by JD Monroe
In a tussle of claws and lashing tails, Kaldir slammed the green-scaled dragon to the ground and breathed fire into its snarling maw. It gasped, making a terrible choking sound as the fire seared its lungs. He raked his back claws over its belly, leaving wide seams of red. In the back of his mind, he heard Velati’s order. Keep them alive.
Too late for that one.
Above him, Velati’s silvery scales glinted in the moonlight as he climbed to the edge of the ravine. His head swiveled as another of the attackers dove by. Lightning fast, he pounced and caught the other dragon’s wing, swinging it around by its own momentum. Marlena shouted at it, her voice resonating down Kaldir’s spine.
With a snarl, the green-scaled dragon bellowed flame at them, but its form shuddered suddenly, shifting back to a human body. The armed rider toppled off, and the limp figure of the shifter followed it down into the ravine. Both landed with a horrifying crunch of bone.
One of the attackers barreled toward the far end of the ravine, dangerously close to where Sohaila was hiding. Kaldir followed with a deafening roar. The emerald-scaled dragon twisted in the air, then exhaled a massive cloud of green-tinged flame toward him. His lungs burned, his spine contracting tight. Above him Azeria coughed violently. Her fingers dug painfully under his scales as she tried to hold on. Behind them, he heard a sickening impact, then a cry of pain.
As the green-scaled dragon hovered, glaring at him, its rider pulled a small silver globe from his belt. Putting it to his lips, the globe ignited with a faint light.
His heart sank. With a deep breath, he released a focused beam of flame into the rider’s chest. He lurched backward and dropped the globe onto the green dragon. With a scream of pain, the green dragon breathed another nasty gust of toxic flame into his face, but Kaldir launched himself forward and grabbed its jaws, prying them apart to shoot another beam of flame into its throat. Its voice went silent as the smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils. He slammed his feet down on its head, then batted the rider off. The man went flying backward with a crunch of bone.
Something yanked hard at his scales. The familiar weight on his back was gone. With horror twisting in his gut, he turned to see Azeria lying prone on the ground below. Her fingers curled weakly against the stone. He looked back down the ravine and saw several of the hybrids hurrying to affix silver collars on naked, bruised figures.
He nudged Azeria with his snout and growled. She didn’t move.
Back toward the camp, Marlena stood on Velati’s back, surveying the smoldering camp as she gave orders. She snapped her fingers at the two Edra. “Stay close but go watch for any others.” She pointed down to two of the hybrids. “Get collars on the dragons. Where’s Sohaila?”
Kaldir released his dragon, bellowing in pain and anger. His body trembled as he knelt by Azeria. Her lips were blue, the veins in her face and hands swollen and dark. She shuddered violently, her breathing ragged.
“Sohaila!” he shouted, grasping Azeria’s jaw and tilting her head back to let her breathe.
“I have to!” Sohaila protested from behind him. The air shimmered again, and she burst from beneath Enalah’s wing, eyes wide as she surveyed the field beyond.
Kaldir rushed at her and grabbed her arms. “Help her!”
For the first time, Sohaila Mara regretted walking out of the Shrine of Mara. A corridor of carnage lay before her. Filled with a choking cloud of smoke, the ravine was lit only by the smoldering remains of several bed rolls, illuminating weary warriors and broken bodies on the hard gray stone. She was frozen in horror. It couldn’t have been more than a minute. Now everything was smoke and blood and fear. How had it happened so fast?
Kaldir grabbed her roughly, shaking her by her arms. “Sohaila, I need you,” he blurted. “Azeria, she’s—”
She looked past him. Azeria lay on the ground, her thick hair streaming across the stone like blood. One of the hybrids was writhing and groaning just past her. Marlena knelt over another body, holding her hands to their chest. “Where do I start…” she murmured.
Kaldir shook her again. “Azeria. She’s poisoned like I was.” He held her chin, tilting it up. For just a moment, she saw the Kaldir she remembered. The Kaldir who spoke the truth when he said she was his queen. “I need you right now. Please.”
“Okay,” she breathed, pulling away from him and turning to Virnan, who jogged toward her. “Get my bag.” He nodded and sprinted for the crates.
This is why you’re here. She’d promised Velati she could handle this, so now she had to prove it. Kneeling at Azeria’s side, Sohaila yanked up the woman’s loose linen shirt to reveal her chest. She pressed her hands to Azeria’s blazing hot skin and opened herself to the healing trance. Her stomach lurched as she clashed with the poison running through her system.
“She’s not breathing,” Kaldir said.
She looked up at him and measured her voice. “I know. Be quiet and let me concentrate.”
“What can I do to help her?”
“Just give me space,” she said. He knelt at Azeria’s side, hands clasped as he murmured silent prayers.
Azeria’s pulse was dangerously fast. Sohaila sent a powerful stream of healing energy into her lungs and throat, burning away the acidic sludge that suffocated her. With the connection open, she bent her head to kiss Azeria’s forehead. With the pulse of energy, Azeria gasped. The ragged breath sounded painful, but it was a victory.
Virnan returned with her healing kit, but Velati was close on his heels. “Get over here,” he said, gesturing to her. She hurried after him and found Marlena holding a thick piece of blood-soaked linen to a writhing woman’s throat. Two of the Scalebreakers held her arms, pinning her to the ground. “Get her stable.”
She frowned at him. “She’s not one of ours.”
“Get her stable,” he repeated, eyes glinting like cold steel in the moonlight.
With her heart pounding, she sank to her knees next to the struggling woman. Firsa’s eerie green eyes lit up in recognition. Her sneer bared her bloodstained teeth. “Crafty bitch,” she choked. A chill ran down Sohaila’s spine.
“She’s saving your life, you bitch,” Marlena snapped. Just a few feet away, Romek writhed on the ground while his partner stroked his brow. His quiet noises of pain sank into her chest like accusations.
“Virnan, the thelveran,” she called over her shoulder. Her chest tightened as she looked down at Firsa’s naked, bloodied body. One of the major arteries in her neck was torn open, and her heart was failing. Her body was already shutting down. “She’s going to bleed out.”
“No, she’s not,” Velati said. “Fix it.”
She gritted her teeth. This was Firsa, who had held her in an iron grip while Adron mutilated her face. Who had taunted her with food when Sidran was starving her, and had offered on more than a few occasions to “even that face out” when she balked at orders. She had to use her divine power to save this woman when their people lay suffering.
“Sohaila,” Velati said sharply. “Is there a problem?”
With as much spite as she could muster while healing, Sohaila dumped a burst of power into Firsa. The woman cried out, her back arching into a tight curve.
She didn’t have to make it easy or pleasant.
With pinpoint precision, she focused her power on the torn artery in Firsa’s neck. Her heart pounded with the effort, and she hated every second of it, knowing that her discomfort was extending Firsa’s life. Finally, she felt the smoothness she sought, though the newly healed artery was delicate. She dumped another burst of power to Firsa’s heart, energizing it.
“Move your hands,” Sohaila said. Marlena hesitantly pulled away, her hands dripping with blood. A deep gash ran from just under Firsa’s chin down the left side of her throat and over her collarbone. Behind her, Virnan held out the jar of thelveran. “Here’s your fucking thelveran,” she said quietly. She leaned in. “You’ll heal clean. Not that you deserve it.” Firsa’s eyes narrowed as Sohaila applied a sparse lay
er of the ointment to the torn flesh to begin closing the wound. She looked up at Velati. “She’s stable.”
“Good. Deal with the others as you need to.” He glanced to Marlena. “Get her up.”
By the time Sohaila knelt by Romek’s side, she felt like she was going to fall asleep on her feet. Thaleza and Vikosh had both been poisoned by the Talons’ breath. They weren’t on the verge of death like Azeria, but they were both slowly suffocating as their lungs sealed off. After burning away the poison, Sohaila left them with a soothing tea and headed toward the prone man.
Romek’s partner, a soft-spoken dragon woman named Inshadir, held his hand and spoke quietly to him. She had put a pillow under his head and was stroking his hair gently. “Sister, please,” she murmured.
“I’m sorry it took me so long,” she said. “Rime…” She hesitated, though she wanted to let Romek know exactly who’d delayed her. Sharp dragon hearing meant Velati would hear her if he was paying attention. “I’m here now.”
His dark green eyes were bloodshot, but his face was resolute. “I understand.” His breath hitched. “I can’t feel my legs. They knocked me off her back.”
“I’m so sorry, serani,” Inshadir murmured.
“It’s not your fault,” Sohaila said. She gently touched Romek’s shoulder and inspected the damage. His tanned skin was marred with deep, purple-black bruising centered around his spine, and his hips were misaligned. She didn’t have to touch him to know his back was broken.
Resting one hand on the small of his back, she opened herself to the healing trance. Pain flooded her senses, and she squeezed her eyes shut. It took more concentration than usual to keep the wall up as she searched for his injuries.
She poured her power into his spine, trying to ignore the pounding headache taking up residence in her skull. Though she couldn’t completely heal him tonight, she could seal up the nerves to keep them from being permanently damaged. Tightening her focus, she ignored the broken bones and sent a thin, focused stream of power into his nerves. Warmth trickled over her lip, and her ears began to ring.
A voice rang out, but she didn’t understand the words. She was close. She could fix it.
Cold hands closed on her shoulders and pulled her back. She glared over her shoulder to see Velati behind her. “That’s enough.”
“I will decide when I’ve done enough,” she retorted, surprised at the heat in her own voice. Kaldir was just behind him, brow furrowed in concern.
Velati’s hand was a blur as he reached toward her. Instinctively, she recoiled from the incoming blow. But he simply grabbed the hem of her veil and lifted it up. The dark blue fabric was stained with blood. She glanced back at Firsa, but Velati said, “It’s yours.” She pressed her fingers to her nose and found them wet with blood. Velati dropped the fabric and said, “Get him comfortable without your power. Then you eat and get in bed.”
“I’m—” His eyes flashed with internal light. Cold air swirled around him as his anger manifested silently. “Yes, sir.”
Virnan had brought her healing kit. Without speaking, he offered her a clean piece of linen, which she pressed to her trickling nose.
Velati knelt next to them, gently touching Romek’s shoulder. “I’m sorry for your pain, but she’s done as much as she can safely do right now,” he said. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir,” he murmured. “Thank you, sister.”
Velati gave her a stern look, then returned to the huddled prisoners.
Sohaila rooted through her bag, finding a jar of orveran and the dreamsleep concentrate she and Ayla had made. Scooping out a handful of orveran, she gently rubbed the dark paste over Romek’s back to numb the pain. Though he tensed at her touch, he soon relaxed, flattening against the stone.
“Is it going numb?” she asked, releasing a tiny wave of power to enhance the soothing effect.
He nodded. “Thank you,” he breathed.
She used a tiny spoon to measure out the dreamsleep concentrate and guided it to his lips. “This will help you sleep. You’re going to be fine.”
“Thank you, sister,” he murmured, letting her tilt the thick mixture past his lips. The small amount was enough to put him under within a minute. Finally, he was still, his face going slack as he breathed evenly.
A cry of pain rang out, clipped short. She whipped her head around to see one of Kaldir’s men covering his mouth with a clenched fist while his partner and Velati pushed his shoulder back into place. Anger shot through her as she stalked toward them. “I could have done that,” she said. “You probably just made it worse.”
“He’s fine,” Velati said. “Aren’t you?”
“Fine,” the other soldier groaned.
She scoffed. “I didn’t realize you were a healer.” The younger man’s eyes went wide. Her stomach twisted around her spine as she realized how sharp her tone had been.
“A word, sister,” Velati said, crooking his finger at her. A chill ran down her spine. He turned to the others. “Set up watch. You, get Dawnblaze back over here.” He pointed to Marlena. “Get the first one ready to talk. I’ll just be a minute.” Leaning against the opposite wall were Firsa and two other prisoners, all draped in ragged linen and wearing heavy silver collars around their necks. Their hands were bound tight.
Velati walked further into the darkness of the ravine, where she’d hid earlier. Light still gleamed from the kor-dalak markings down his spine. Her heart thumped as she followed him. With a considerable distance between them and the camp, he turned to glare at her. “Do you have a problem?”
Goosebumps prickled over her skin from the cold. “Romek is suffering. You have other people hurt that could have used my help,” she said. “And you made me heal the enemy.” The one who did this to my face, she wanted to protest.
“So we could question her,” Velati said.
“You have three,” she said. “Why did you need her?"
“I made a decision,” Velati said. “You agreed to follow my orders when you left the Shrine.”
“I didn’t know you’d make such bad decisions,” she said. As soon as the words spilled over her tongue, her cheeks heated. “With all due respect—”
“Usually a prelude to disrespect,” he said mildly.
“You don’t know how much of my power I have, or when I’m too tired to heal,” she said.
His gaze was still stern. “Again, let me remind you that I fought in bloody wars that ended before you were born.” She started to protest, but the flare of light in his eyes silenced her. “I watched Marashti healers die in the field because they thought they could save one more. Every one of them was as fierce and devoted as you. And some of them had twice your power and ten times your common sense. It doesn’t take much, Sohaila.”
Her throat clenched. “That was their sacrifice to make.”
His lips played up in a smile. “Sacrifice isn’t inherently noble. We remember them with respect, but they shouldn’t have died that way. And even worse, more of my brothers and sisters died because we had no help once they were gone. If you die to fix poor Romek’s back, or even just put yourself out of commission for a few days, what happens when we get ambushed again tomorrow? What about when someone else is suffocating to death and you can’t help?” He shook his head. “Romek is in pain. Pain will not kill him. But your stubbornness may kill you.”
“You’re not always right,” she replied. His accusation stung.
“No, I’m not,” he said. “Far from it. But I know you’re done for the night. Take a look at your eyes if you don’t believe me. You look terrible.” She swiped at her nose again, wincing at the touch. It felt like she’d been punched. “Get some rest. I need you ready at dawn.”
“But—”
“I will not repeat myself. Do not think that you are entitled to this position simply because you had a traumatic experience with our mutual enemy,” Velati said, his voice sharpening. “And do not mistake my patience for weakness. If you can’t handle taking orders, I w
ill send you back to the Shrine to be a pain in Mother Akshas’ ass instead of mine.”
“I…” He scowled. She bit back on the retort. Under the circumstances, she didn’t doubt he’d do it. She glanced over her shoulder. Kaldir lingered at the periphery of the wrecked campsite, watching her intently. Guilt and shame twisted in a knot in her belly. Here was her mouth getting her in trouble yet again, just like he used to warn her about. Sohaila looked back to Velati. “I’m sorry,” she said, though she wasn’t a bit sorry. “I can brew a tea that will help the ones who tangled with the Talons breathe easier until I can look closer in the morning. It doesn’t take any of my power. Then I’ll rest.”
“You have my permission.”
She bristled. I don’t need your permission, you pompous ass.
The faintest smile curved on his lips, like he could read her thoughts. But he turned and walked away without further comment, leaving her to stew in her own irritation. Further into the ravine, he headed toward the prisoners.
She took a deep breath, walking carefully to keep from tilting over. She felt like a young dragon again, wine-drunk during the autumn festivals. During the last festival while she was in Ironhold, she’d drunk far too much, though she swore to Kaldir she was fine. It had taken every ounce of concentration to walk in a straight line back to his home, and it wasn’t until they reached the door that she realized he’d had his hand on her back the whole time, keeping her upright.
Warmth trickled over her lip. She hastily scrubbed at it with the edge of her veil as she approached Virnan. Her bodyguard gave her an apologetic look. “Are you all right, sister?”
“Yes,” she said. “Will you please help me?”
For half an hour, Virnan helped her circulate through the wrecked camp and bring healing teas and ointments to the injured. It was too little, but it was all she could muster. When they finished making their rounds, he squeezed her arm gently. “I’ll clean up so you can sleep,” he said, gesturing over his shoulder.
While they were working, Enalah had laid out a bedroll further away from the encampment, moving several of their heavy wooden crates to create a cozy nook for her. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She didn’t want to be fawned over, especially when people were still suffering.