CHAPTER FORTY-SIX ISI
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
ISI
My guttural sob rang out, catching our friends’ attention.
“Derren!” Lexie’s voice cut through the night. “Kerralyn, to the king. Now.”
Guard, guard, please, I sent to Pherin.
Will.
Footsteps pounded toward us, joining me where I knelt on the ground beside Trew.
Breathing hard, Kerralyn opened her pack, pulling out bandages and salves.
“Let me see.” She reached for his tunic, but he caught her wrist.
“Isi first.” His golden eyes found mine, fierce despite the pain etched into his features. “Check her. Make sure she’s alright.”
“I told you I’m fine.” I grabbed his face between my palms, forcing him to look at me. “Stop trying to protect me when you’re bleeding out.”
“Never going to stop.” His mouth curved into something that might’ve been a smile. I would’ve trusted it if his skin wasn’t so pale. “Get used to it, Minx.”
“Stubborn ass.” My voice broke on the words.
Kerralyn shoved his tunic up, revealing four deep gashes across his belly. The wounds bled sluggishly, the edges ragged where claws had torn through his skin.
My stomach turned. I’d seen people die from less.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Kerralyn said, pressing cloth against the wounds. “I don’t think the claws penetrated deep enough to damage anything vital.”
“His shoulder.” I pointed to where that first creature had gotten him, the wound still seeping blood.
“I see it.” She was already moving, her fingers probing the puncture marks. “This one’s worse. The cuts went deep.”
Trew hissed through his teeth but didn’t pull away.
Gavelle padded over and sniffed Trew before turning his body away from us, providing protection. Our friends’ companions roamed the perimeter, growling. Pherin flew overhead.
“You’re going to be fine,” I told Trew. If I said it enough, could I believe it myself? “You’re too stubborn to die.”
“I’m not dying,” Trew said, his voice rough.
“Good.” Derren crouched beside us, his sword still drawn, his gaze scanning the area. “Because we’re exposed here. More might be coming.”
“The dragons and Pherin are circling,” Lexie said. She stood a few paces away, her blades in her hands. “They’ll warn us if anything approaches.”
Kerralyn worked quickly, cleaning the wounds with water before applying a salve that made Trew’s jaw clench. She wrapped his abdomen in fresh strips of cloth, her hands steady despite the blood that kept gushing, gushing, gushing.
“The shoulder needs stitches.” She met his gaze. “It’s going to hurt.”
“Do it.” Trew’s hand found mine, his fingers lacing through my own. “Just do it fast.”
The faint shimmer of his magic swirled across his abdomen and shoulder, but the wounds barely healed.
Had these creatures come from another realm like the one that attacked me in the Rite? If so, his magic may not be enough to heal him fully.
I held his hand as Kerralyn threaded a needle. His grip tightened when the first stitch went through, but he didn’t make a sound.
I wanted to look away, to avoid watching her needle pierce his flesh over and over. But I wouldn’t. If he could endure it, I would witness it.
It took twelve stitches to close the worst of the wounds. By the time Kerralyn tied off the last one, sweat ran down Trew’s face despite the chilly air.
“Done.” She sat back on her heels, wiping her hands on a cloth. “The herbs will help with infection, but you need to rest. No fighting.”
“I will do what I must,” he said through gritted teeth. But his eyes were already drifting closed. “Just need…a moment.”
“He’s lost some blood.” Kerralyn pressed her fingers against his throat, checking his pulse. “His heart rate is elevated but steady. He’s… I think he’ll be alright.”
I looked up at Derren. “We can’t stay here. As you said, we’re exposed.”
“Let’s give him a little time to heal.” Kerralyn’s voice came out gentle but firm. “We can keep watch on him through the night.”
“I’ll scout the perimeter,” Derren said. “Make sure nothing else is lurking out there.”
“I’ll help,” Lexie said. “Levar can cover more area in dragon form.”
They moved off into the darkness, leaving me kneeling beside Trew while Kerralyn gathered her supplies.
Pherin shifted into her firecat form and came over to sniff Trew’s face. King strong. Will heal.
“Please.” I stroked his hair back from his face, finding it damp with sweat.
Gavelle lay down on Trew’s other side, intently studying the area.
“Help me move him closer to where I’d planned a fire,” Kerralyn said. “He’ll need warmth.”
Together we half-carried, half-dragged Trew to where they’d laid out bedrolls near the fire circle. The area appeared surprisingly undisturbed, maybe because she’d chosen a location beneath a cluster of scruffy trees and the battle took place out in the open.
Trew roused enough to help, but his movements were sluggish, uncoordinated. The moment we laid him down, his eyes closed again.
While Kerralyn got the fire going, Gavelle and Pherin dragged the carcasses to one side of the open area. I knelt beside Trew, holding his hand. His fingers twitched in my grip, but he didn’t squeeze back.
“Talk to him,” Kerralyn said. “Even if he doesn’t respond, he’ll hear you. It’ll help him focus on something other than the pain.”
She left to patrol with the others, leaving me alone with Trew and our companions.
I didn’t know what to say. Every word that came to mind felt inadequate when compared to the reality of seeing him broken and bleeding. I held his hand and watched his chest rise and fall, counting each breath, hoping it wouldn’t be his last.
“I am done pretending I could survive you, so you’ve got to get better.” I leaned close, kissing his cheek. “You hear me?”
Pherin settled nearby, her gaze sweeping the area. Gavelle didn’t move from Trew’s other side.
“Breathe. That’s all you have to do. I’ll do everything else.”
The fire crackled. The wasteland stretched out beyond our wards, dark and corrupted. And somewhere in that darkness, more of those creatures could be stalking this way.
Had the controllers sent them? They may already know we were here. The wasteland could’ve told them.
The thought kindled rage in my chest, hungry for retribution.
Trew’s fingers twitched in mine. This time, they curled around my hand, holding on.
“Isi.” My name was barely a whisper on his lips.
“I’m here.” I leaned closer, stroking his forehead. “I’m right here.”
“You’re safe?” His eyes opened to slits, gold gleaming in the firelight.
My throat closed. Of course that’s what he’d ask. Even now, wounded and exhausted, his first concern was for me.
“I am,” I said. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” His eyes closed again, but his grip on my hand tightened. “Don’t leave me. Please.”
“I won’t.” The words came out fierce. “I’m not going anywhere. You rest while I hold the world together.”
His breathing evened out, falling into the rhythm of sleep, but his hand stayed wrapped around mine.
I sat in the firelight, watching him sleep, and made promises to every fate that would listen.
We’d find whoever sent those creatures. We’d destroy them. And then we’d burn this entire wasteland to ash.
But first, Trew had to survive the night.
I tightened my grip on his hand and settled in to wait.
Derren burst back into the firelight, his sword drawn, grim determination etched across his face. “More coming.” He pointed toward the darkness beyond the firelight. “Get ready.”
My heart stuttered. I looked down at Trew, still unconscious, his breathing shallow. Moving him would tear open his wounds. Staying here meant certain death.
There truly was no choice.
“The dragons,” I barked. “We’ll fly. I’ll hold Trew.”
“They’re patrolling outside the area.” Kerralyn’s attention shot to the sky. “If they don’t get back in time…”
“Then help me move him,” I said, already snatching up our supplies, looking around for a place where we could hide. “Now.”
Her wild gaze met mine. “Isi—”
“I’m not leaving him to die.” The words ripped from my lungs. “Find us shelter. Anything defensible.”
Lexie was already running toward the tallest stack of boulders. Levar took to the air in dragon form to circle the area.
“There’s a cave,” Lexie called out. “It’s small, but it’ll work.”
Derren sheathed his sword and came over to crouch beside Trew. “I’ll take his shoulders. You get his legs. Quickly.”
We lifted him.
Trew groaned, his eyes fluttering open. “Can make it myself.” His body twitched, his muscles trembling with the effort to get to his feet.
Blood stained through his tunic, the scent of copper filling my nose.
“Let us do this for you,” I hissed. “Please.”
“Need to stand,” he growled.
We helped him to his feet and wrapped our arms around him, supporting his lumbering gait.
His hand found my arm, gripping hard. “Leave me. Run.”
“I am not going anywhere. Don’t argue with me.” We started moving, half-dragging him toward where Lexie was waving us forward. “You can yell at me for staying later.”
Around us, the trembling grew worse. Roars echoed from the wasteland, getting closer.
The cave entrance was barely wide enough for one person. We had to angle Trew sideways, Derren guiding him through first while I supported his other side. His consciousness started slipping again. Trew’s head lolled forward, smacking against the stone.
Rock scraped against leather as we squeezed through. Beyond, the cave opened up enough for us to lay Trew down on the uneven floor, but there was no room to spread out. I ended up pressed against his side, my body the only thing keeping him from rolling onto his wounded shoulder.
Kerralyn crawled in after us and dropped our packs on the floor. Lexie came next, our shifted companions right behind.
Dragons fly, Pherin said. Burn.
Good. They can burn it all.
The cave was barely large enough for all of us. I could touch both walls with my arms fully extended. The ceiling pressed down low enough that Derren had to hunch forward. But it was defensible, and right now that was all that mattered.