Pointing to the bearskin draped over the chair, Kane waved to Locke to bring it over to him as he pushed to his feet. The beast of a man was still shaking his head as he walked over to his throne. He wrapped the warm bearskin around him and resumed his seat before his eyes finally fell on me. I had yet to rise from the ground, and my face remained smeared with his blood.
“You have lived up to your reputation,” Kane said with a heavy sigh and a slight groan as he shifted in his chair, trying to find a more comfortable spot, considering his wounds. “You are fearless, quick, and smart. And despite the . . . zealous nature of some of my people, you also kept it a fair fight. I didn’t think the Dark One was brave enough to allow the whip to leave her side.”
“At Aurora’s command, I put aside what honor I had so I could abide by her wishes,” I admitted. “I am now trying to take a little part of that back each night. The whip would not have been a fair weapon in a fight that was not supposed to be to the death.”
Kane smiled broadly at me. We both knew he would have killed me the first chance he got. I was just lucky that I was a little faster and maybe a little smarter.
With a laugh and a clap of his hand, Kane announced, “You have won back a shred of your honor tonight. You have beaten me, and we will join Cynnia in her fight against Aurora as I promised.”
I regained my feet with some struggle and returned my blades to the sheaths along my body. I felt broken and sore in too many places. My right wing hung limp on my back, while my left wing was folded forward around my left shoulder as if protecting me. Kane’s blood had soaked into my clothes and covered my exposed hands and face. I was a mess, but I had completed one of my tasks for Cynnia. However, as I glanced over at Rowe, I wasn’t sure that I had completed all of my tasks. The powerful naturi still needed to be won over to the young princess’s side.
“Thank you for your promised assistance, Kane,” I said with a bow of my head. “Please bring your people to the outskirts of the city called Savannah, where the Fire Starter makes her domain. Rowe and I will meet you there. When I sense you have arrived, I will arrange a meeting for you with Cynnia so the proper planning can begin.”
“Agreed,” he said, thumping the arm of his chair.
I bowed my head to him one last time and started to limp across the clearing toward Rowe. I was exhausted and sore in too many places to count, but we had to get out of Kane’s immediate domain before sunrise if we were going to find a safe place to spend the daylight hours. I didn’t think Kane would send his people after me, but I didn’t trust some of his more zealous followers not to come looking for me.
“You’re leaving?” Locke demanded, surprise filling his voice.
“It’s best that we make some further progress tonight,” I replied. “We will make camp at sunrise.”
“We are comrades now!” Kane declared, pushing carefully to his feet as the last of his wounds healed. “We will fight Aurora’s army together! That means that you will make camp with us tonight. You must heal so that you are at full strength when you continue your journey.”
“We are traveling at night when I am at my strongest,” I hedged.
“Then we will protect you both while you sleep during the day, and have food for you when you awaken tomorrow night,” Kane quickly offered.
I resisted the urge to look over at Rowe, who was now standing beside me. If we were staying in the animal clan camp, I wouldn’t be able to use the sleep spell on him or they would know he was my prisoner rather than my comrade in arms. In my moment of weakness, I might not only lose Rowe, but also the assistance of the animal clan.
“We are honored,” I said, forcing a weak smile on my lips as I looked up at Kane. “We accept your offer. Cynnia will be most grateful that you have looked after us during the daylight hours.” I just hoped that we survived without any new problems.
Eleven
My right wing screamed with pain as I tried to fully extend it. I had walked nearly a quarter of a mile from the main camp of the animal clan to a wide stream. Stripping off my clothes, I tried to rinse out some of the blood before stepping into the icy water myself. In the center of the stream, the water rushed past my calves, numbing any lingering pain I might have felt in my right ankle. Now I was only left with the wound in my right wing, which seemed reluctant to fully heal. I knew it would be completely fixed by the following evening, but I didn’t want to wait that long. I wanted to go to sleep at sunrise knowing I was back at full strength.
I had been somewhat reluctant to leave Rowe alone with the animal clan, but he’d already promised to behave himself, and for now that was the best I was going to get. I could only hope he was intrigued by the promise that the Fire Starter planned to join our little uprising. At the very least, he now knew we were headed for Savannah, and the one-eyed naturi could take another swipe at her if he had it in mind.
Bending down, I cupped the cold water and splashed it on my face a couple times before wiping away the excess. Kane’s blood had covered my face and hands, leaving me feeling sticky and dirty. I pushed the cold to the furthest reaches of my mind as I scrubbed my hands together, washing away the last of the blood. Before rising, I ran my wet hands over my legs and the rest of my body. It had been too long since I’d properly bathed. Too many nights of running and hunting. Cynnia had kept me on the run for the better part of the past month, seeking out any who might join our cause. Savannah held the promise of a day’s sleep on a comfortable bed and a warm bath.
There was a subtle shift in the air, a slight change in the energy that had me jerking upright. I was completely unarmed in the stream, leaving all my clothes and weapons on the bank. I thought I would be safe so far in animal clan territory, that I could sneak a few private moments to myself. Of course, the alliance with the animal clan was shaky at best, and I wasn’t sure everyone agreed with the idea of working with Rowe and me. Someone could be looking to strike while I was at my weakest.
When I scanned the immediate region, my heart stopped beating for a second. Rowe had sought me out. The area was thick with trees, blotting out the moonlight, but after a moment I could pick him out on the rise leading down to the stream, leaning against one of the trees. He hadn’t been standing there long since it was impossible for him to sneak up on me with the iron collar around his neck. He couldn’t cloak his presence.
“What do you want?” I demanded. I pulled my left wing around my front, blocking his view of my body as best I could while my right wing continued to hang limp at my side. I turned in the stream so I was facing him, taking an unsteady step backward on the slippery rocks.
“How is your wing healing?” he asked, descending the rest of the way to the bank of the stream.
“Fine. It will be just fine,” I snapped, taking another step back. “Return to the camp. I will be right behind you.”
“It’s not fine,” he growled back at me. “You can’t retract your wings yet. It’s not healing properly.” He took a step into the water and I took a wobbly step back as my left foot settled on some shifting gravel. “Stay still! I’m not chasing after you. I just want to look at your wing.”
“And I said it’s fine! I don’t need you looking at it!”
“Look! If your wing isn’t properly mended, we’re not flying out of here tomorrow night, and I’m anxious to set foot in Savannah,” he admitted. “Now let me look to make sure that it isn’t broken.”
“It’s not broken. Please, Rowe, don’t come any closer.”
The naturi shoved his hands through his shaggy black hair, pushing it away from his one good eye. For just a moment I could clearly see the scars that stretched across one side of his face, disappearing under the eye patch and down his neck into his shirt. “What? You make these grand speeches about me being the savior of our people and you don’t trust me! I’m not going to hurt you. If I was going to do that, I wouldn’t have bothered to walk out into this icy water.”
“I trust you,” I whispered, staring down at the water, wishing it was darker out, but it didn’t matter. His night vision, like mine, was perfect.
“Then what? You’re embarrassed about being naked in front of me? We’re soldiers, Nyx, tending wounds. That’s all. Besides, it’s only your back.”
