Savage Beauty(12)

The sharp tips of my nails cut into my flesh, but I felt it repair itself immediately.

Gritting my teeth, I pushed away from the door and stood in front of my cauldron.

First, I would heal Phillip so he could return home safely. It was the least I could do in honor of his brother’s life. Not to mention the fact that I didn’t want him here. I didn’t want the memories to keep being dredged up. Phillip’s injuries weren’t grave, but they were painful, even now that they’d begun to heal.

The very sight of Phillip reminded me of William.

It hurt. I decided to put my feelings for him in the darkest corner of my mind and move on. With the power I had, I could do a great many things, but I’d never been able to take someone out of the arms of death. I couldn’t save William from my sister’s rage, and I couldn’t go on with my plan to focus on Aura instead of William if his little brother was squatting in my house.

If I was rusty with the healing spell, he would be well enough to travel within a few days. If I executed it perfectly, he could leave tomorrow night, when I could fly him to the woods just outside of Grithim, leave him there, and never think of him again.

I wish I could stop thinking about him now.

Phillip’s hair was auburn, darker than William’s, and Phillip’s eyes were dark brown, dark enough to lose yourself in, where William’s were a light tawny color, like amber being held up to a light. They were both tall. Both muscled, but not overly so. Both handsome. Where William was strong and steady, knowing what he wanted and unafraid to take it, Phillip looked at me and at the world around him with an intensity that made me question what I was seeing, and I hated it.

I hated that he saw the world as I couldn’t.

I had to remind myself that Phillip knew from the moment he saw me that I was a fae witch. I could see the fear and wariness on his brow. He was wiser than his brother. William knew we were half-fae, but didn’t fully appreciate our power. He didn’t know until his final moments what Aura and I were capable of.

I was glad Phillip was afraid.

Phillip’s fear was well-placed, but he had no idea what he’d gotten himself into. He would have been better off dying in the woods than face my sister’s wrath, and if she found out he was here, that was exactly what he would face.

Clutching the table in front of me, I willed the wicks of every candle positioned all around the room to ignite. The tiny flames flickered and then grew stronger. When the room was bathed in warm light, I went to work, gathering ingredients from the labeled bottles strewn across the countertop.

Thank God he hadn’t picked the locks and cleaned in here. Some of these ingredients were deadly.

Yes, Phillip had to go as quickly as possible, as soon as he healed well enough to run if he needed to. I could take him to the border, but if something happened between it and his palace, he would have to fend for himself. The people of Grithim, especially their King, hated faeries.

I wouldn’t betray William by letting something or someone harm his family, but I would only step so far onto Grithim lands. Malex had warned me against them in the spring, saying they’d caught and tortured several of his subjects who had wandered unknowingly into their forests. While I couldn’t be killed, I could still feel pain and didn’t want to feel helpless ever again.

I loosened my grip on the glass bottle of yellow root when I heard the telltale sound of glass fracturing. Deep breaths. I needed to focus on this potion. To heal his fractures, I would need bone. My fingers danced over the bottle tops until I found the ingredient. To heal his connective tissue, I would need exactly that. Now, where were my tendons and ligaments?

I plucked the bottle from the shelf and smiled.

Time to work the magic…and get the young Prince of Grithim the hell out of my house.



A few hours later, I poked my head out the door and called for him. “Phillip!”

“Yes?”

“I need something from outside and was wondering if you could retrieve it for me.”

“Of course. What do you need?”

So eager to help. “I need the feather of a dove. There should be some on the ground near the window sills. You have to hurry back in.”

“Why would there be dove feathers under your windows?”

Because my sister has no original thoughts in her mind, I thought with some measure of aggravation. I had a familiar—Ember—so she decided she wanted one, too. It was a dove named Peace, which I affectionately nicknamed Pieces. If Ember ever caught her, that was what she would be. Then we could roast her over the fire and enjoy the bird for the first time since she’d started visiting.

For now, I needed him to feel light as a feather so his body wouldn’t be strained while working with broken parts. “Did you hear the part about hurrying?” I shouted.

He’d been here for a week. I wondered if Peace had already seen him outside and reported back to Aura. If she knew he was here with me, Phillip was already in danger.

He brought the feather in and handed it to me, his finger brushing mine during the exchange and lighting a fire beneath my skin. “You need to stay inside unless I’m with you,” I warned.

“But I was just outside. Nothing happened,” he argued.

“Not this time, true, but look – even in the yard, it isn’t safe for you. And especially stay inside during the day.”