Page 109 of Cast By Flames (Dragon's Breath)
If she weren’t so tired, shock would have filled her. “Really?”
“Yes.”
Rayna didn’t resist when he took her by the waist and pulled her from the horse’s back. Galadon held her steady for a few seconds, allowing her to regain her footing before letting go. It had felt even more intimate than riding with him because he’d deliberately touched her this time instead of it being the result of exhaustion. The look in his eyes was almost gentle. She told herself she couldn’t read anything into his behavior when he was tired.
She ordered Onyx to find someplace to eat and rest. The sweat-slickened animal nuzzled her chest and then trotted away, veering around a group of shifters eating sandwiches and fruit. They gazed at the horse with mild curiosity, probably wondering how Galadon had been able to sit on him.
The two of them limped slowly to the stone bunker. It was about the size of a middle-class house, but it was square with no windows and only a single door. she knew it was larger than it appeared. In addition to the top floor, there’d be underground tunnels and rooms to store supplies.
“We make quite the pair,” she whispered with a hint of irony as they continued to draw the attention of nearby Faegud.
He grunted. “For once, I agree.”
Bet we killed a lot more Kandoran than they did,she said telepathically so the others couldn’t hear.
He glanced at her with an amused gleam in his eyes.
They entered the bunker. It took a moment for her vision to adjust to the dimness, but once it did, she was surprised by the number of injured inside. They lay on blankets, taking up nearly every available space. For those seriously wounded, healers were instructed to stabilize but not fully mend them, so they didn’t exhaust their powers too much.
Everyone in the room fell under the severe category, by the looks of it. Some were missing limbs, others had torsos with open gashes, indicating they had major internal damage that had been tended rather than the external skin. One guy’s skull was exposed. It had been bad enough seeing all the dead bodies in the war zone, but this was worse. The suffering both shifters and humans endured was unimaginable and lay everywhere before her eyes.
A woman with long, black hair, a lithe form, and intelligent golden eyes looked at them. Rayna recognized her from when the Craegud rescued them at Ft. Sill. Ujala hadn’t healed her, but she had tended toBailey and Conrad.
Her expression lit up when she spotted Galadon.
“Tali, tali,” she said, telling them to “come” in the dragon language.
Rayna had learned it over the years between her time with the Straegud and other dragons she’d befriended. She wasn’t quite fluent, but she understood most of the essential words.
Galadon put a hand on her lower back, gently nudging her forward. He’d avoided the gash on the right side and only touched an unwounded spot. His mother gestured for them to enter a back room with only one other patient. That one lay on a pallet along the far wall, appearing deathly pale. She couldn’t discern his injuries with the camrium blanket covering him.
Rayna and Galadon sat on a bench. On the opposite side of the room from them, there was a table with bandages and other medical supplies on it. She was amazed they had any left with all the wounded in the other room and who knew how many more scattered outside.
“Rayna first,” Galadon said.
She shot a surprised look at him, not only because he wanted her treated before him but also because he usually avoided saying her name. Today was full of firsts.
“Very well,” his mother said, speaking in English as she moved closer. “Let me see what ails you, brave girl.”
She had a kind voice and didn’t look at her suspiciously like the other shifters.
“It’s nothing. Just my knee, ribs, and a couple of gashes that haven’t closed yet.” She pointed to each. “But I’m sure they’ll get better soon if you want to save your energy for your son.”
“Nonsense.” She leaned down to take Rayna’s arm. “Oh, this looks painful. It must have been quite deep if it still looks this bad. You are a slayer, are you not?”
“Yes. Doesn’t that bother you?”
The female shifter shook her head. “It would if you were anyone else.” She cleared her throat before holding her palm over Rayna’s arm to begin healing it. “I mean, you two were quite close when you arrived, so I assume your control is excellent.”
Had she seen them ride up on Onyx from the open doorway?
“It is, especially after battle,” Rayna admitted, surprisingly comfortable with the female shifter. Ujala had such a kind disposition that it was hard to believe she abandoned her son at a young age. Surely, she must have had a good reason.
In seconds, the wound was closed. There was still an angry red line, but that would fade within a few hours. Healers usually wouldn’t leave any marks, but they had to minimize the amount of energy they spent during wartime. Galadon’s mother had Rayna stand so she could examine her back, lifting her camrium tunic to get a full view.
The male shifter sucked in a breath when he saw her wound. “How did that happen?”
“The same way you got so many gashes. Several Kandoran humans attacked at the same time, and one of them slashed a serrated knife across my back while I fought off the others,” she replied.
