Free Otherworld Challenger by Jane Godman

emerged from the hot bath where she had been attempting to soak away the effects of the beating she had taken earlier. Her face was showing signs of bruising and she walked stiffly. Wrapped in one of Jethro’s robes, which looked ridiculously large on her, she appeared unbelievably fragile. Jethro felt his features soften into a sympathetic smile.
    â€œBetter?”
    â€œI feel like I’ve been trampled by an elephant.”
    He grimaced. “Ouch. Come and sit down.” He pointed back inside the house. “I need to take another look at that leg.”
    Obediently—she must be tired, he decided, since submissiveness was not the first word he associated with her—she followed him into the family room and settled into one of the cozy corner sofas. Angling a nearby lamp so he could see, Jethro pulled up a footstool. Lifting her foot and placing it on his knee, he turned her leg so he could view the gouges in her pale flesh. Somehow they looked worse in the soft, golden lamplight. His mouth hardened. That bastard Iago was going to pay for a lot of things, but this came high on the list.
    â€œYou said I might need to see a doctor, but I can’t. Any mortal doctor would know in an instant I’m not earth-born.”
    Jethro glanced up at her. “There are mortal doctors who will treat other races...for a price. But I don’t think you’re going to need medical treatment. Not tonight, anyway. I’ll put a fresh dressing on these cuts then you can get a good night’s sleep.”
    Vashti sighed, her whole body appearing to relax back against the cushions. “That sounds like heaven.” She watched as he busied himself with his task. “What do you do while you’re here?”
    â€œOn the island? This was my parents’ vacation home. We’d relax. Do some fishing, swimming, walking, sailing, read a ton of books, go across to the mainland and visit friends. Just unwind.”
    â€œOh.” She wrinkled her nose.
    â€œYou look like you have no idea what I’m talking about.”
    Because she did it so rarely, when Vashti smiled it was like the sun had broken through storm clouds. “I suppose people might think unwinding would come naturally to a princess. Perhaps for most princesses that might be true. But Tanzi and I are Moncoya’s daughters. We’ve spent our whole lives on a tight schedule.”
    Something in the matter-of-fact words tugged at a chord of sympathy deep within him. Who’d have thought? Empathy toward the faerie princess. He’d have to watch himself. Vashti was still Moncoya’s daughter. Like her father, she was beautiful, destructive and untrustworthy. He had seen that firsthand on the night when Moncoya escaped from captivity on the Isle of Spae. Vashti had claimed her father held her at knifepoint, but would any father do that to his daughter? Surely even Moncoya wouldn’t stoop so low. No, she must have helped him and lied about it later. Now was a good time to remind himself of that...while he was gazing up into those incredible blue eyes with his hand encircling her ankle. It probably wouldn’t hurt to give himself regular warnings while he was in such close proximity to her.
    â€œSpeaking of tight schedules, I expect you’re wondering why I’ve made this detour when Cal wants the challenger found urgently.” Why was he explaining himself to her? She had chosen to tag along. It wasn’t like he’d invited her.
    â€œIt crossed my mind.”
    â€œThere is someone here I need to see. Someone who may be able to help with this mission.” Vashti was clearly waiting for him to say more, but that was enough for now. It felt like too much. It felt like intimacy. Something Jethro didn’t do. “I’ll show you to your room.”
    Her tiny, indrawn breath as he released her and rose indicated Vashti had also felt something more than their usual antagonism. Damn. Coming home