Redeeming Vows by Catherine Bybee Read Free Book Online Page A

Amber descended upon her like a mother hen, which struck Liz as humorous considering the age of the girl.
    “Are ye well?”
    “It’s nothing, really.”
    “I think not. My first impression wasn’t as strong as it is now. Come inside.”
    Liz held her injured hand above her heart easing some of the pain. Once inside and sitting on one of the many chairs in the great hall, Liz let Amber unwrap her hand.
    Under the bandage, more than a simple burn emerged. In truth, the pain in the center was minimal to that on the edges lapping around to the backside of her hand. There it felt as if fire still licked the sensitive surface.
    “Oh, Liz, what happened?” Tara asked, concern filling her voice.
    “Nothing, we were practicing with balls of fire.
    I’m fine.”
    “I think not.” Lora stood and left the room, most likely in search of a medieval remedy to help the 41

    Catherine Bybee

    pain.
    Liz took the opportunity to whisper to Tara. “Do you have any Advil or Tylenol?”
    “I knew you pushed yourself too far.” Tara stood and left as well.
    Amber shook her head. “You don’t have to learn everything overnight.” She moved to a pitcher of water and poured some onto a cloth before returning to dab her palm with moisture.
    “It hurts doesn’t it?” Fin stood in the doorway.
    His face set with anger.
    “What is the matter with everyone? It’s just a burn.”
    “No, Elizabeth, it isn’t just a burn. ” Fin lowered his voice and stepped closer. “Burns often lead to infection. With infection comes illness. We don’t have your medicine here to fix such a thing in this time.”
    Liz drew back and her gaze drifted to her burned palm. Already the swelling doubled. She hadn’t though of that. The convenience of modern medicine wasn’t something she’d concerned herself with in the past. Doctors were nothing more than a few blocks away.
    “I’m sure it’s okay.” But her voice wavered. She didn’t meet Fin’s eye. She couldn’t. He was right.
    She should have stopped when she felt the first twinge of pain.
    Lora returned and lathered her palm with a foul-smelling, sticky, thick liquid. Tara offered her two brown pills from the coveted stash of the futures medicine. Fin turned on his heels and left the room.
    42

    Redeeming Vows

Chapter Five
    Liz picked at her food with her good hand, thankful that Tara had insisted that they eat with utensils. Managing the lamb on her plate would be much harder if she had to eat it with her fingers.
    “What’s this?” Todd waved the paper in the air to no one in general.
    “Looks like a bad science book to me,” Simon replied.
    “More like microbiology.” Tara glanced at it sideways. “I had nightmares for weeks after that class. Anytime someone sneezed I thought for sure I was going to die of some exotic illness.”
    “Who drew it?”
    “I did,” Cian spoke from the far end of the dinner table. “Tara suggested I sketch what I see when I try to draw my power. This is what I see.”
    Tara raised her hand to Todd. “Can I?’
    Todd handed her the picture.
    “What do you see, lass?” Duncan asked at her side. “Cells. See here…” She pushed her plate aside and spread the paper out in front of her. “These lines look like veins or maybe arteries. Here are the cells.
    Oh, man, if I’m not mistaken, these are mitochondria, a nucleus, everything.”
    “What do you think it means?”
    “Can you tell if it’s a human cell or animal?”
    Todd asked.
    “I hated micro. There isn’t much that actually stuck after the final. I know it’s a cell. Because of the 43

    Catherine Bybee

    shape I’d say human, but I wouldn’t bet money on it.” “What do you think it means?”
    Liz glanced over to Ian. “You said our heritage and gifts stem from nature. Earth, fire, water, and wind. Yet Simon is experiencing telepathy with animals, maybe even changing shape into one.
    Amber’s empathic powers aren’t exactly any of the elements, neither are Lora’s