That was when she heard it. What sounded like a moan. She whirled toward the sound. Nothing moved.
She frowned. She was sure she’d heard ... there it was again. She moved toward the sound.
She checked each of the bodies more carefully. Dead. Definitely dead. No way around that. Half of them were burned to a crisp and the other half ... she stumbled to a halt.
One of the bodies lay twisted on the ground, covered in soot and blood. He looked dead except for one thing. A pair of bright, blue eyes stared back at her.
Chapter 10
WITH A GRUNT, RAIN dragged the injured man toward the tiny patch of shade next to the Humvee. She managed to move him about half a foot.
“You weigh a ton. You know that?”
He didn’t answer. He’d passed out the minute she’d tried to move him. She couldn’t blame him. The pain had to be excruciating.
Normally she wouldn’t have bothered, but he wouldn’t last if she left him lying in the sun. She had no more than a swallow of water left to give him. Nothing to cover him with. His only chance of survival was to leave him in the shade of the vehicle and keep her fingers crossed while she ran for help.
She finally got him dragged into the shade and paused for a breather. “You owe me, you know.” She glanced down at the unconscious man. His features were impossible to make out under the layer of gunk, but the memory of his brilliant blue eyes was burned into her brain.
“You are an idiot, Rain Mauri,” she mumbled to herself. He was a Marine, for god’s sake, and she was saving his ass because of a pair of pretty blue eyes. Idiot didn’t half cover it.
Hauling herself to her feet she headed back to where she’d found him. Next to the dark stain of his blood lay a long, flat object made of what looked like dragon hide. She frowned and scooped it up.
The shape was similar to a knife scabbard but much longer. What was obviously a handle poked out of one end, so she grabbed it and pulled.
With a gasp she held the object up to the light. It was a sword. But not an ordinary sword. The edges of the blade glittered like a thousand diamonds.
Diamonds. The only material on earth that could cut through dragon hide.
She turned to stare at the Marine slumped in the shade of the Humvee. No ordinary Marine, then. The man was a Dragon Warrior.
RAIN’S MIND WAS STILL buzzing as she reached the gates to the compound. A Dragon Warrior. A real, honest to god, Dragon Warrior. Elan was never going to believe it.
The Turrow brothers were guarding the gates, their platinum blond hair hidden under grimy caps. The rifles strapped across their backs were pretty much useless against the drags. Still, all lookouts at Sanctuary were required to carry them.
“Hey, boys. Know where El is?”
“Where ya think?” Thirteen-year-old Joey Turrow’s cocky answer earned him a slap upside the head from his older brother.
“Respect. She’s Tracker.” Billy Turrow was fifteen and far more mature than most men Rain knew. Probably because he’d been the only thing to stand between his younger brother and death for nearly a decade before they joined the compound. “Sorry, Rain. Haven’t seen El this morning. You might check with Padre Pedro. He’s over babying his tomatoes again.”
“Thanks, Billy.”
“Will.”
“What?” She squinted up at him.
“It’s Will, ma’am.”
So the kid was growing up. “Fair enough. Thanks, Will.”
The compound had several small patches of garden scattered anywhere something might grow. Even where the ground wasn’t viable Padre Pedro had lined up buckets and barrels and anything else that would hold dirt in order to coax a few more plants into growing. Thanks to Padre Pedro, they wouldn’t run out of vegetables any time soon.
She found him on the far side of the compound crouched among his precious tomato plants carefully dripping water onto their roots. She could see his mouth moving and wondered if he was praying or talking to the plants. Knowing Padre Pedro, probably a little of both.
“Padre.” She kept her voice soft.
The priest glanced up, his weathered face creased in smiles. “Rain, my dear.” He slowly heaved himself up off the ground after a final word at the plants. He strode toward her, his posture and swiftness belying his age.
Rain had no idea exactly how old Padre Pedro was, but she knew he’d already been well established in the priesthood when the Wars began. That had been over twenty-five years ago. He was still built like an ox, though, and just as strong.
She smiled as he enveloped her in a hug. Padre Pedro was the closest thing to an actual father she’d ever had. “I have missed you,” he said, setting her back. “Did you find him?”
“I did, but I wasn’t able to take him with me.”
He sighed and closed his eyes. “All things for a reason.”
“Even drags?” she said wryly. It was an ongoing argument with them.
“Even drags.”
She shook her head. “Have you seen El? I need his help.”
Padre Pedro frowned. “Elan has been inebriated even more than usual these days. I’m afraid he won’t be of much help.”
“How the hel...” She paused, glancing at Padre Pedro. He didn’t appreciate her foul language. “How does he expect to govern anything if he’s drunk half the dang time?”
“Grief does strange things to a man, you know that. Women have always been the stronger sex.”
Rain smirked at that.
“Tell me, child. Maybe I can be of help, though I’m an old man.”
She rolled her eyes. “Give me a break.”
He laughed.
“I found someone. Out in the desert. Badly injured but still alive. We need to get him back to the compound if he’s to survive.” She stopped and faced Padre Pedro. “He’s a Dragon Warrior.”
Padre Pedro’s eyes widened. “A Dragon Warrior? I haven’t seen one of those in nearly a decade.
