Page 116 of Warlords, Witches & Wolves

Chapter 10

Silence surrounded Shuree. Her body was heavy, her mind thick and she struggled to make sense of where she was, and what was happening. She tried opening her eyes, but even her lids were as heavy as a new-born foal.

“Shuree?” Dagar squeezed her hand.

Why was he holding it? What would the others think?

Shuree, open your eyes. You need to drink.The gentle feminine voice in her mind was insistent.

She tried again and this time light seeped through the gap in her eyelids, forcing her to blink.

“You’re alive.” The relief in Dagar’s voice was evident.

Why wouldn’t she be alive? What was going on? She turned her head and found she was in a tent and a green dragon was by her bed. “What—” Her lips cracked and her voice broke. It was too difficult to speak.

Dagar helped her to sit and held a cup of water to her mouth for her to sip. “You got in the way of Kublai’s sword.”

You saved Ghalin.

Memories flashed back to her and she touched her stomach. No pain, no injury at all. “I was dying.”

The anguish on Dagar’s face was heartbreaking. “Lelin saved you.” He indicated the green dragon with icy blue eyes, who was smaller than Ghalin.

“How?”

I can heal your tissue, knit it back together, but you have lost a lot of blood. You will be weak for a few days.

There was so much they didn’t know about the dragons. “Thank you.” She lifted her tunic, but the skin on her stomach was smooth, unmarked. Incredible.

Thank you for saving Ghalin. After what he did, we are surprised you acted that way.

“I didn’t want him hurt.” Her head spun as she shifted away from Dagar. “Where are the others?”

“They’re meeting together,” Dagar said.

“Without me?” She stood and stumbled, falling into Dagar’s arms.

“Easy,” he said, one firm arm around her, supporting her weight. “When they realised you would survive, they started the discussions. They thought it would be nice if they could get most of the arguing done before you arrived, show you they could negotiate without you there.”

She let him lower her to the bed. “They’re not trying to keep me out because I’m a woman?”

“After what you’ve achieved, they wouldn’t dare,” Dagar said. “You’ve impressed them all. Kublai feels particularly indebted to you.”

She would have to talk to him later. “I’d like to go out.”

“You should rest.”

“I can rest under the pavilion as easily as I can rest here,” she said. “And there might be food out there.”

He scowled and looked at Lelin.

She will be fine.

Dagar wasn’t pleased. “I will take you, but you’re not walking. I’ll carry you.”

She shook her head. “That will make me seem weak.”

“Didn’t you say people thought you talking to my tribe was weak, and yet you did it anyway, and here we are.”

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