Khalida frowns and carefully touches his ribs. She leaves for her room, and comes back with an assortment of painkillers, as well as jars of eucalyptus leaves. She lifts his shirt and carefully probes his ribs, then she puts a poultice on it and presses on it. When she’s done, she tugs his shirt down and gives him the painkillers. “That should lessen the pain a little while it heals.”

Asa leans her head on his chest and looks up at him. “Please? I’ll tell you what mine was.”

Sorcha sighs softly in her sleep. 

Layla frowns at the marks on both of his wrists. “Do you wear those because you have to or do you feel obligated?”