Magic's Memories

Chapter Five

"Lights above, woman, let me in!"

"No."

Sedgewick clenched his fists to restrain himself from pitching the woman over his shoulder and slamming the door to Feyla's room open himself. Healer Delia Morrowbryn, as she had introduced herself, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes as she blocked Sedgewick's entrance to the one place in the world he was most desperate to be. "She's resting," the healer stated firmly.

"I need to see her. Has she even been checked for curses? Or were you too busy letting her get blasted at to bother?"

Morrowbryn's ear twitched as her round jaw clamped tighter. She ignored the last part of his remark. "And my mother 'needs' me and my husband to have a child now, but it looks like neither of you are going to get what you're whining for."

Sedgewick's face reddened to match his hair. He was seconds away from releasing a tirade that Feyla would have scolded him for when one of his favorite sounds in the world drifted through the door, muffled and weak.

"Sedgewick?" Feyla called out, her voice drowsy like she'd been dreaming.

Sedgewick pushed past Morrowbryn before the woman could say she'd dreamt he was here. He threw open the door and instantly felt the waves of worry and panic that had been pounding against him since the news of Feyla had arrived recede like a tide. Feyla sat propped up in her bed, the sun shining down on her yellow coverlet and matching hair. A clean white bandage stood out against the tawny brown skin of her arm.

"I knew it was you!" Feyla exclaimed, her face brightening like she'd been longing to see him as much as he had her.

Sedgewick dropped to his knees beside her and dug his nails into the white wood of her bed. He wanted to grab her hand and feel the life in her humming beneath her skin. He itched to run his fingers through her soft, sweet-smelling hair before nuzzling against her like his cat and listening for the sound of her heartbeat.

But mostly he wanted Morrowbryn to stop drilling her stare into the back of his head and leave them alone.

"Gates, I'm sorry, Dearest," he said, pointedly avoiding turning around to the irritable healer. "I left as soon as I heard, but they had already carried you off and then I got dragged into undoing any rune discs that survived the fire."

"Watch your language," she murmured, more of a comforting habit than an actual admonishment. "And I understand."

Morrowbryn snorted behind him, making it clear that she didn't. Feyla's ears perked up as she finally stopped staring at him. "I guess you two have already met." She laughed softly. "Sorry about the bad introduction."

"I didn't really need one anyway," the healer cut in as she stepped closer. "His reputation speaks for itself."

The smile Sedgewick had been giving to Feyla dropped at Morrowbryn's words. Several biting retorts jumped to the tip of his tongue. Sedgewick glanced over at Feyla to find her biting her lip as if she could bite back his words for him. "I...suppose that would depend on where one gathered my 'reputation'."

Feyla squirmed as if she would like nothing better than to jump in between the tension that had risen between the two and wave it away like smoke. "Well, if it's okay, I'd like to do introductions anyway. Sedgewick, this is Delia. We were apprenticed at the same healing house. She's an old friend."

Feyla took his hand, and Sedgewick's chest tingled as a now-familiar thrill ran through him. "And Delia, this is Sedgewick. We're courting," she said, giving him that look he loved. The one where her eyes softened from a deep sea to a smooth lake while her ears turned pink like she was looking at someone much more worthy of her affection than him.