Helplessly, she shrugged and wrung the small, limp body of the rat, coaxing blood past Sitara’s teeth. “I hadn’t noticed.”
“Because you’re distracted.”
Safine cocked her hip. “You jealous? I’m sorry Laurie’s doing the same thing Thomas did, but it’s not my fault.”
“No,” Decker bit out. “This isn’t about Laurie.”
But it is.
Nothing had been right since he’d arrived. And now he’d moped about worse than a lovesick teenager for the last two weeks, making no attempt at a kill to quench the ache, or to find Nathan again. “I don’t know if the flies brought diseases with them, or why she’s sick, butplease, help her.”
She sighed and laced her fingers through Sitara’s limp forelock, brief spat set aside. “She looks bad, darlin’. I don’t know if there’s much I can do, but I can try.”
If only Cricket’s infernal luck extended to others—he’d drag him here himself, make him drape his stupid lucky necklace across Sitara’s brow to save her.
Safine’s magic was more practical. The concoction she forced down Sitara’s throat made her breathing ease and brought some color into her blue eyes as she blinked slowly at Decker.
Wiping her hands on a towel, Safine frowned as Sitara hung her head again. “That’s all I can do. She’s stronger than Lee’s horses, maybe she’ll pull through overnight.”
Decker gathered Safine in his arms, her brief sound of surprise muffled in his shoulder. The pungent scent of herbs still lingered on her hands as they brushed down his back and curved around his shoulders. “Thank you,” he murmured, pressing a kiss against the crown of her head.
Safine smelled like home.
He had a suspicion her home was starting to smell like gunpowder and anointing oil but he let the thought go with her. “Willa and Sister Inez went to the dance hall while you were gone.”
She brightened and pecked his cheek before casting a last glance towards the pale form in the stall. “You’ll be alright if I go?”
Decker gave her a little push towards the door, swallowing down his bitterness. “Have fun, Safi.”
Nothing more can be done.
He stayed with Sitara for hours, stroking her neck across his lap as her breathing rattled deep in her chest.
Decker’s vigil was disturbed by a tinnyclickwhispering into the stall.