of battlefield first aid. Why, she couldn’t begin to guess. She glanced down at the sling, clearly a hotel sheet that had seen better days. “Your work?”
He nodded. “You will need to take care not to move it until it has finished healing.”
Right then, staying still didn’t seem like much of a problem. Even shifting her weight slightly set off a low, heavy throbbing through her shoulder, and she bit her lip.
“I brought some analgesics,” the djinn said, his gaze flickering toward the nightstand. Sitting there were several packets of aspirin and ibuprofen and Tylenol. He must have gotten them from the hotel’s gift shop. “I wasn’t sure which one you would prefer.”
How did a djinn even know about over-the-counter painkillers? According to everything she’d read, the otherworldly race was immortal, or the next thing to it, and definitely not subject to mortal aches and pains. Madison decided she’d put her questions aside for later, however, and said, “The ibuprofen. I’m afraid you’ll have to open it, though.”
“That is not a problem.” He picked up the ibuprofen packet and tore it open. His hands were strong and deeply tanned, or maybe that was his usual skin tone. After he nodded toward her uninjured arm, Madison lifted her hand and held it palm up. He tipped the tablets into her hand, then retrieved a bottle of water that had also been sitting on the nightstand.
Since she couldn’t take the water from him until she’d put the pills in her mouth, she set them on her tongue and nodded at him to give her the bottle. He handed it over, and she managed to get both pills down simultaneously, although she’d always been somewhat inept at taking medication. Maybe this time around she was just eager to get that ibuprofen circulating in her system as soon as possible.
The djinn watched this entire procedure, then gave a small nod after she swallowed some more water and settled back against the pillows. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Was she? The pain in her shoulder had overwhelmed all the other lesser aches, but now as Madison paused to take stock, she realized that she pretty much hurt all over. Her knee was probably the worst, after her shoulder, but she was fairly certain she’d only banged it badly. Nothing felt broken, even though she knew she’d be covered in a spectacular set of bruises before all this was over with. It could have been much, much worse, however. She’d been lucky.
“I’m banged up, but I’ll live,” she replied. This whole situation felt completely surreal. Not only was she actually talking to one of the fearsome djinn, but she wasn’t nearly as frightened as she’d thought she’d be. Maybe it was the calm way he looked at her, or just the realization that someone bent on killing her probably wouldn’t have bothered to set her shoulder. She hesitated, wondering if she dared ask him the question that had been bothering her ever since she woke up. Oh, well. Nothing ventured. “But…why?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand her. Dark eyes fixed on her face, he said, “Not all my kind are as bloodthirsty as you might have come to believe.”
“The djinn, you mean.”
“So you know what we are.” The level, dark brows creased in a frown as he continued to watch her. “Have you had dealings with us before?”
“Not directly.” She still held the bottle of water, and she lifted it and took a long drink before continuing, “I’ve…seen what you can do, though.”
A shadow passed over his features. Up close, there was something almost breathtaking about him, about the strong bones of his face and the thick lashes that shadowed his eyes and the heavy dark hair that flowed partway down his back. No, he wasn’t pretty-boy handsome, but Madison had never had much use for pretty boys. She liked faces with character and distinction.
You shouldn’t be thinking about his looks at all, she thought then, although something about her inner voice lacked
He nodded. “You will need to take care not to move it until it has finished healing.”
Right then, staying still didn’t seem like much of a problem. Even shifting her weight slightly set off a low, heavy throbbing through her shoulder, and she bit her lip.
“I brought some analgesics,” the djinn said, his gaze flickering toward the nightstand. Sitting there were several packets of aspirin and ibuprofen and Tylenol. He must have gotten them from the hotel’s gift shop. “I wasn’t sure which one you would prefer.”
How did a djinn even know about over-the-counter painkillers? According to everything she’d read, the otherworldly race was immortal, or the next thing to it, and definitely not subject to mortal aches and pains. Madison decided she’d put her questions aside for later, however, and said, “The ibuprofen. I’m afraid you’ll have to open it, though.”
“That is not a problem.” He picked up the ibuprofen packet and tore it open. His hands were strong and deeply tanned, or maybe that was his usual skin tone. After he nodded toward her uninjured arm, Madison lifted her hand and held it palm up. He tipped the tablets into her hand, then retrieved a bottle of water that had also been sitting on the nightstand.
Since she couldn’t take the water from him until she’d put the pills in her mouth, she set them on her tongue and nodded at him to give her the bottle. He handed it over, and she managed to get both pills down simultaneously, although she’d always been somewhat inept at taking medication. Maybe this time around she was just eager to get that ibuprofen circulating in her system as soon as possible.
The djinn watched this entire procedure, then gave a small nod after she swallowed some more water and settled back against the pillows. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Was she? The pain in her shoulder had overwhelmed all the other lesser aches, but now as Madison paused to take stock, she realized that she pretty much hurt all over. Her knee was probably the worst, after her shoulder, but she was fairly certain she’d only banged it badly. Nothing felt broken, even though she knew she’d be covered in a spectacular set of bruises before all this was over with. It could have been much, much worse, however. She’d been lucky.
“I’m banged up, but I’ll live,” she replied. This whole situation felt completely surreal. Not only was she actually talking to one of the fearsome djinn, but she wasn’t nearly as frightened as she’d thought she’d be. Maybe it was the calm way he looked at her, or just the realization that someone bent on killing her probably wouldn’t have bothered to set her shoulder. She hesitated, wondering if she dared ask him the question that had been bothering her ever since she woke up. Oh, well. Nothing ventured. “But…why?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand her. Dark eyes fixed on her face, he said, “Not all my kind are as bloodthirsty as you might have come to believe.”
“The djinn, you mean.”
“So you know what we are.” The level, dark brows creased in a frown as he continued to watch her. “Have you had dealings with us before?”
“Not directly.” She still held the bottle of water, and she lifted it and took a long drink before continuing, “I’ve…seen what you can do, though.”
A shadow passed over his features. Up close, there was something almost breathtaking about him, about the strong bones of his face and the thick lashes that shadowed his eyes and the heavy dark hair that flowed partway down his back. No, he wasn’t pretty-boy handsome, but Madison had never had much use for pretty boys. She liked faces with character and distinction.
You shouldn’t be thinking about his looks at all, she thought then, although something about her inner voice lacked
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