Page 65 of Scarred

“Who are you?” The voice was raspy from disuse. The soul who was speaking leaned over the other, shielding them from Amma. “What do you want?”

“I want to help you.” Amma moved closer and let a little of her magic flow. She stopped when the souls dimmed in response. “Don’t go. Please. There is still so much here for you.”

“Look what we have become.” The soul flared for a second. “We are no longer the proud warriors we were born to be.”

“You are stronger than any warrior I have ever met.” Amma again sent a flow of calming energy. The souls brightened. “You have survived hurtful magic twisting your mind and body. I am not from your world, and I have family members who will need strong warriors to love and care for them.”

“Who would want us? We are broken. Tainted.”

“You are warriors.” Amma opened her mind so they could see her memories of her family: of them sitting around the table, bickering and laughing, of them training and dancing and singing and playing. “Your mate lives and needs you.”

“Our mate is beautiful, but we have nothing to offer her.”

Amma smiled. If they had seen their mate in her memories, that meant someone in her family was about to have not one, but two males to keep her happy. “How about we make a deal? Come with me and my mate when we return to his village. There is a healer who may be able to help you more than I can. You don’t have to live within the walls if you don’t want to. Just close enough for me to know you’re okay.”

“You would do that?”

“Yes, I would,” Amma said. “Let me help you, please.”

“Brother?”

“Let us trust her.”

“We will go with you.”

Amma smiled. “Thank you for your trust.” With a deep breath, she opened her eyes. “They will be fine. Suni, we are taking them with us when we leave. They need a new beginning, and their mate is someone from my family.”

“Are you sure?” Suni asked.

“Yes.” Amma covered her heart. “I feel it here.”

“I trust you.” Suni whispered in her ear. Amma shuddered from head to toe as her blood heated. She wondered if she would always be turned on by those three words.

“You two need to get a room,” Jo laughed.

“Maybe later,” Amma whispered. She kissed Suni’s cheek and pushed him away. “Go talk with Ru. I need a few words with my cousin.” Suni gave her a look filled with unsatisfied hunger before stepping away.

Jo smiled and said, “I’m glad to see you’re happy. Suni is a little intimidating, but I can tell he cares for you.”

Amma laughed. “Your mate is wielding a hammer. Like a fucking hammer. He is intimidating.”

“Yes he is.” Jo smirked. “He knows how to use it too.”

“Jo, I love you, but I do not want to think about you and your mate having sex.” Amma punched her cousin’s arm. “How about we leave some things private.”

“My mom and auntie thought he was sexy,” Jo said. “I wonder what they will think of your mate.”

“He’s beyond sexy.” Amma looked over at Suni, who was standing next to Ru as they spoke to another warrior. She admired his broad shoulders and tight butt. “Is it weird that the battle has me all horny?”

Jo snickered. “Nope. That’s something the adults didn’t tell us about. The warriors call it ‘battle lust.’ I call it fun.”

“Well, before you run off to have fun, I think we should talk about Shelly for a minute. I think Shelly should stay here.”

“Why?”

“When we were forced to run from our childhood home, she was dropped into this world alone and scared. I saw the way Nej comforted her like a mother and that’s what Shelly needs. There’s no way she is going to see either you or me as a mother figure.”

“How will Shelly train? I have no clue about your magic.”

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