Page 27 of Naga Healer's Mate

“Nirrn!”she screamed again, thrashing against their hold.“I love you!Do you hear me?I love you!”

His eyes flickered open for just a moment, meeting hers across the chamber.Blood matted the skin along his temple, but his gaze held that same fierce protectiveness that had drawn her to him from the start.And then he disappeared from view as they dragged her around the corner of the underground tunnel.

Within minutes, the Jorvlen soldiers shoved her through Haven’s heavy wooden door, the ancient hinges groaning.Rough fabric soon covered her eyes, plunging her into darkness.Cold metal bit into her wrists as they secured the handcuffs.

“Please,” she whispered again, though she knew it was futile.“Let me save him.”

The only response was cruel laughter as they dragged her forward into the unknown, leaving behind the only being who had ever truly understood her.The only one who had made her feel safe enough to let down her walls.And now she would never know if he survived, never get to tell him how much he meant to her.The thought carved a deep hole in her chest that felt like it would never heal.

The Jorvlen soldiers continued dragging her through the winding tunnels for what felt like miles.The blindfold pressed tightly against her eyes, but her other senses heightened in response.The musty scent of underground decay filled her nostrils, mixed with the metallic tang of Nirrn’s splattered blood still lingering on her clothes.

“Move faster,” one Jorvlen soldier growled, yanking her forward when she stumbled.

Her medical training started to kick in, cataloging her own injuries—bruised ribs, split lip, and possible sprained wrist from the tight handcuffs.But her thoughts kept circling back to Nirrn, lying motionlessly in a pool of his own blood.The image burned behind her eyes, making her chest constrict tightly.

The underground tunnel air soon grew less stale, signaling they were nearing the surface.A sudden gust of cold wind whipped across her face as they emerged, carrying the acrid stench of Jorvla’s industrial sector.

“Please,” she tried one last time, “he needs medical attention—”

Before she knew it, an armored fist slammed into her stomach, driving the air from her lungs.She doubled over, gasping.

“Shut your mouth,” the Jorvlen commander snarled.“Your Niri pet is dead by now.”

Another blow caught her across the face, splitting her cheek open.Warm blood trickled down her jaw as she fought to stay conscious.Her legs buckled, but the Jorvlen soldiers’ grip kept her upright.

“Not so brave now.Are you?”One of them laughed, driving his knee into her back.“No one to protect you anymore.”

The beating continued, their fists and boots finding every vulnerable spot on her body.Through the haze of pain, her thoughts drifted to Nirrn—his gentle hands, his fierce protectiveness, and the way he had looked at her like she was precious.

A final blow to her head sent darkness rushing in.As consciousness slipped away, she thought she heard Nirrn’s deep voice whispering to her that he loved her, too, and that he was coming to save her.But that was impossible.Nirrn was dead.She was alone again, just like before.

Then, the world faded to black.

Chapter 15

Nirrn

Thesharpscentofmedicinal herbs and antiseptic stung Nirrn’s nostrils as consciousness crept back.Pain radiated through his torso where the Jorvlen soldiers had struck him, each breath sending daggers through his ribcage.His orange-scaled tail coiled instinctively as he tried to orient himself in the unfamiliar room.

“Islae?”His voice came out as a rasp.The silence that answered made his stomach drop.

“Easy there, big guy.”Joseph’s voice came from somewhere to his left.“You took quite a beating.”

Nirrn’s eyes snapped open, his upper body leaning forward despite the protest of his injuries.“Where is she?”The words came out as a growl, his protective instincts flaring hot and fierce.

Joseph stepped back, his hands raised.“I don’t know.When the raid hit, everyone scattered.I found you unconscious in a pool of your own blood in the cavern.Brought you straight to the healer’s house here in Haven.”

Nirrn’s fingers clenched the thin blanket covering him, his scales bristling with barely contained rage.The memory of Islae’s eyes filled with fear flashed in his mind.He had failed her.

“You’re lucky to be alive,” Joseph continued, watching him carefully.“Must be fighting for something pretty important.”

“Someone,” Nirrn corrected, his voice hard with determination.His tail shifted as he pushed himself up straighter, ignoring the throbbing pain across his torso and in his head.“Islae.She is my mate, and I will tear apart every building in Jorvla until I find her.”

The conviction in Nirrn’s voice made Joseph step back again.This wasn’t the calm and collected healer he had known from days before.Nirrn’s golden eyes blazed with a predatory intensity, his massive frame coiled with lethal purpose despite his injuries.

“They will regret taking her from me,” Nirrn said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.“Every single one of them.”

Nirrn’s tail coiled restlessly as the human healer came into the room and changed his bandages.The antiseptic stung, but he barely noticed through his growing agitation.Every second spent in this bed was another second Islae remained in danger.

---