To do so, she had to lean all the way over him, so close he could feel her warmth on the unbandaged portions of his skin. More rough rummaging that resulted in the jingle of metal against an iron hoop. “Got it,” she said, elbowing his jaw as she returned fully upright. “Whoops, sorry about that. Be right back.”

The door opened just in time, for while she’d been searching for his key the prickling under his skin had grown steadily more intense, like a thousand ants were trying to find an exit from which to escape. The sensation was concentrated the most on his face and ribs, a veritable swarm, so much so that he hadn’t even felt the impact of her elbow.

Warmth spread from the top of his scalp to the tips of his toes and everywhere in between. He sighed, hating the familiar feeling even as he thanked the gods for it. It was strange how the world’s greatest gift also felt like the worst curse. The door swung open inward, but Bryony didn’t look at him until she’d closed the door softly behind her.

But when she did, she was unable to hide her shock to find him staring at her with his now unswollen eye. “What the—”

Her hand instinctively reached for the doorknob, but he said, “Wait. Please. I can explain.”

Her hand found the doorknob but didn’t turn it. Not yet. “There’s nothing to explain. You used magic. Does the king know about this? Of course he doesn’t, or your head would be nailed to a wall instead of being connected to your neck.”

“No, he doesn’t know, but he doesn’t need to. Because I didn’t use magic.”

“No? Because a minute ago your face looked like it had been borrowed for a punching bag and now it’s like you’ve never been in a fight in your life.”

“I know, but I didn’t do anything. It just…happens.”

“Your cracked ribs, too?”

He nodded slowly. “Fully repaired.”

She pursed her lips, seeming to consider. “You knew this would happen even when I was spending all that time cleaning and bandaging you.”

“It’s not so easy a thing to explain to someone.”

“How long has this been happening?”

He inhaled slowly, glad that she’d decided to stay. Let out a breath. Said, “My entire life, as long as I can remember.” The stories he’d been told about when he was a baby rattled through his head. She took you into the water…drowned…not you though…Miracle Baby…

“Then what about your other eye? Why didn’t it heal?”

“I—I don’t know. I can’t explain it.”

“But it wasn’t a bear attack, was it?”

He shook his head, but didn’t explain further, hoping she wouldn’t pry. She didn’t.

“Okay,” she said.

“Okay?”