Bonds of Cupidity (Heart Hassle Book 2)

Ronak returns on a portal to get Evert, while I ride on the back of Okot’s bull form to the kingdom island. We make it under the cover of night without anyone spotting us, and sneak into the inn through the back door that Sylred has propped open for us. When we’re safe inside our rooms, everyone lets out a relieved breath.

Okot helps to slip the bow and quiver off my back as I sit down on the edge of the bed. I grimace at the pain in my wing when I jostle it too much.

“I’ll get her a healer,” Sylred offers.

“No. The healer will see her wings and recognize her. We can’t risk it,” Ronak argues. “There are notices posted everywhere on the island about her.”

This is news to me. Worry knots in my already aching stomach.

“Look at her,” Sylred says, pointing at me with a flash of anger. “Her wing is broken and she probably has some internal injuries. She might keep saying she’s ‘fine’, but I know all of us have noticed the winces she keeps trying to hide. She needs a healer. Evert could only do so much.”

Sylred’s right, I do need a healer. My wing hurts, my face feels puffier than a marshmallow, and my stomach is aching from Gammon’s punches. But Ronak is right, too. I don’t want to risk anything happening and us all being separated again, and I definitely do not want the prince to get me.

“I’ll be able to muddle the healer enough,” Sylred promises.

Ronak considers him. “You don’t have any of your instruments. Are you positive? Because if not…”

“I’m sure.”

Ronak finally nods, and as soon as he does, Sylred slips out of the room.

“Umm, what?”

“Sylred’s power,” Evert explains.

“Oh, the sound stuff?”

“If by ‘stuff’ you mean that he’s a Sound Soother, then yes.”

I remember the way he warded off the banshee cries. “He can make it so that the healer won’t remember me?”

“Not quite. It’s more like he’ll be able to make the healer feel such strong emotions that he won’t be able to focus on your presence, except just enough to heal you. He’s not as strong without instruments, but he’ll protect you. Don’t worry.”

Ronak pulls out a clean handkerchief and starts ripping it into pieces. “Here,” he hands two pieces to me and two to Okot. “Sylred’s power will work on you, too. Put these in your ears. It won’t block it completely, but it will help.”

“What about you guys?”

He shakes his head. “His power doesn’t negatively affect us, since we share a covey bond. His magic is a part of us already. It will be a part of you, too, once we complete the mating ceremony.”

I scrunch up the small pieces of fabric and stuff them into my ears while Okot does the same. I can still hear, but everything is muffled.

When Sylred gets back, it’s with a different healer than the one who saw to Okot’s injuries. The fae is graying and slightly wrinkled, but he has a kind face that doesn’t really go with the set of demon-like horns coming out of his forehead.

The guys move aside for the healer, but my eyes are on Sylred. The moment he came inside the room, he started to hum. The only reason I know this is because although his lips are closed, I can see his throat moving.

I can’t hear what kind of tune he’s humming, but I can see the healer’s eyes go from very interested in my wings, to being slightly glazed over.

The healer mumbles something before his hands are on my swollen face, then my ribs and stomach, then my arms and legs. I feel a heavy, powerful force of magic sweeping through me. Some of it is ice cold, some of it is hot as flames. When he gets to my wing, I feel the bone snapping back into place and let out a weak cry as tears fall onto my cheeks.

When I look up at the healer again, his eyes have a faraway look like he’s unable to focus properly. He keeps blinking and shaking his head, but Sylred is whistling now, loudly enough for even me to hear it. And…wow.

Pretty music.

Whistling is awesome. How did I not know this before? In fact, I love it. I don’t ever want him to stop. I try to purse my lips together and join in, but I actually don’t know how to whistle, so I just blow out a big breath of air and a little spit flies out and lands on the healer.

Whoops.

It’s fine. The music is so nice that everything is just fine. I smile and pat the healer’s cheek.

When the healer’s magic ebbs away, and he stands again, he stumbles slightly. A giggle bubbles out of me.

Sylred ushers him out of the room while I try to whistle again. Nope. Still can’t.

The moment the door closes, someone plucks the cloth from my ears.

“Okay, Scratch?”

I loll my head to the side to look at Evert and a goofy smile spreads over my face. “Mmmhmm. So good. So, so good.”

He chuckles and looks over at Okot, who is also swaying slightly on his feet and frowning at the door like he can’t remember what’s on the other side.

“What were we talking about?” I ask with confusion. “My lips feel funny. And I’m hungry again. Also, I think I’m drunk. Am I drunk? Can you be drunk without drinking? I can’t remember.”

Ronak smirks. “I’ll order some food. Be right back.”

I look down at my body and over my shoulder at my wing. “Hey! I’m healed! When did that happen?”

Evert just laughs, so I smack him in the chest. “Stop laughing at me. What’s funny, anyway?”

He traps my hand and keeps it against his chest. “Nothing. Nothing at all. Once you eat some more, then you can sleep.”

Food and sleep. Two of my favorite things.