Page 222 of Fangs
He looked frantically around the tent, which looked the same as last night. “I don’t think there’s any spare clothes besides that jacket.” He pointed to where Sax’s jacket lay on our bed of furs.
“It’s ok,” I mumbled. “I’m just gonna rest a bit and then figure it out.”
Roe hovered anxiously over me. “I think you should get up, Em.”
“I will.” My eyes closed. “Just gimme a second.”
“Em.” His voice sounded like it was coming from far away. “Em!”
I wasn’t sure if I was half asleep or in a state of shock. I couldn’t stop shivering, and my body felt completely drained, reminding me again of when I was healing the Shadowbane the first time. I could hear Roe calling my name every so often, and I tried to reply, but I couldn’t tell if any words made it past my lips.
Someone hauled me up to sit, and my body felt weirdly boneless. I couldn’t get my eyes open.
“Don’t…you doing? You……that!” Roe's frantic cries faded in and out of my head.
A thread of panic trickled in, but my body refused to move. It felt like I was spinning endlessly, and everything faded away again.
“Ember? Can you hear me?”
I cracked my eyes open to see the blurry face of a Voiceless. I gasped, attempting to scramble away only to realize he was firmly holding my arm and Roe was sitting on the other side of me.
“It’s alright, Ember,” the Voiceless said, and I realized it was Talmar. “You’re safe.”
I stared at him, my heart in my throat. I was lying in the bed of furs, and Roe was clinging to my shirt—mydryshirt.
“Can you sit up?” Talmar asked.
I sat up with his help. I felt shaky and weak, and the room spun for a moment. I was wearing dry clothes that I didn’t recognize. Bile burned in the back of my throat as vague memories returned. Had Talmar undressed me?
“I have some stew for you.” Talmar picked up a bowl from the floor and scooped up a spoonful, holding it out to my lips as though I were a child.
I was so taken aback that I opened my mouth and let him feed me a spoonful of stew. It was warm and flavorful and awoke my intense hunger. He tried to feed me another, but I turned my head away.
“I can do it,” I said, my voice hoarse.
“Let me care for you, Goddess,” he said softly, making all the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
“I can do it,” I repeated fiercely through my teeth.
He looked disappointed but handed me the bowl. I took it, noticing that my wrists and burned hand had been neatly bandaged again. I glanced at Roe and noted that he didn’t have any food.
“Did you eat?” I asked him.
He shook his head, his eyes darting to Talmar.
“He may eat after you, Goddess.”
“He eats now,” I said as authoritatively as possible with my raspy voice.
Talmar’s eyes narrowed, but he dipped his head after a breath. “As you wish.”
I waited until he stood and left the tent before I set the bowl down and turned to Roe. “Are you ok?”
Roe looked up at me, his lip trembling. “I’m ok.”
“What happened?”
“I couldn’t get you to wake up,” he whispered. “He came in and took your clothes off, but he put dry ones on. He was angry about the scars on your back.”
