Extrait

“You’re out of your mind. God knows I saw enough of you when you were sick, and you looked fine then too.”

Ali froze, the orange dangling from his fingertips. “What do you mean, you saw enough of me?”

“I mean …” Heat rushed into her cheeks. “You were unconscious for a couple of days. Who do you think took care of you? Yaqub? The man could barely see you.”

Horror swept his face. “But I had been bathed. I had been changed.”

Nahri tried to calm him. “Listen, it’s a very normal part of my job—” When Ali only appeared more panic-stricken, his eyes going very wide, her patience vanished. “Creator, why do you always make things so awkward? I’m a healer, I see people—men!—all the time. And it’s not like you have anything to be embarrassed about!”

Ali opened and closed his mouth. “Why don’t I have anything to be embarrassed about?”

Nahri was very much not expecting that question. Before she could stop herself, her mind flashed back to his wet waist cloth, and it was her turn to grow flustered. “You’re a warrior. You’ve clearly spent a lot of time training, and you’re, you know …” She fought for an appropriate word, cursing the embarrassed heat in her cheeks. “… well-formed.”

It was not an appropriate word.

Nahri swore she heard an insect sneeze in the excruciating silence that sprawled between them.

“I think that was a compliment,” Ali said finally, his gaze firmly on the ground. “So thank you. I’m going to change the subject now, yes?”

“I beg you.”