Page 75 of Fire in Stone

“In this form, we’re not,” she finally said. “Though, regular fire burns can be healed without any scars being left.”

“These weren’t regular, then?”

A dark shadow shrouded the clear blue of Ertee’s eyes.

“These burns came from a dragon’s fire. They will never heal completely.”

I watched the graceful dancer wield fire in her hands. Her sleek, nimble body had been marked for life. Had she been hurt intentionally? At that thought, anger and compassion pressed on my chest so hard it was difficult to breathe. I’d been hurt by men, too. Only unlike me, Zenada wore her scars on the outside.

“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Ertee smiled, admiring the dance.

“She is a piece of art,” a deeper voice sounded from the entrance of the Sanctuary. Isar stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest.

Ertee’s expression lit up at the sight of the woman. “Is it your turn to train?”

“Not yet.” With a quick glance around, Isar stepped closer. Taking Ertee’s chin in her hand, she placed a hungry kiss on her mouth.

My breath caught in my throat, witnessing the barely contained passion between them. Their behavior suggested that romance between women of the Sanctuary—if not completely forbidden—was not encouraged either. These two clearly had a hard time staying apart for too long, though.

Zenada put out the fire by rolling the ball on the icy ground.

“The place is all yours.” She grinned at Isar.

I guessed with the courtyard being as tiny as it was, they had to schedule turns using it. Isar walked over to the open space while Zenada put her clothes back on.

“I better go help Mother purify the well again,” she said, heading back into the Sanctuary. “Gods know how many cycles it would take before the water is fully drinkable again.”

Isar tied her skirt up on the side, then slid her swords out of their sheaths. From the very first slash of a sword through the air, it became clear that her training was very different from Zenada’s. Isar trained to kill, not to entertain.

“She is strong. And so quick,” I said, admiring the smooth, powerful movements of the tall woman.

“She’s amazing.” Ertee hid a smile, furtively touching her lips, pink and swollen after Isar’s kiss. “Isar is strong, brave, and loyal. Had the times been different, she could be a warrior in the King’s Army. She could be a glorious general, leading men into battle. Instead, she’s locked here,” she sighed, “with me.”

“You love each other,” I stated, without a doubt. Their love was obvious, and they didn’t do much to hide it. “Why don’t you leave here?”

I’d been told Dakath had no place for a single woman, but two was better than one, wasn’t it?

Ertee cast her eyes down, focusing on brushing her hair once again. “It’s dangerous out there.”

I thought back to the attack of the dragon on our way from the river. “The villagers don’t like the women of the Sanctuary. But what if you had nothing to do with the Sanctuary? Can the two of you live together somewhere else?”

She put away the comb and started braiding her hair. Her gaze slowly drifted back to Isar. “I wish we could.”

The admiration in her eyes prompted me to ask, “How did you meet?”

“Oh, it’s a long story,” she said with a tiny smile. “I was married once, to a man, like my family wished for me to do. I didn’t love my husband, not the way I love Isar, but we were friends, and I respected him. He joined the King’s Army because he thought it was the right thing to do to protect our sovereign from the Rebel Lords.”

“Where is he now?” I asked softly.

“Dead. He was killed in one of the very first battles many years ago. I mourned him and will always miss him as my friend. I loved the place we had, a small house in the middle of an apple orchard down in the valley.” She clasped her hands in her lap, casting her eyes down. “Sometimes I dream about sharing a house like that with Isar. But that could never be.”

“Why not?”

“Two women sharing a home without a man? Decades ago, we could still possibly get away with it. Centuries ago? Absolutely. Simple people like us, with no titles or noble bloodlines to worry about, used to be free to share their lives with whomever they wished. But not anymore.” She pressed her hands together so hard, her knuckles paled. “Dragons rule this world now, firmly and ruthlessly. Regardless of who wins this war—the king or the Rebel Lords—salamandrashave already lost.”

I stared at the ground under my feet. No matter what world I was in, hardship seemed to follow me everywhere. In Dakath, it appeared to have been waiting for me for decades before I even arrived.

“Well,” Ertee said. “I was lucky to find Isar. She makes me the happiest I’ve ever been.”

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