Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Fifty Three

Everyone was crowded in Hench's room the next morning. Iris held her sister's hand, while Kayde lightly massaged Iris's shoulders from behind. Brawler and Cane were on the opposite end of the room, watching the sleeping Hench with sad eyes. The medic, as well as Master Dyran had been in and out of the room, the latter trying to bring in Hench's family --which Iris assumed meant Azabela and Dane.

"How's that face feeling?" Cane asked Iris. "Any better this morning?"

Iris looked like hell. Her face had been messed up quite badly from where Hench had smacked the absolute fuck out of it. Her right eye was blackened and swollen shut, and her entire cheek was nearly twice its usual size and a ghastly shade of purple. Her lip was fat and scabbing on one side, from where it had been busted. All of her injuries were still sore, including the large hand-print bruises that all but covered each of her arms, but they didn't hurt as bad as they did yesterday. Her shoulder was the worst of it, as it'd been thrown out of socket from Hench trying to shake her off. The medic had slung her arm, and told her to keep it still until his assistant was back at the sanctuary to reset it. According to Master Dyran, it'd be a few hours before the assistant was back from his assignment.

Iris wore a sleeveless tunic to prevent cloth rubbing against her sensitive skin.

"A little," Iris answered. "Looks a lot worse than it feels."

At those words, she felt Kayde kiss her head from behind. She let go of her sister's hand to face him, and found that his expression was a mask of concern. She used the fingers of her free hand to touch his cheek. "I mean it. I've hurt worse," she said to him. "I probably don't hurt near as bad as you right now."

Kayde looked confused. "Huh?"

"Your girl of choice looks like hell," she joked.

He snorted at that. "Indeed she does," he winked. "Ah, but she's my favorite girl, nonetheless," he said into her hair with a soft chuckle. Iris just shook her head and lightly hit him on the arm, even if his words sent a flurry off inside of her.

No one else got a chance to say anything. Master Dyran entered the room again, along with Cook, who pushed in a breakfast tray for all of them. "Hench's family has arrived," Dyran finally said to all of them. "They'll be sent in here in a minute." The master's eyes whisked over Kayde and Iris, and the corner of his mouth flickered upward, but he said nothing of it. He let them all alone.

Cane shifted uncomfortably. "It's going to be strange meeting her family. I had no idea before yesterday that she even really had one." He looked over at Iris.

"It's a different sort of one," was all Iris said. Brawler snorted, as if he knew something Cane didn't.

A few minutes later, Dane Gwenneth was the first to enter the room. Everyone's eyes found the tall form, meanwhile Dane rushed up to his mother's bedside. "Is she alright?" he looked worried.

"She's fine, lad," Brawler said, drawing Dane's attention. "Just sleepin' fer now, till that venom wears off. It won't be long now before she wakes up."

Dane finally turned to Brawler and nodded, his near-black eyes washing curiously over the two men that sat in the room.

Cane was the next to speak. "Are you...?"

"I'm Dane. Her son," he introduced himself. "Nice to meet you."

"I'll be damned," Brawler said, chuckling. "Ye look a lot like yer mother, kid. Almost a spittin' image in some regards."

"I hear that a lot," Dane replied.

After those words, the door opened again to reveal a new presence. Everyone's eyes shot to the door and took in the sight of her. Black waves undulated down Azabela's back, free of their usual wrapped braid. She wore clothes that accentuated her pleasingly trim frame, and her dark eyes skirted the room... finding Hench immediately. Once she'd determined Rhalla was alright... her gaze found Iris.