Charim came in with a tray of food. He cleared a small table and began to set it out on it. A moment later Verity strode into the room. He took his cloak off and flung it over a chairback. “I found her husband in the market,” he said. “He’s with her now. She had left the child playing on the doorstep while she went to the stream for water. When she got back, the child was gone.” He glanced toward me, but I couldn’t meet his eyes. “We found her calling her little girl in the woods. I knew….” He glanced abruptly at the healer. “Thank you, Dem. If you’ve finished with FitzChivalry, you may go.”
“I haven’t even looked at-”
“He’s fine.” Burrich had run a length of bandaging across my chest and under my opposite arm and up again in an effort to keep a dressing in place on my neck. It was useless. The bite was right atop the muscle between the tip of my shoulder and my neck. I tried to find something amusing in the irritated look the healer gave Burrich before he left. Burrich didn’t even notice it.
Verity dragged up a chair to face me. I began to lift the mug to my lips, but Burrich casually reached over and took it from my hand. “After you’ve talked. There’s enough valerian in here to drop you in your tracks.” He took it and himself out of the way. Over by the hearth, I watched him dump out half of the tea and dilute what was left with more hot water. That done, he crossed his arms on his chest and leaned against the mantelpiece, watching us.
I shifted my gaze to Verity’s eyes, and waited for him to speak.