The Sheriff and The Healer
Beth stumbled face first into the sand, which hurt like a bitch. Nothing like rubbing sand into open wounds. The tide lapped gently at her feet, which also stung. She needed to get up before the salt water came anywhere near the gash in her thigh, but oh, all of her muscles ached.
She managed to roll onto her back. The moon was still out but it was low to the horizon, the sky taking on the pink glow it does as it prepares for sunrise. Her heart still pounded painfully in her chest. Slowly, ever so slowly, she sat up. Maybe she could talk Benji into one last bath before she took off again, but she had to get home first.
Glancing around Beth sagged with relief. She was on the beach next to her house. Last time she had come through the wild Hedge they had popped out in the middle of Boston. Silently she thanked whatever powers had guided her way through that purgatory of an in-between and rose unsteadily to her feet. She gasped as her vision started to darken again and fought it back, taking as deep breaths as she could manage with her broken ribs. Her feet were cut up badly, like the rest of her. She limped toward the house, a lump forming in her throat at the thought of finally getting to go home. She knew it hadn’t been that long, less than twenty-four hours, but it felt like weeks since she’d been here.
She didn’t have keys, so she knocked and then waited, hugging herself against the chill night air and trying not to fall over or pass out. The door swung inward and there stood Benji, his amber eyes assessing her.
“You look like shit,” he said, pulling her in and wrapping around her.
She wanted to laugh but instead buried her face in his neck and basked in the familiar scent of soap and weed and singed hair.
“Oh, god,” Beth murmured, so grateful to be where she was.
It hurt to hug him. The scratches on her arms and face chafed against his hoodie and internally two or three broken ribs were bitching up a storm. But it didn’t matter. She had somehow made it home. She had Benji. She was safe.
Glancing up over his shoulder she saw the rest of her roommates gathered in the foyer and threw them a smile that she hoped was reassuring. But her lip was busted and tasted coppery and she knew she had a nasty bruise on her left cheek.
The twins looked puzzled as they watched her, and Trina looked like she was on the verge of tears. Sebastian, on the other hand, grinned and waved.
“You’re bleeding,” Benji finally said as he pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers. “I can’t believe you made it through the Hedge again. I was so fucking worried. You scared the shit out of me, Beth.”
She grimaced. Her tired mind too focused on wanting to get inside and get some wine into her to comprehend his words for a second or two. Then she went very still.
“How did you know I was in the Hedge?”
He swooped down and picked her up, an arm under her back and one under her legs. She cried out at both the surprise and pain it caused.
Benji winced. “Sorry. So sorry. But your feet look pretty bad and you were swaying.”
He turned and carried her through the door and the people. They all murmured hello as she passed them. Sebastian reached out and squeezed her hand.
“Answer my question, Benji,” she demanded faintly as he started up the stairs.
“Beth, just don’t freak out. You’re going to try and run but you need healing right now.” His tone was low and cautious, his grip on her tight.
Her heart started hammering. She tried struggling but gave up when it hurt too much to move. She settled for cursing. They were here, they had to be here.
Benji started up the stairs to Beth’s room and she held her breath, fully expecting Maeve and a band of guards waiting to take her into custody.
When she didn’t immediately see a death brigade she exhaled, then cursed again at how much that little act hurt her. Then she nearly died anyway when Ronan stepped from the shadows.
“Shit,” she spat, her heart sinking rapidly.
Pointless. That entire near-death experience had been completely pointless.
He looked so mind-fuckingly beautiful in her room though. The moonlight from the skylight caressed him lovingly, illuminating the silver in his hair and giving him an ethereal brilliance that stole what was left of her breath. He had changed into warrior’s clothes tonight; combat boots, dark leather pants, a white tunic shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, and that ever present weapons belt. It was equipped now not only with the sword she was used to seeing but a rifle too.
And boy, did he look pissed. His scowl was so deep she worried for the safety of his eyebrows.
“Shit is right,” Ronan said, his voice low and dangerous. He stalked toward her and she resisted the urge to hide her face against Benji’s chest.
Benji took a step back, protectively. “Hey, chill man. She’s injured.”
Ronan fixed him with a glare that would have brought any mortal to his knees. “I’m not going to hurt her. I’m going to see to her wounds.”
For some reason, the mention of Beth’s wounds made them hurt more. She whimpered.
“Put her on the bed,” Ronan commanded in that no-nonsense tone he’d used with Aengus at the reception. “Sebastian!” he yelled.
Why was he calling for Sebastian?
Benji laid her down as gently as he could. Beth groaned at the thought of getting her bed bloody. Damnit, she liked these sheets.
Sebastian strolled in, carrying a bottle of wine and a first aid kit. He flipped the switch and the rainbow christmas lights twinkled from the walls. “I brought pain killers,” he announced, setting the first aid kit down on the bed.
Benji glared at Sebastian, which was confusing. “What did I miss?” she croaked.
“Nothing,” Benji lied. She could tell he was lying because his eyes hadn’t left their roommate. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Don’t you worry your pretty little head, love.” Sebastian said, smiling down at her. “Holy shit, is that your nipple? Nice.”
It probably was her nipple. The parts of her dress that she hadn’t torn off herself to use as crude bandages had been shredded. Wire was not a friend to Fae finery, and it wasn’t as if she’d been wearing a bra beneath it.
“The sedative, Capreolo,” barked Ronan.
Capreolo. Why did Ronan know Sebastian’s last name?
“Right,” Sebastian uncorked the wine bottle. “This is special wine, Beth. It’s gonna make you loopy as hell for a while, but hopefully it will also help numb the pain, alright?”
That sounded good. She licked her lips in response, too exhausted to nod. The adrenaline from the Hedge was finally wearing off and the damage to her body was taking its toll.
“Sit her up a little, would ya Benj?” Sebastian pulled a shot glass from an inside pocket on his jacket and filled it about half full. When Beth was mostly upright he helped her tip her head back and poured it in.
Having expected Sebastian’s usual nectar-like concoctions, Beth was surprised when this stuff tasted horrible. She choked a little bit, trying to swallow.
Sebastian made a sympathetic face. “I know, sweet. But it’ll help, really. There’s some strong shit in here. Let’s try another.”
This one went down a little easier, though the taste wasn’t any better.
“Now let’s see what we have here.” He moved down to look at her leg, examining her make-shift bandage. “This isn’t bad work,” he said, producing a small knife and gently cutting at the blood-stained material.
“What are you -” she gasped when he prodded her gently, “-doing?”
“Capreolo’s apparently a healer,” Benji explained, sounding just as baffled as Beth felt. A little betrayed too.
“Why didn’t you tell us?” she asked faintly.
Sebastian shrugged. “Never came up.”
Beth wondered what else Sebastian had failed to mention. She noticed that she barely felt him working around her wound. Ronan was holding the first-aid kit open and handing Sebastian things and soon, nothing mattered. The sedative must have worked its way into her system because suddenly, everything was just fine.
“Benji?” she asked, her mind drifting pleasantly.
“Yeah?” She was vaguely aware that he was stationed somewhere above her, stroking her hair. She almost couldn’t feel it, but it was comforting anyway.
“I got married.” The angle of her head ensured that she only had a view of the skylight, but she didn’t mind because the sun was rising, and the clouds and the moon were polka dancing.
“I know.” He sounded kind of angry, but also kind of sad. “I’m so sorry. I know that’s not what you wanted.”
She turned that thought over in her mind. She’d been angrier about it ten minutes ago, but currently she wasn’t sure if she was capable of negative feelings. “At least he’s hot,” she said.
Sebastian laughed from near her legs.
Benji sighed. “Your elixir seems to have worked.”
“Told ya,” Sebastian singsonged.
“I saw your mom,” Beth said, thinking back to what all she had meant to tell Benji if she ever saw him again. She’d made a list in her head sometime between the reception and the escape, but that seemed so long ago now, and so far away.
Benji’s hand paused briefly in its ministrations before picking back up. “Yeah?”
“She seemed okay. Sad but okay. I told her you were safe.” She remembered Katherine’s melancholy amber eyes. “Delphine wasn’t there.”
“What?”
“Delphine. Your mom said she left like six months ago.”
“That’s… odd. Why didn’t she come find us?”
Beth yawned. “I dunno.”
“Well, thanks for letting my mom know I’m okay.”
“Mhmm.” She drew the ‘mm’ sound out for a while, liking the way it vibrated on her lips, then said, “My dress was pretty.”
“Your wedding dress?” asked Benji.
“Yeah. All white and sparkly and shit. Did you know the newlywed color in Faerie is green?”
“I didn’t,” said Benji, amused. “Is it because newlyweds are green behind the ears?”
She laughed, and it sounded like bells tinkling, which made her laugh again. “My thoughts exactly.”
“It’s to represent springtime and fertility,” said Ronan, making Beth jump.
She’d all but forgotten he was there.
“We had to wear matching outfits to our reception,” she explained to Benji.
“Broken ribs,” she heard Sebastian mutter to Ronan.
There was a sharp stabbing in her side as someone prodded her. She cried out and her vision mingled with shadow for a moment.
“Are you passing out?” Benji asked, sounding panicked.
“Not allowed,” said Ronan, his face appearing above her own. His tone was all bossy business. “Stay awake. Keep her talking, Benjamin.”
“God you’re pretty,” she told him. “How do people even look at you?”
Ronan didn’t respond, just disappeared from view and went back to helping Sebastian. She could feel the warmth of healing magic against her skin.
“He’s not that pretty,” Benji said ruefully, reappearing above her.
Beth laughed again, then sighed contentedly.
“Tell him about the reception,” Ronan prompted.
“Oh it was horrible,” she said, her eyes popping open wide. “Everyone was dancing and there wasn’t any honey wine. There was honeysuckle wine though, which was alright. It wasn’t as good as yours, Sebastian.”
“Damn straight,” she heard him say.
“And I almost got pulled into the dance by some asshole. Courtiers are assholes.”
“They are,” Benji agreed. “How’d you get out of it?”
“Ronan saved me. Did you know my name is Elizabeth Mac Nevin now? That sounds weird. God, the Queen is a bitch. Did you know she made him sleep with her on our wedding night?”
“Yep.”
That caught her off guard. “Yep?”
“It’s how you escaped. Ronan begrudgingly explained it to us after he came here looking for you.”
“She made me do bad things.” The memories of which darkened the fluffy feelings inside her, but only briefly.
“I know,” he said on a sigh. “I don’t blame you for trying to run.”
“You were supposed to take longer pleasuring your lover, husband,” Beth said. The sentence sounded silly on her tongue.
Sebastian burst out laughing. “Yeah, Mac Nevin. You should take longer in bed.”
“Shut up, Capreolo.” Surprisingly, Ronan sounded more amused than anything else.
“So you two know each other?” asked Beth.
Distantly she felt Benji tense.
“Is that why you’re mad at Bastian?” she asked him.
“He could have been a little more forthcoming about it,” he grumbled.
Sebastian snorted. “Please. Like anyone in this house is forthcoming. I mean fuck, Beth’s a soul-eater.”
“I told you that in confidence,” growled Ronan.
“Yeah, yeah, my lips are sealed. Need some more painkiller up there?”
“She’s fine. Any more and she’ll lose consciousness,” said Ronan.
“Bossy, isn’t he?” Benji said quietly, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.
“God, so bossy.” Beth grinned. “Stupid, bossy husband. Do you remember the statue in the garden, Benj? The one I used to love so much?”
“The guy with the sword, yeah,” Benji said, shifting her so her head was in his lap. “You used to make up stories about going on adventures with him. Slaying beasts in the Drochaid.”
“Are you talking about a statue in the Queen’s garden?” Sebastian interrupted, sounding as though he were holding back more laughter.
“Yeah, the guy with the hair,” said Benji.
Sebastian was full on chortling now, his hands against her shaking. “That’s a statue of Ronan!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Benji’s mouth hung open for a moment. “This has got to be some fucking cosmic joke. You used to have fantasy weddings with that statue, Beth!”
“Truly?” The bed dipped as Sebastian fell onto it with laughter. “That’s too rich, Beth. You loved him before you even knew him!”
“Are you finished?” Ronan asked the healer, sounding annoyed.
Sebastian sobered slightly, standing up. “Almost.” He tinkered around for a moment more then dropped a bottle of antiseptic into the first aid kit.
Beth giggled, feeling her exhaustion mingle with her narcotized state. She yawned. “Can I sleep yet?”
“Soon,” Ronan promised. “We need to get you out of this dress.”
“There’s not much of the dress left,” said Benji.
She realized that she had the corner of her sheet thrown over her chest and wondered who’d been thoughtful enough to do such a thing.
“True,” Ronan said, sounding contemplative. “The best course of action seems to cut it off of her.”
She began to drift off, so tired. She didn’t care if she slept in the dress or not.
“I’ll take care of it,” she distantly heard Benji say. “You can leave.”
There was a moment fuzzy silence. “Where do you expect me to go, Benjamin? My place is with my wife.”
“I expect you to get the hell away from her. You forced her to do this. She ran to escape being your wife.” Benji’s voice was getting louder. Beth’s head dropped to the bed as he stood.
She gasped, painstakingly opening her eyes, blink by blink.
“Shit, sorry Beth,” he said quietly.
With some effort she turned onto her side to watch them. Miraculously, her ribs barely hurt at all. Either Sebastian had completely healed them, or she was still extremely sedated.
Ronan and Benji were facing each other. Benji’s stance was angry, flames moved from his palms to lick his fingers.
Ronan, on the other hand, looked relaxed. His hands didn’t even twitch toward his weapons belt.
“This is stupid,” Sebastian said, moving to stand between them. “Fighting won’t fix anything.”
“I agree,” said Ronan, his deep voice giving Beth shivers. “Bear in mind that I did not choose this union either. It was her mother who forced her hand, not me.”
“So go,” said Benji. “She doesn’t deserve this. She’s a good person. She doesn’t need to be throwing in her light with the Queen’s scythe.”
“I can’t go. We are bound now, her and I. I am sworn to protect her, just as she is sworn to do my Queen’s bidding.” His words left no room for argument.
Beth watched Benji glare at him from behind her heavy eyelids. Eventually the fire on his hands petered out and died. “Can’t you at least sleep in your boyfriend’s room?” He gestured to Sebastian.
Ronan rolled his eyes. “Get out.”
“What?”
“Get. Out. This is my wife’s bedroom and therefore mine too. Get out.”
“Ronan,” said Beth on a sigh. “He’s my maid of honor. You can’t be mean to him.”
Sebastian dissolved into laughter again, clutching the wall to keep from falling over.
Even Benji looked at her, surprised. “Seriously? Maid of honor? You can’t just call me your best man?”
“I’m the best man,” Sebastian said, sobering enough to stand up straight.
“Neither of you were anything,” Ronan reminded them. “The wedding is over.”
“Your mom kinda walked me down the aisle, Bento box. Well, shoved me onto it. It was pretty cool.” Beth’s voice was faint now as sleep wrapped around her, snuggling her like an old friend.
“Just go to sleep, sweetness,” Benji said. His voice was soothing and close to her face. Hazily she felt him kiss her forehead.
And then there was only welcoming darkness.