His eyes fluttered, then opened. “Taegis?” he said in a raspy voice.

A longing spread within her. She hadn’t expected to feel such a strong pull toward him. Was it due to the connection she had made during her dreamwalks? Or something more?

Taegis and Selene crossed the room. “Yes, my lord. I brought Lady Selene here.”

“Selene?” He turned his head and focused on her, his face glistening in the candlelight.

Her heart quickened at her name. “I’m here,” she said, approaching the bed. “How do you feel?”

He gave her a wry smile. “Terrible. But glad to be home. I’m sorry I’m in such poor condition for your arrival here.”

“Taegis and Cohen are taking care of me.” She was not going to share how the steward had first treated her. Damien didn’t need to know.

His eyes shut. “Good.”

After a moment, it appeared Damien had passed into a restless sleep.

A man walked into the room seconds later, dressed in long green robes with a wooden tray in his hands. His hair was black and smooth, with the upper half tied back at the crown of his head while the rest fell to midchest. He looked almost like the male version of Lady Ayaka Rafel, and Selene wondered for a moment if the man was related to the Great House of Rafel.

“Healer Sildaern, this is Lady Selene, Damien’s new wife. She insisted on seeing him.”

The healer’s intense gaze turned to Selene. “My lady,” he said a moment later with a bow.

“Healer,” Selene replied.

“I’m about to remove the arrowhead. It appears to only be a flesh wound, but the arrowhead is barbed. It’s good that it was left in until I could attend to it. If it had been pulled, his lordship would have lost a lot of blood.”

“Is the wound infected?”

Healer Sildaern left the tray on the long table and came to Damien’s side. “I will know soon enough, and I will send word of what I find.” He looked over at her with that intense stare again. “Be assured that I will do everything I can to help Lord Damien.”

Selene bowed her head. “Thank you.”

“Now then,” he said brusquely, “I need room and space to do my work.”

Selene and Taegis backed away as the healer turned and prepared his instruments on the table.

“There isn’t much we can do here,” Taegis said. “Why don’t I show you a place you can wash up while your room is prepared?”

“Yes, that would be nice,” she said distractedly, watching as Healer Sildaern measured a couple of wooden rods and nodded to himself. A set of tongs, a jar of honey, and linen lay on the tray he left on the table. Part of her wanted to stay and see how he removed the arrowhead and part of her wanted to get as far away as she could.

Taegis gently took her arm and led her out into the hallway. A moment later, a yell filled the room behind them.