Page 69 of Of Blood and Fire
I stepped in front of the mirror to examine what remained. There wasn’t much. The bald patch on my head ran at a slight angle from above my ear to the middle of my neck and had cut straight across my plait before moving on to scar my left shoulder blade, though the skin there was only very slightly blistered, which suggested the spray of acid had lost most of its momentum by then.
I unwound what remained of the plait; the cut was a jagged angle rather than straight, with fuzzy, burned bits of hair frizzing a good inch above where the acid had sliced through it. I definitely couldnotleave it as was. I grabbed my knife, returned to the mirror, and sheared off what remained as best I could, leaving the hair barely brushing the back of my neck. Which was undoubtedly more practical for both drakkon ridingandhand-to-hand combat, but the anger nevertheless ramped up. They would pay for this. This, killing my parents, killing Ebrus...
Which was a whole lot of vengeance, and who fucking knew right now if any of it could even be achieved. I returned to the bath and climbed in, soaking in the hot water in an effort to ease some of the aching weariness; when the water finally began to cool, I grabbed the verum-scented soapweed and washed all the grime from hair and skin. Smelling fresher, even if I didn’t feel it, I climbed out, slipped on a nightrobe, and moved into the diningarea. The shamoke and a platter of food sat waiting on the table, as were Maree’s potions and salves. I applied one to my burns and the other—the regrowth one—to my hair, and drank the potions, then ate my dinner and climbed into bed. I was asleep practically before my head hit the pillow.
Awareness woke me who knew how many hours later. A smile tugged at my lips, but I didn’t open my eyes or otherwise acknowledge his presence. The bed platform creaked softly, then the musky scent of sweat and man flowed over me. A heartbeat later, he kissed my cheek.
“I know you’re awake, dearest Bryn.”
His warm breath whispered across my lips, and my smile grew. “Then why are you simply kissing my cheek rather than stripping off and climbing into bed with me?”
“Aside from the fact I smell worse than a pig pen, you mean?”
“I think we’ve already established the aroma of pig pens has no effect on my lust for your body.”
He laughed softly. “True, but we have a prisoner being held in the tanks, and they cannot question him unless I’m there, as it is my magic that holds his murderous intentions in check and him to silence. I’m here because Garran said you’d want to be present.”
“Oh, you know I do.”
He slapped my blanket-covered butt lightly. “Then get up, woman, before your cousin gets impatient and sends a detail to hurry us up.”
“Movement without a proper morning kiss is simply impossible.”
He laughed, then his lips claimed mine, the kiss gentle yet oddly intense, and far, far too brief.
I sighed regretfully as he pulled back, then motioned him out of the way and tossed the blankets aside, climbing out. “So,tell me, how in Vahree’s name did you manage to capture a Rayabar?”
He grimaced, deepening the lines of dirt and blood that plastered his face. “We were lucky—we saw them before they saw us.”
“They didn’t have a forward scout? That’s highly unusual for the Mareritt.”
“As I said, we were lucky.” His gaze followed me as I hurried across the room, a warm weight of desire and appreciation. “What happened to your hair? Why did you cut it?”
“I didn’t. Acid did.”
“Acid? I saw no sign of a burn?—”
“Maree’s salves do work miracles.”
“They’re notthatmiraculous.”
“Maybe not, but when combined with the faster healing I’d gained from my blood bonding with Kaia, perhaps miraclescanhappen.”
“Obviously. It does suit you, by the way.”
“Hmmm” was all I said, though the comment did go some way to easing the grief of losing my only feminine asset.
I quickly dressed, shoved my feet into fresh boots, then grabbed my knife and strapped it on as I moved back out into the main room. His clothes were torn and covered with black dust and what looked to be tendrils of slime, neither of which was a real surprise, given he and my old squad had spent umpteen hours making their way through hideous old tunnels.
Damon opened the door and waved me through ahead of him, and it was only then that I noticed Janis no longer stood guard inside the room but rather outside.
“Did you override Garran’s orders?” I asked, amused.
His hand pressed briefly against my spine, lightly guiding me toward the stairs. “No. I simply promised to shield therodent run’s entry into your room. I am many things, but an exhibitionist is not one of them.”
I laughed. “There speaks a man who has never experienced the delights of fornicating in a bunk room with others jacking off to the hushed sounds you’re emitting.”
“No, there speaks a man who prefers his pleasures to be leisurely and loud over secretive and rushed.”
