Chapter 12

Back at the tavern, I sank onto the steps like I always did, staring into nothing. The noise and the metallic tang of blood still seemed to hang in the air. Ivy finally got what she deserved, and Silas finally realized what he'd lost. The wind was chilly. I was just about to close up the tavern when a muffled groan came from the alley. Following the sound, I saw a man collapsed in the shadowed corner, dust and dirt clinging to him. I should have just closed the door and ignored him. I'd learned the hard way what happened when one meddled in other people's business. But his breath was almost gone. Just like that night I'd lain at the edge of the frozen lake, snow falling around me. Before I knew it, I had him back in the small room behind the tavern. He was badly hurt, covered in claw marks and deep slashes, with a gash across his waist that was nearly fatal. I worked in silence, cleaning the wounds and applying herbs. He stayed unconscious for three days, fever burning high.