Free The Duke's Deception by Sasha L. Miller Page A

close despite the pain that movement caused and forced himself to move. He couldn't explain it, and Garnett would want to know.
    "You need to go to the healing wing, your grace," Garnett was saying. He was following Larkin, but he kept his hands to himself. Larkin's entire arm was an agony of movement, but if he stopped or slowed, Larkin wasn't sure he could make it to his room. He only needed to get that far.
    "Move," Larkin said, trying to move around Garnett, who had stepped in front of him and then stopped. "I need—"
    "To see the healers," Garnett said firmly. He pointedly looked at Larkin's arm. "You're dripping blood."
    Larkin looked down. Garnett was correct, of course. It wasn't a lot of blood, but it dripped steadily down his numb fingers before falling to the floor. He watched it, contemplating what to do about it. "That's your fault."
    Garnett rubbed both hands over his face, giving Larkin an exasperated look. Their conversations always seemed to end with that look, but Larkin doubted Garnett was about to give up and wander away now.
    "I need to get to my room," Larkin said, keeping his voice as steady as he could. "I'm not going to a healer. The longer you block my way, the longer it goes untreated."
    Garnett wordlessly stepped aside, and Larkin stumbled into motion again. His head was spinning, and as Larkin had expected, Garnett fell into step beside him. He could deal with getting rid of Garnett once he'd taken the healing potion.
    "Does your injury affect your left arm?" Garnett asked.
    "I'm not discussing it," Larkin said through gritted teeth, taking the corner that Garnett had come from earlier.
    "Why are you so stubborn?" Garnett demanded. He stepped close again, and Larkin really wished he would stop doing that. It was already hard to think. Adding in the heady scent of Garnett's cologne wasn't helping matters. He grabbed Larkin's hand, stooping slightly to swing Larkin's left arm up and over his shoulders. "Lean on me."
    Larkin froze, but there was only so much fight left in him. "It's the fourth door on the right."
    "I know," Garnett said. Larkin filed that away for later examination, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other as Garnett led him down the hallway. In the first stroke of luck Larkin had had all night, no one else appeared. He was leaning on Garnett far more than he liked by the time they reached his rooms, but there was nothing to be done for that.
    Larkin shut his eyes, calling up what little remained of his magic to deactivate the wards protecting his room. They fell away almost immediately at his touch. "It's open."
    Garnett opened the door, then stepped back slightly so Larkin could go through the doorway first. He didn't let Larkin go, his arm a warm, steadying presence around Larkin's waist. Garnett nudged the door shut once they were both in then helped Larkin over to the sofa.
    The fire had long since burned out, leaving the room chilly and dark. Garnett sparked a fire magically, barely even glancing at the fireplace as he did so. He also conjured a half-dozen mage lights near the ceiling, flooding the room with brilliant light. Larkin flinched away from it, startled.
    "I'm going to fetch a healer," Garnett said, heading towards the door.
    "No," Larkin said, straightening up. Garnett paused, halfway across the room already. "I have— Fetch that little wooden box up there." Larkin gestured to the box in question, half-hidden on a bookshelf near the fireplace. Garnett hesitated but finally obliged, changing direction. He dug the box out of its nook between the rows of books and behind a few ugly cherub statuettes and brought it over to Larkin.
    He obviously wasn't happy about not being able to fetch a healer, but Larkin wasn't particularly interested in keeping Garnett happy. He hadn't asked for Garnett's help, and Garnett had very nearly made it worse. He could still ruin everything, but Larkin would have to deal with that problem when it came.
    "What is it?" Garnett