41 Nights After Winter Solstice
DAME
The dog’s heart wasstill beating when Lio woke from his day terrors. She stirred a little on his lap and let out a faint whine. Mustering his thoughts and magic, he slid her into painless sleep once again.
When Cassia woke, her embrace told him she had seen his dreams. She kissed him gently, as if he might break.
“I’ll feed Knight and bring back some meat for her, too.”
He gave his familiar more blood. More water. He tried to keep track of time. Time was important. But he wasn’t sure how much went by before Cassia returned.
She handed him a small plate of shredded venison softened in warm water. “Try this now.”
The night passed in a blur of changing bloody bandages and soiling his fingers with dead flesh. He knew Miranda was out there, their true goal. But nothing felt as important as keeping this one creature alive.
At some point, Cassia went to the door to speak with Lyros in low tones. Lio couldn’t catch their words through Lyros’s veils, only their worry.
Lio felt a heavy, soft weight press against his leg. He looked to see Knight laying at his side. Cassia’s hound leaned his head across Lio’s lap to sniff his sleeping familiar.
Lio stroked Knight’s head, and a different fear replaced his worry that Knight wouldn’t accept the new hound. What if Knight grew too attached, only to lose his new companion?
Cassia sat down with him in the pile of dogs. “What will you call her?”
He doubted anyone but his Grace would have urged him to name a dying thing.
“You should name her,” Cassia said firmly.
“Every champion needs a lady,” he said. “What do you think, Knight? Shall we dub her your Dame?”
Knight licked the other dog’s muzzle.
“That’s perfect,” Cassia said.
“Dame, then.” Lio stroked her soft ears again. “How much longer will Lyros tolerate my madness, do you think?”
“He didn’t come to argue. He came to ask me how you are.”
“Are he and Mak all right?”
“None of us are. But they have the training for coping with death.”
“So should I, after so much of it.”
“Mak and Lyros and I aren’t mind mages.”
She reached for him in their Union, the touch of her thoughts and emotions the gentlest offering. He sucked in a deep breath and let his Grace’s presence fill the void inside him.