“I’m going to tend to your wounds now, so I’ll be in close proximity. Please resist the temptation to kiss me again.”

He grunted and then cringed when pain flared from his eye, which he tried to open. It wasn’t fully sealed shut, but the swelling was only getting worse. Which was bad for a one-eyed man. Of course, soon he wouldn’t be bothered by it. He should probably tell Bryony that before she wasted her time on him but knew it would only raise more questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.

“This might hurt a little,” she said, her voice closer now. He felt her weight depress the bed and then something soft dabbed at his cheek. He sucked air through his teeth at the stinging sensation. “Baby,” she said. “Anyway, you have enough grog in you already, what’s a little more on the outside?”

“You ever considered a career as the king’s torturer?”

“If it means I get to inflict pain on men like you, it sounds rather appealing.”

“I guess I deserve that. But I swear I wasn’t trying to make your life harder.”

She continued her work, dabbing at his wounds, which were numerous, likely cleaning away the blood and grime. Despite his jape, she was gentle, especially considering her real occupation involved inflicting damage, not healing it.

After she was done with his face, she moved onto his stomach, lifting his shirt to his chest. “The bruising is severe and at least two ribs are broken. I’ll need to bind your abdomen.”

“Sounds fun. I’ve never tried that with a woman in bed before.”

“Are you ever serious?”

“Not if I can avoid it.”

“What are you trying to forget?”

He said nothing, a face identical to his except twenty years younger appearing in his mind’s eye.

“Fine, have your secrets.”

He was eager to change the subject to one that mattered to the here and now. “Why were you asking that city guardsman about the Fire Eater?”

“Ahh, the presence of the King’s Blade in these parts finally makes more sense. Though, I must admit, I had my suspicions.”

Once more, Ludo regretted the moment of lunacy that made him reveal his identity to her. Then again, what was done was done, all he could do was buck up and face the consequences head on. “Two assassins hunting the same man?” he said. “Of course, I understand why I’m hunting him—I’m nothing but a sword to be wielded by the king himself and Cainan is the most wanted man in Finfalla—but what I don’t understand is why an ex-member of the Crimson Daggers Guild of Assassins is hunting him.”

“Let’s just say, I have history with him.” So do I, he thought, gasping as she pulled a bandage tight around his back and cinched it across his belly. “There. You should be able to breathe with less pain now. Moving about is another story. Your ribs are probably broken so you’ll be sore for several days. Should I procure a walking stick for you?”