Lacuna - N.R. Walker Page 0,34

it would work at all.

But Tancho wanted to try.

“Your arm,” Crow said as he slid back into his saddle. He kept his eyes ahead, his jaw ticked. “Are you injured?”

Tancho pulled the sleeve of his cloak down. “No.” They set a steady pace, heading west, the carriage trundling along nicely at the rear of their procession. Tancho wasn’t going to elaborate on what he’d asked the healer to do, at least not until they had some privacy at the inn where they would stop for the night.

So when he said no and nothing else, he assumed it would be the end of it. But he wasn’t used to being questioned and countered and argued with. Sure, Karasu and Kohaku raised questions when needed, but they knew when to drop a subject.

Crow did not.

“What did the healer do to you?” he asked. “He was still alive and standing when you left, so I can guess he didn’t harm you. But you wear a bandage, so if you’re not injured, then it was self-inflicted. I assume you asked him to get rid of your birthmark or to do what Maghdlm could not and break the bond.” He stared at Tancho now as they rode side by side. “Did you not think it was something you should have consulted with me? Considering I am the other half to this wretched curse.”

Tancho bristled immediately. “I do not answer to anyone! Let alone to you.”

“What do you think should happen to me if whatever that healer has done causes pain? Did you stop to consider that your actions no longer only affect yourself? You ask some small-village healer to do the work of an ancient alchemist and expect no repercussions?”

“I had intended to talk to you about it when we had a moment alone this evening instead of every ear listening,” Tancho bit back. “And I asked the healer to do no such thing. Do you take me for a fool?”

Crow turned to look at him, raising one eyebrow. He said nothing.

Tancho glared at him. How dare he? “I asked the healer to provide me a paste to numb the skin, if you must know.”

“Like the one he made for the gash on Maghdlm’s head,” Crow mumbled, nodding.

“Yes! He mentioned numbing and I wondered if it would work to numb the pain and afford us more distance between us. I asked for it only to be applied to my skin. In case there were ill effects, it would only harm me. Not you.” Tancho didn’t even try to conceal his anger or his distaste. “But go ahead, make it about you.”

“You should have told me.”

“I am telling you.”

Crow gnashed his teeth and growled. “You’re impossible!”

Tancho growled right back. “And you are insufferable.”

Crow waved his hand up ahead. “Go on, then. Put your precious distance between us. See how well it works.”

Tancho snarled at him. He was tempted to pull his katana and take out Crow’s barbed tongue, but he took hold of his self-control and gave his horse a nudge with his heels instead. “Yah,” he hissed, and his horse took off at a pace. He put a few quick lengths between them, and he knew the split second he’d gone too far.

The pain ripped up his arm, bone and flesh felt on fire. Searing, biting, burning. He almost came off his horse. He pulled hard on the reins, groaning through the pain, and it took him a second to realise that Crow had cried out too. He was gripping his wrist, his face etched in horror. “You fool!”

And Tancho didn’t even have it in him to argue.

Karasu rode up to Tancho and took hold of his horse’s bridle, keeping him on the road, at least. Somehow they all managed to keep riding. Soko quickly had his horse beside Crow’s, and he was grinning. “Watching you two together is like those puppet shows we used to watch as children. Remember, Crow? Those crazy marionettes bickering and fighting, sword-fighting, making us laugh.”

Karasu smiled at that, and Tancho glared at her.

Crow shot Soko a dirty look, still holding his wrist. “I’m fine, thank you for asking.”

“I loved those puppet shows,” Kohaku said from behind them.

Soko laughed. “Great entertainment, see?”

“I have a great idea for entertainment,” Crow said. “Next one to make someone’s arm feel as if it had just caught fire gets their ass kicked.”

Tancho rolled his eyes and raised his chin. “I apologise.”

“So we can safely assume that the numbing paste doesn’t work.”

Tancho shot him a