Page 48 of Galadon
I let go of her as she moved forward once more. She did fine until the tunnel began its steep and winding ascent, which had her legs shaking. I gritted my teeth when she grabbed the wall for support instead of me, but I didn’t complain. Rayna had to do it in whatever way she found most comfortable. As a slayer, she needed to feel independent and in control. I needed to give her that despite my instincts to intervene.
Normally, it only took a minute for me to get through the tunnel from bottom to top. For Rayna, over a quarter-hour passed before we stepped into the late afternoon sunlight. The birds chirped loudly, and a light breeze blew through her loose, tousled hair. She stopped, squinting after being in the dark cavern for several days. I noted her breathing was heavy and her knees wobbly. The more she pushed today, though, the easier it would be tomorrow. I’d found that to be true with my own injuries.
“Okay, which way are we going?” she asked, gazing around.
I’d almost forgotten she didn’t know my home well. In the past few days, I’d grown comfortable with her presence. It surprised me how easily that had happened after centuries of living alone. I was even more shocked that I wanted her to see and know all my territory.
“That way,” I said, pointing across the clearing to another tunnel entrance near the trees.
“Okay.”
She began walking slowly in that direction, and it ate at me to see the frustration and pain on her face. Every step hurt her. Still, I kept a few feet of distance between us. I was close enough to catch her should she fall, but I gave her enough space not to feel crowded.
Rayna stopped halfway there to catch her breath, sweat beading her brow. “I swear I’m not normally like this.”
“You are recovering from severe trauma to your body,” I said, moving to stand before her. “The fact you’re walking at all is far more than most anyone would accomplish three days into the healing process.”
“I…I just don’t like being weak,” she said, dropping her gaze.
Taking a gentle grasp of her chin, I lifted it. “Even when I hated you, I never once thought you were weak, and I certainly don’t now. I see the strongest woman I’ve ever met.”
“You…” She blinked. “Really?”
“Yes, and it’s taking everything in me to resist carrying you because I can see the pain you’re suffering. I won’t, though, unless you ask, because I respect you enough not to intervene.But if you do, I’ll only see you as stronger for recognizing when to seek help.”
Rayna swallowed. “It hurts so bad right now…I…” She grabbed his arm. “Would you carry me?”
Indescribable relief filled me, and I scooped her into my arms. “Gladly.”
“Thank you.”
She rested her head against my shoulder, and it felt just as right as all the other times she’d done it in the past, though I’d resisted that feeling before. Now, I reveled in the fact that she trusted me enough to take care of her.
My mother came from the tunnel where we were headed, carrying a large metal vat. “I just filled the bath with hot water, so it’s ready for Rayna.”
The slayer glanced between Ujala and me, confusion lining her brows. “How did you know?”
“I heard you coming long before you got this far,” she said, giving her a gentle smile. “A bath will do wonders for your aching muscles.”
“Thank you,” Rayna said.
I nodded in gratitude at my mother and continued toward the tunnel. Most of the ones I built twisted and winded with various offshoots for security purposes, but this one was short and direct to allow some daylight inside and make it easier for carrying the hot water. I set Rayna down on a wooden bench while I checked the bath, finding it the perfect temperature.
The zaphiriam metal tub was one I acquired from the Faegud in a trade deal a few years ago, and far better than myold method of washing, which involved cold water at the nearest river. It was so deep that the rim reached mid-way up my thighs, long enough I could stretch my legs, and wide enough to give me plenty of room to wash.
It occurred to me then that Rayna was in no condition to climb inside safely, and the nervous look on her face confirmed it. “Get undressed, and I’ll help you in there.”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’ll manage it…so you can go.”
I frowned. “You’re not in any shape to climb over a rim that high.”
“Maybe,” she conceded, pushing some of her hair behind her ear. “But asking you to carry me was one thing and hard enough. I need to do the bath myself.”
Looking at her tight expression and the panic in her eyes, I saw she was on the edge of getting overwhelmed. We still had much to resolve between us. She needed to process what had happened to her with the Kandoran, and she hated feeling helpless. Her pride had taken a beating lately, which I understood all too well.
“I will make a deal with you,” I said, thinking through my words carefully.
Rayna gripped the bench. “What?”
