding glittering sparks of gold around the edges. “Did you say something? I heard a purr.”
“That was my bear.” Although how she’d heard his beast deep inside him was intriguing. He hadn’t emitted any sound. Only he could hear his bear. “My other half likes how you smell, and so do I.”
“You do?” Her cheeks flushed an adorable pink. “I sprinkle rose oil in my bath, ah, water.” The pink bloomed even brighter as she lowered her gaze. “Goodness, I cannae believe I just said that.”
“I’m rather glad you did.” He halted in the middle of the bailey next to Cherub, right beside the center well with its swinging wooden pail and sweeping ivy.
“Oh dear, Kirk calls.” Cherub touched her head. “There’s another emergency. Our connection can cut in and out sometimes when we’re separated by time so ’tis fortunate he could reach me as he has.” She gripped Julia’s hands. “I must go, but just know I’m leaving you in the best of hands. I trust Tavish. He’s a wonderful doctor, so kind and caring.”
“If you need to go, I understand.”
“I’ll return as soon as I can.” Cherub patted his shoulder. “I expect you to take good care of my kin.”
“I’ll take the utmost care. You do what you need to. I’ll keep Julia with me until you return.”
“Of course you will. I would expect naught less.” With a mischievous smile, Cherub backed away then twirled the air. She opened a vortex and as the wind rushed all about, she disappeared within the swirling dark.
“Cherub said you’re close kin. How close?” He steered Julia toward the front door of the keep.
“My sister, Arabel, is Cherub’s sister by marriage, so very close.”
“I’ve heard of a lass named Arabel. She’s mated to Finlay, right?” Which meant her sister held the fire-wielder skill. Even though Finlay hadn’t yet returned to this time, he’d heard all about what Arabel could do from Finlay’s brother, Kirk, during his flying visits in and out with Cherub. “Iain, Finlay, and Kirk are my second cousins.”
“Then ’tis a very small world indeed…or mayhap time.” She smiled and swayed, grasped his arm firmer.
“Here, let me carry you. You’re not stable on your feet yet.”
“I’m truly—”
He scooped her up and she gasped and clutched his shirtfront.
“—fine.”
“No, it’s best I carry you. I wouldn’t want you falling and hurting yourself again.” Too bad about the protocols between times. He wanted to hold her. Up the front step, he bounded then upstairs and along the passageway of the second floor toward his well-lit medical rooms at the end. Once inside, he set Julia down on the white-sheeted medical bed positioned in the center of the room, washed up at the sink and pulled on a pair of surgical gloves. With a tray of utensils in hand, he walked in behind her and set the tray on the side table. “Head wounds can be dangerous, but I promise to take good care of you.”
“Cherub trusts you, which means I trust you too.” Her words warmed his heart and he smiled.
“Thank you. I don’t intend to lose that trust.” He picked up his scissors, carefully sliced the bloodied cloth away then gently separated her hair. The wound was long but thankfully not too deep. “Tell me all about yourself, Julia.” He yearned to know more. “Everything about the past intrigues me, particularly your time when Gilleoin reigned as chief of our clan.”
“I’m an aura reader and can sense another’s true intentions by the color and the sound of their aura, and Gilleoin is my uncle, wed to my Aunt Sorcha.”
“I’ve never met an aura reader before.” But that went someway to explaining her earlier comment. She’d heard the sound of his bear’s contentment. “What does my aura tell you?”
She glanced over her shoulder at him, her smile making his heart lose a beat. Those sweetly pink lips of hers with their perfect pout, enticed him, made him want a taste. “Your aura is a pure white with a tinge of sizzling red at the edge, just as Gilleoin’s is. ’Tis a shifter’s aura you have, but there is more. When I focus on you, I can hear a gentle purr and that tells me you and your bear are as one, that your other half is rather content right now.”
His bear was certainly content, any and all restlessness he’d felt earlier having disappeared the moment she’d arrived. “Your assessment is absolutely correct. Where do you live when not buzzing through time with Cherub?”
“At the House of Clan Matheson on the shores of Loch Alsh.” She rubbed her forehead and grimaced. “There is an ache and it worsens.”
“Did you lose any awareness when you fell from your horse?” He’d give her medication for the headache, the moment he’d stitched her wound.
“How did you know I fell from my horse?”
“Cherub said so when you first arrived. Do you recall her saying so?” Her clear confusion likely came from her losing consciousness.
“I do now you’ve jogged my memory, and aye, I lost awareness, Dr. Tavish. My sister woke me from the dark.”
“Call me Tavish. There’s no need to stand on formality while you’re here.” He reached up and tugged the overhead light on its metal arm closer. Light blazed and Julia’s eyes went wide as she ogled it.
“Oh my, you have light without fire.”
“This light comes from a light bulb, and definitely no fire is needed. This is a form of the electricity Cherub mentioned before. Lower your chin if you can. I’d like to flush this wound and clean it well. I’m also going to numb the area too. The most you should feel is a slight pinch when the injection goes in then maybe the odd little tug as I stitch the edges together.”
“What is an in-jec-tion?” She twisted her tongue around the foreign word as she touched her chin to her chest for him.
“Doctors in this time use different tools to aid us in healing our patients, and since I’ve no intention of allowing you to feel any pain, I’m going to use an injection with a numbing agent inside.” He cleaned the wound then smeared each side with numbing gel to ensure she didn’t even feel the needle going in. No pain at all was his ultimate goal.
“Tavish,” she whispered his name, her voice so soft as she leaned back a little against him. “Did you know your name means twin?”
“Which I happen to be.” Injection in. “Did you not see Tor on the battlements outside? He’s the one who called out. We’re identical.” He threaded the needle and set to work stitching the wound. “He was pretty hard to miss.”
“I’m afraid I only saw a dark shadow. My vision was still a little spotty at that time. Arabel isnae just my sister but also my twin. She’s a whole five minutes older than me, and always reminding me of it.”
“Tor’s a whole five minutes younger than I am. I have no trouble reminding him of that either.” He ran another quick check over her head for any sign of swelling but there was none. Keeping a close eye on her throughout the night though would be a necessity, and he wouldn’t allow Cherub to take Julia away until at least the morning, that’s if Cherub returned before then. Another stitch. “Twins actually run strongly in my shifter clan. More often than not two cubs are born at once, although Iain, Finlay, and Kirk are the first triplets we’ve had.”
“Twins run strongly through my fae line as well.” She gripped the edge of the thin mattress either side of her, her knuckles going white. “I’m nervous. I’ve never been all that good at getting stitches and I fear the first one. ’Tis an awful kind of pain.”
“There’s no need to be nervous.” He covered one of her hands with his and her grip relaxed under his touch. “I’ve already made the first stitch, as well as the second.” He began the third stitch.
“You have?” She jerked her head upright and stared at the long length of thread that led from the back of her head to his hand. A smile lifted her lips. “Well, would you look at that. You are a very clever doctor indeed, with a most magical touch. Should I ever need stitches again, I am coming right back here to see you.”
“Thank you, but I hope you’ll never require stitches again. Look front and center for me.”
“Of course. My apologies.” She resumed the right position and he returned to his work, bringing each side of her wound nicely and neatly together. “Are you mated, Tavish?”
“As yet I’m not, although on the last full moon my senses arose just as the other unmated males in my clan’s did since the ‘power of three’ was unveiled and the fae village saved.” He inspected his stitches, five altogether, which would dissolve on their own in another six or seven days’ time. “All done, Julia.”
“Already?” She glanced at him with the sweetest smile. “I shall never forget your kindness. You have my most grateful thanks for your aid.”
“And I shall never forget the aura reader who paid me a visit from the past.” He dropped his utensils into the automated cleaning machine on the bench, collected a bottle of water from the small corner fridge then with two painkillers in hand, returned to her and held them out. “I want you to swallow these pills. They’ll chase away any lingering pain and allow you to sleep with ease throughout the night. I’ll also need you to sleep over so I can ensure all is well.”
“I would like to stay longer, to see what else this time offers. What herb are these made of?” She accepted the pills and humming under her breath, rubbed them between her fingers.
“Those pills aren’t actually made of herbs but a proven medication.” He uncapped the bottle lid.
“Would you look at that.” She nabbed the bottle from him, swirled the water within then fingered the notches on the rim. “How clever to put a top like this on the bottle. I see the cap can wind itself over the head of the spout through these ridges. What is this bottle made of?”
“Plastic, a manmade substance. Pop one of those pills on your tongue then scrape it to the back with your teeth. As soon as you’ve done that, take a sip of water and gulp the pill down, then repeat again with the second pill.” Her questions and delight at seeing so many new things touched his heart. He’d love to show her around his home, take her to some of his favorite places and watch her excitement continue to grow and bloom.
She swallowed the pills.
“Would you like to bathe and wash the blood from your hair before I organize a place for you to sleep?”
“Am I allowed to bathe? Whenever I’ve had stitches in the past, my sister hasn’t allowed me to get them wet.”
“Just this once you may bathe, then you’re to ensure your stitches remain dry for the next few days. I’ve actually used dissolving stitches, so there’s no need for me to even physically remove them once your wound has healed.”
“Then a chance to bathe would be most appreciated.”
“Good. Come with me. I’ll show you to my bathroom and get you sorted.” He set his hands on her waist and lifted her off the bed then slowly set her down in front of him.
Wobbling, she grasped his shirtfront and leaned her forehead against his chest. “I still feel so woozy.”
“Lean on me as often as you need to.” He tucked a lock of her wind tangled blond hair behind her ear then once she appeared steady on her feet, offered her his arm once more and guided her out the door and into his bedroom down the hallway. His four-poster bed took up half the large space, the remainder holding a blue swede settee and an armchair angled in front of a wide screen TV. His bathroom sat off to one side and he steered her across his room and through the door. Sandy colored tiles led to an open shower in the tiled corner, one without any glass sides. The shower curtain though could be pulled across if needed, although he rarely used it. The bathroom flooring was designed to funnel the water away into the sink hole.
Julia ogled the room and gasped as she sighted the massive mirror over top of the white marble vanity. “I can almost see my entire self in that looking glass. That is the largest one I’ve ever beheld.”
“We call them mirrors in this time, and it is a beauty.” He picked up the metal shower chair, set it in the center of the showering area then flicked the overhead fan on. It whirred and fluttered the white towels on the side rail. “Come here, Julia. Take a seat.” She did and he lowered to a crouch, bringing them eye to eye. “I don’t actually have a bath as such for you to bathe in, but instead I’ve got a shower in which you’ll sit underneath. That is how you’ll be able to bathe and wash up.”
“I see.” With one finger, she touched the button on his shirt then glanced at the ceiling above and each wall surrounding her. An intriguing look crossed her face. “And how does one shower inside a bathroom when there is no way for a shower of water to reach me?”
“Showers are a modern invention and it’s best if I show you, rather than try to explain how they work.” He removed her slippers and lobbed them toward the heated towel rail. There, they’d remain dry and out of the spray’s reach. From the shower caddy, he handed her shampoo and a bar of soap. “Feel free to use anything in this room you might need. What’s mine is now yours.”
“Are you certain I need to be sitting right here to have this…ah…shower?”
“Very sure.” He chuckled and popped a kiss on her forehead. “I’ve never met such a woman as you, and it feels like forever since I’ve had such an enjoyable conversation. Seeing your delight in all these new things reminds me of how lucky we are to live in this time with all our modern conveniences.”
“I’ve never had such an interesting and enjoyable conversation either.” She touched her forehead where he’d kissed her. “What do I do next?”
“You’ll need to take your gown off to shower.” She had a full-length shift on underneath, the top lacy edge of it showing along her neckline. “Will your shift cover you adequately? You can borrow a towel if not, but it’s best I remain with you while you shower since you’re not yet steady enough on your feet. The last thing I want you to do is fall and hit your head on these hard tiles.”
