Page 61 of The Last Knight

Gunther reached for her hand with his uninjured left, his touch warm, but unsteady. “I do not wish to be a burden,” he said quietly. “I can find somewhere else to stay.”

Aubrey arched both brows. “Oh? And how exactly do you plan to pay for it? I doubt landlords here take payment from another realm.”

He gave a faint, humorless chuckle, then wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, wincing as he moved. “As it happens…I have neither gold nor coin. And I’m fairly certain there is not a single part of me that doesn’t ache.”

When his arm shifted, she caught sight of the deep bruises and angry red gashes along his forearm.

“You’re not a burden, Gunther,” she said softly, squeezing his hand. “You’re mine to worry about now. So, get used to it.”

The sun fell, and the view from the hospital room’s window turned from dusk into night. Aubrey had remained at Gunther’s bedside, not wishing to leave him alone. But she needed to get rest and return the next day. She’d texted Erin to inform her of Gunther’s condition and Erin had responded that she and Padriag would come to the hospital with her in the morning.

Gunther was sleeping soundly when she left the room, constantly looking over her shoulder, almost expecting him to disappear.

On the drive home, Aubrey realized she’d not asked Gunther if he sensed any of the darkness. She’d not felt anything, but then again, she didn’t expect it. The only way she’d know for sure was if it manifested.

There were two cars at Ashcraig House when she drove up the circular road and parked. She was much too tired to face another round of questions.

Letting out a long, fortifying breath, Aubrey climbed the steps and entered the house. The aroma of cinnamon and other warm spices greeted her. Someone was baking or making something fragrant. She prayed it was biscuits or sweet bread and not just potpourri.

In the kitchen, Gwen was placing scones onto a plate. “Hi Aubrey. I hope you don’t mind, but I thought you would appreciate something yummy after the day you’ve had.”

Gwen seemed to be alone.

“Did you come by yourself?”

Gwen nodded. “Yes, I brought Padriag home so Erin wouldn’t have to drive to the castle.” She smiled brightly. “Their house is making great progress. You must come and see it.”

“Tell me everything,” Erin rushed in, Padriag sauntering behind, a cellphone to his ear.

“There isn’t much to tell. Gunther is heavily medicated, so all I could catch were snippets of information for the few minutes he was awake.”

Erin’s eyes widened. “His injuries must be horrible.”

“That and the doctor says he is very susceptible to the medicine. Apparently they have to keep lowering the dosage.”

Gwen placed a scone on a small plate, slid it to Aubrey and placed a fork next to it. “All of them respond to medication differently than those of us that have lived here in this realm. A simple over-the-counter pain reliever is probably just as strong for them as us being given morphine.”

“I am going to push for them to release him sooner than two days. Him, there in the hospital, will soon bring questions we can’t answer. They’ve already claimed it was difficult to find anything about him from the Netherlands.”

“What about the darkness?” Gwen asked. “Did you ask him about it?”

“I didn’t. But I am certain it is gone. I plan to ask him tomorrow. Are you coming?” She asked Padriag, who’d hung up from his call. It was still strange to see him using modern technology, knowing he was born in the sixteen hundreds.

Padriag nodded. “Yes, I was just speaking to the builder, who expected to speak to me in the morning and told him it would be afternoon before I can be out there.”

“You are going to have to learn to drive yourself soon,” Erin teased.

Gwen held up a hand. “I forgot to tell you that Tristan has finally purchased a car and hired a driver for them. The driver will primarily be used by Padriag. At least until we can figure out a way to get them identities. The lawyer that we trust with the truth is working on it but says it will take time.”

Aubrey spoke next. “I’ve contacted Matt to cover for me at the studio tomorrow and Monday. He is more than willing. I told him I have a sick relative in the hospital, which isn’t much of a stretch.”

They ate the still-warm scones and discussed plans for the upcoming days. Aubrey wondered how she’d sleep that night, knowing that Gunther was in the same realm.