“You’re keeping an eye on them,” she said.
“Absolutely,” Steel said. “I want to know ahead of time if they’re intending to come after us.”
“So, who shot me?” Tani asked.
“We don’t know,” Steel replied. “When Khurda and Marbic went back to the compound, it was silent. The braces were still on the doors to the Nomen bunk houses, and there was no sign of Brutus, or anyone else. They considered just leaving, but decided that the opportunity to disable the Nomen’s ship was too good to pass up.”
“I agree,” Tani said. “But I’d still like to know who shot me. I remember that I was facing the compound, so that’s where the shot came from. It couldn’t have been one of your people though because they all left before us, right?”
“You think one of my people shot you?” Steel asked in surprise.
“I don’t have any idea who shot me, but I think it’s an important question.”
“Yes, it is,” Steel said. “I’ve thought about little else these past hours. But I cannot conceive of any reason for one of the Khun to cause you harm. It had to be one of the Nomen.”
“Well, I don’t suppose an answer will present itself just because we want it to,” she said, not wanting to point out that he’d been the target, not her. “What about the women and children? How’re they doing?”
“Not good, Tani,” he said, his eyes sad. “They’re so weak and thin, some worse than others. We’re all worried, Astra especially. She wants so much to help them, but doesn’t know how.”
“I know of a few things that might help,” she said. “What are you feeding them?”
“Regular food, but there seems to be something else wrong with them because they can barely hold anything down.”
“Call Astra,” she said.
“Not yet, you just woke up,” Steel began, but Tani shook her head.
“Now Steel, please,” she asked. “The women and children cannot wait for me to feel better. They’ve suffered enough already.”
“All right, just a moment,” Steel said. He got up and went to the entryway to call Astra, but didn’t leave the room. He wasn’t ready to let Tani out of his sight just yet. He returned to his place beside her bed just as Astra entered the room.
“Oh, Tani,” she said, hurrying to the other side of the bed. “I’m so glad you’re awake! How do you feel?”
“I’m fine Astra,” she said. “Steel just told me that the women and children aren’t holding the food you’re giving them.”
“No, they aren’t and I’m at my wit’s end. They’re starved, but can’t eat.”
“Their bodies are too weak to digest solid food,” Tani said. “You need to start them off with clear fluids. That means broth. Use lots of meat and vegetables, and boil it well. Then give them the broth in small amounts, several times a day. When they can handle that, they can gradually begin eating solids, but make sure it’s well cooked, cut up tiny or mashed. Nothing raw, no cheese or milk, and no bread. It’s too difficult to digest.”
“Why didn’t I think of this,” Astra said, shaking her head. “It makes sense now that I hear you saying it, but it never occurred to me.”
“It’s all right, Astra, no harm done,” Tani said, relaxing a little. “When I get up I’ll go straight to the clinic and see if there’s anything there we can use. Vitamins, minerals, something, but fresh broth is going to do them more good than anything else right now.”
“I’ll tell Drya and she’ll get the other women cooking immediately,” Astra said, then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll bring some breakfast back for you and Steel in a few minutes, too. Welcome back, my friend. I was afraid for you.”
“Thanks, Astra,” Tani said. “Now go, go.”
Astra smiled, then got up and hurried out of the chamber.
“Feel better?” Steel asked, smiling down at her.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I do,” she said. “I feel like I’m forgetting something though.”
“Such as?”
“I don’t know,” she said, frowning. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll come to me eventually. Right now I want to get up and move around. And I’d give a lot for a hot bath.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, definitely,” she said, swinging her legs around so that she was sitting on the edge of the bed, careful to make sure Wily had a good grip on her shirt first. She felt a little woozy and light headed, but she sat still for a few moments and it faded.
“If you’ll promise not to stand up till I get back, I’ll go start the water running in the tub.”
“Promise given,” she said at once. He left the room with a little bounce in his step, which told Tani more than anything else how worried he’d been for her.
“Poor guy,” she said, then looked down at the wyvern. “And poor Wily, too,” she said. “How are you, little one?”
Wily rubbed his head against her jaw and mewled softly. “I’m so sorry. But I’m fine now, thanks to you. The question is, how did you manage to heal me with a bite?”
He looked up at her with his orange eyes and she smiled. “However it happened, I’m glad it worked.”
“Glad what worked?” Steel asked, entering the chamber.
“I’m glad Wily’s bite managed to heal me,” she said. “I’d just like to know how or why it worked.” She raised her hands and Steel took them, helping her to her feet.
“How do you feel?” he asked, nervous about releasing her to stand on her own.
“I feel a whole bunch better than you look,” Tani said, grinning up at him. “Maybe you should take the first bath.”
“Cute,” Steel said. “Really cute.” He reached down and picked her up, cradling her in his arms. “Now behave yourself, or I’ll put you in the tub head first.”
***
Even Tani was surprised at how quickly she bounced back. Once she had a hot bath, brushed her teeth (twice), and had something to eat, she felt perfectly well. She had to struggle not to be annoyed with Steel for hovering around her worriedly, reminding herself repeatedly of what he’d been through. She kept trying to get him to go home and rest, but he refused to leave her until Astra urged her to go visit the women. When Tani realized that Steel wouldn’t go into the women’s cave, she gratefully agreed, knowing that it would give Steel time to bathe and change his clothes, maybe even take a much needed nap.
The cave was filled with bed pallets so all of them could be together in one place, making it much easier on the women who were trying to take care of them. Caves had been set aside for each family, along with whatever belongings Steel and his men had been able to rescue before the Nomen destroyed the village and every home they could find. But for now, everyone was more comfortable in a group.
Tani wasn’t too surprised to discover that everyone knew who she was, and why she was there, as well as her role in their rescue. As Astra took her through the cave, from group to group of women and children who were far too quiet, Tani saw that they’d done the right thing in rescuing them when they did. If they’d waited even a couple more days, she thought the number still living would have been much smaller than it already was. When Astra took her into a small connecting cave where seven women laid motionless on narrow cots, Tani nearly broke down in tears.
They were so thin, so wasted away that they looked like skeletons. Their eyes were dark and dull, their cheeks sunken, their bodies so weak that they could barely whisper their thanks to her. Tani knelt beside the worst of the seven, a woman named Ruya. It was clear that Ruya had not been a very big woman to start with, so it was somewhat surprising that she still lived at all. From what Astra had told her, Ruya had given her meager share of gruel to the children a bit more often than she should have. And yet, in spite of her weakness, she managed to summon the strength to whisper her thanks to Tani.
Tani pressed her palms together and bowed solemnly, honoring Ruya for her courage and sacrifice. “I wish only that we could have come sooner, Ruya,” sh
e said after she straightened. On an impulse, she reached out to lay her palm gently on Ruya’s forehead. Her skin felt cool and dry, but Tani held her hand there for a full minute, wishing with all her might that Ruya was strong enough to take the sustenance that Astra, Drya and the other women carefully spooned into the mouths of those unable to do it for themselves. Then she took Ruya’s skeletal hands in hers and smiled. “Rest, Ruya,” she said. “You’ll regain your strength very soon.”
Ruya’s eyes closed, but Tani thought perhaps there was a little bit of color in her cheeks. She didn’t know what she’d done, or even if she’d done anything at all, but following an instinct she didn’t really recognize or understand, she moved to the woman in the next bed and repeated her actions, doing for her whatever it was she’d done for Ruya. Then the next, and the next, until she’d spent a minute touching each of them.
“What did you do?” Astra asked when Tani joined her at the entrance to the cave.
“I don’t know,” Tani said. “Starvation isn’t something that can be healed. I just tried to make them strong enough to make use of the food given to them. Is it my own wishful thinking, or do they look a little better now?”
“They look better,” Astra said. “Whatever you did, it was good for them, but not so good for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you look terrible,” Astra said. “Come on, let’s get you home and in bed before Steel sees you or he’ll roar the mountain down around us.”
“He really needs to learn to control that temper of his,” Tani said, smiling as she followed Astra out of the cave. She waved good bye to the other women and children as they passed through the main part of the cave, knowing that Astra was right. She needed rest. But she had to check on Naran first.
“Astra, would you do me a favor please and ask Steel to find Naran and bring him to the clinic?”
“Now?” Astra asked. “Are you sure you shouldn’t rest first?”
“No, I need to see to him first,” Tani said. “He’s healing so quickly that I intended to check his stitches yesterday. There’s a danger of the skin healing over them, and I don’t want that to happen.”
“All right,” Astra agreed reluctantly. “You go on down to the clinic, and I’ll bring them.”
“Thanks, Astra.”
Astra nodded and turned away, a worried frown on her face as she started climbing toward Steel’s cave.
Tani was about to give up waiting for Steel and Naran when they entered the waiting area of the clinic. Naran was moving very slowly, limping heavily, and slightly hunched over. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot.
“What happened to you?” she asked in surprise, then gave her head a shake. “Forget that for the moment. Come on in and get on the medi-cot so I can get a look at you.”
Steel helped Naran into the clinic and onto the medi-cot, casting frowns at Tani the entire time. “I’m fine, Steel,” she said. “Just a little tired after helping some of the women.”
“Then maybe you should get some rest before doing this,” he suggested, but Tani was shaking her head before he finished speaking.
“I can’t do that, Steel, and you know it,” she said. Steel nodded. He understood. He just didn’t like it. Tani moved to the other side of the bed and started the scanner.
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asked Naran.
“I went looking for Roark,” he said.
“How long have you been like this?”
“Since yesterday,” Naran said.
“And you didn’t tell anyone?” Tani asked in surprise while entering commands into the scanner control panel. It obediently lowered from the ceiling and began scanning Naran’s body.
“You were unconscious, and there isn’t anyone else to tell,” Naran said.
“Did you find Roark?” Steel asked.
“No, I didn’t. I’m starting to wonder if the Nomen have him.”
“You said he was dead,” Steel said.
“He is,” Naran said. “But it’s the only explanation I can think of for his body to be gone.”
“Unless you know something the rest of us don’t, the Nomen have no need of dead bodies,” Steel said, his eyes boring into Naran’s.
“No, I don’t,” Naran said with a tired sigh. “I’m just trying to make sense of something that makes no sense. That’s all, Steel.”
Steel nodded and shifted his gaze to Tani who was now studying images on the view screen. When she was finished she turned back to Naran and shook her head. “You didn’t break anything, that’s the good news,” she said. “You stressed the muscles and tendons in both legs though and it looks like you ripped the stitches open on your leg. Since you’re wearing shorts I assume you already know that.”
“Yes, I saw that,” Naran said. “Is that it?”
“Yes,” she said, crossing the room to the supply cabinets. “The cut on your forehead is fully healed, and all of your scrapes and bruises are gone, too. You hurt because you did too much without waiting for your body to fully heal and regain some strength.”
She rummaged around a bit, found the items she needed, placed them on a tray along with a pair of sterile gloves and carried it back to the table beside the medi-cot.
“That’s good news,” Naran said. “Just heal me up and we’ll be out of here.”
“Heal you up?” Steel growled.
“Yeah,” Naran said. “All she has to do is touch me, I heal, and we’re done.”
“Not exactly,” Steel said, glaring down at Naran. “It requires a lot of energy for her to heal and she just finished healing some of the women we rescued. She doesn’t have enough energy to spare healing someone who deliberately disregarded her advice and reinjured himself.”
“Fine, fine,” Naran said with a dismissive shrug. “It doesn’t matter to me either way.”
Tani ignored both men as she removed the stitches in Naran’s thigh. A couple of them had pulled out, but the wound itself was healed. As she worked she tried to figure out what it was about Naran that was bothering her, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.
She removed the final stitch and placed it and the scissors on the tray. Suddenly she felt so dizzy and light headed that she had to grasp the edge of the medi-cot to keep herself from falling.
“Demii!” Steel hissed as he hurried around the bed. He picked Tani up and held her in his arms, then turned to look at Naran. “Looks like she healed you after all. I hope you appreciate it this time.”
“I appreciated it the first time, Steel,” Naran said mildly.
“Please ask Drya to come in and clean this up,” Steel said, then turned and left with Tani in his arms. He paused outside the clinic, looking up toward his cave. He really wanted to take her to his home and put her in his bed where he could watch over her. But, if he did that, it would signal intentions to his people that he and Tani had not discussed. While he wouldn’t have minded, he didn’t think Tani would appreciate having that decision made for her. A couple of minutes later he laid her gently on her own bed in the guest chamber of Astra’s cave with a regretful sigh. He removed her shoes and the sterile gloves she still wore, then pulled a blanket over her.
“She’s fine, Wily,” he assured the wyvern who still clung to her shoulder. “She just tired herself out healing everyone after nearly being killed herself. She was awake for what? Five hours? You and I need to convince her to pace herself better or she’s going to hurt herself.” Wily nodded in agreement, then laid his head down and closed his eyes.
Chapter 7
Tani’s eyes flew open and she sat straight up with a gasp.
“Tani?” Steel asked, looking up from the hand laser he was cleaning on the floor beside her bed. “What’s wrong?”
“A strange dream,” she said, frowning. “I can’t remember it, but I have a feeling it’s important.” She arched a brow at him. “What are you doing here so early?”
“Early?” he asked, putting the weapon dow
n and moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “It’s late afternoon, Tani.”
Tani looked down, surprised to find that she was still dressed. “I did some healing,” she said, remembering. Steel nodded. “Thanks for catching me.”
“You’re welcome,” he said, grinning at her.
“What’s the grin for?”
“It’s just nice to know you need me for something, even if it’s just to keep you from breaking your cute little nose.”
“The least you could have done is remove my jeans so I could sleep more comfortably,” she said, feigning a pout.
His grin widened. “If I’d done that, you wouldn’t have gotten any sleep at all.”
“Promises promises.”
Steel arched a brow at the challenge. He considered her for a moment before, without warning, pushing her down on the bed and holding her in place with one arm while using the other to unfasten her pants and drag them down her legs along with her panties. If she’d struggled, he wouldn’t have managed it so quickly, but she didn’t. Once he had her bare from the waist down, he took off his own pants, then picked her up, pulled her against his body so that her legs straddled his abdomen, then he laid down on his back with her on top of him.
She sat there in surprise for a moment, uncertain what to do. His eyes caught and held hers for a long moment. “Take off your top,” he said, his voice deeper than usual.
She reached up and tore the t-shirt off, then unclasped her bra and set it aside as well. He reached up and cupped her breasts in his palms, squeezing gently before releasing them. He brushed his fingers over her nipples, smiling as they immediately hardened into twin points. He pinched them lightly between his fingers and her breath caught in her throat. He tightened his grip and tugged.
“Fuck me,” he growled softly. Her eyes widened and he felt her vulva pulse against his stomach. She’d liked that. His nostrils flared and his cock jerked. “Put my cock inside of you and fuck me.” His fingers tightened on her nipples in a warning, and a promise. “Now.”
Tani's Destiny (Hearts of ICARUS Book 2) Page 20