In the Shadow of the Goddess (Book 1 of The Fallen Gods Trilogy)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

"How do you feel?" Jill asked, trying her best not to hover as she circled Perren's chair again. He tried to stand on his own, grimaced and much too quickly for her liking, sat back down.

"Perren—"

"I'll survive," he said. "Asking to feel my forehead again isn't helping."

"Sorry," Jill answered, and resumed hovering.

They were all now inside the cottage—everyone but the three guards who'd been sent back to their posts. Janos went about the room, turning up the flame on several lanterns. With the extra light, she could see the cottage was cruder than anything she'd experienced in Pydia. Ferice might be a bigger town, but no one had wasted money on fixing up this living space. This was a place where people could pick up and leave in a moment's notice. Items lay scattered haphazardly as if the room contained too much space and not enough furniture.

Aside from the main room, she saw a kitchen and a bedroom in back, each with its own small windows and draped with heavy curtains. Built into a third wall, near the kitchen, was the fireplace. In the middle was a table and chairs, and by the far window an overstuffed chair and wooden bench. A cot had been pushed up against the wall and Brexten placed on it.

She knew she should be at his side, making sure he wasn't seriously injured, and waiting for him to open his eyes. And honestly, a part of her wanted to be there. But at the same time, confusion rocked her. Aden. Who was he? Earlier, he'd radiated a power that had inexorably drawn her. To feel something that intense for a man she had just met wasn't natural and she had no idea what to do about this startling new feeling. For now, it was better to avoid both men and concentrate on the simpler, less complicated friendship she had with Perren—even if her hovering drove him crazy.

Damek appeared at her side. He was a little taller than herself and despite his youth, there were numerous gray streaks in his short sandy hair and deep worry lines etched across his forehead. Roughly attractive, but after staring at Brexten for the past several days, she knew her comparison scale was too skewed to be reliable.

Damek held a goblet out to Perren. "Keep sitting and drink this. Sorry, but it will have to be multese flower for you."

"Why not just heal him with magic?" Jill wanted to know.

"He's Sahen'chi," Damek said as if that should be answer enough.

"When I said magic slides off Sahen'chi, that means all magic. Healing spells included," Perren explained. He sniffed in the goblet suspiciously. "This smells worse than resaden sap."

"At least it's quick and will dull the pain. I mixed it with wine though it barely hides the taste. Again, forgive me for hitting you like that. Consider it a 'welcome to Ferice' blow." Then he smiled at both of them. "As you can tell, we're not overly fond of strangers. Rafe may have been a little overzealous and I apologize for that too. With mongrels patrolling Ferice, we have to be cautious."

"Imagine what might have happened if Rafe and I weren't cousins," Perren quipped.

"I haven't seen you in ten years!" Rafe defended himself from the other side of the room. "How can anyone blame me for not recognizing you?"

Janos held out a folded square of cloth to Jill. He looked neater now, having pulled his dull brown hair back into its short ponytail. "Take this and press it to your throat. The pressure will help stop the bleeding."

Jill did as instructed, blotting at the cut several times to see how much blood was on the cloth. Splotches of red appeared and she wished she had access to a mirror just to see the damage. "Is it bad?"