“You’re playing with fire, Commander,” Terena hissed, and yanked his hands off her hips.
“So. To be clear, you don’t have the power to heal yourself.”
Terena snarled at him. His grin widened before he took her hand once more. She tried to shake him off, causing another streak of pain to rumble through her body.
“I only want to get you to that rock over there. See it? You can sitand relax a few minutes while I look around. I think the light is coming from over there.”
Terena mumbled under her breath but let him guide her to the rock he’d indicated. It was not so low she’d have trouble lowering herself on it. Terena gritted her teeth, tightening her hold on his hand as Daris brought his arm around waist and helped her sit.
When she was settled, Terena gave him a quick nod as he watched her. After a moment in which his hands lingered at her waist, Daris moved off toward the far side of the cave where a thin stream of light wavered.
Terena tipped her head back and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she glanced around the cave. He was gone.
And she was alone.
Perfect.
Terena lifted her hand to her hair, brushing back the black strands plastered to the side of her face. She groaned, thinking how disastrous she must look.
She wiped her nose on her forearm and loosed a long sigh.
Something slid behind her.
She stilled, holding her breath as she listened.
There it was again. Closer.
Where was Daris?
“Who are you?”
Dread buzzed through Terena’s body at the silky voice coming from behind her.
That sliding sound came again, and Terena slowly turned her head to look over her injured shoulder.
“I smell the other one on you,” the voice said languidly. “Is he your lover?”
Gods.
Terena shifted on the rock as she tried to find the source of that voice. She didn’t have to see it to know who it belonged to.
“Bethana,” she whispered.
The sliding stopped. A second later she heard the hissing voice near her left ear and jumped.
“I haven’t heard that name in a long time,” the serpent said, her voice edged in steel.
Terena willed her body to stop shaking.
“You smell different,” the serpent said, closer still. Terena sensed her over her shoulder, but did not move. “You smell like him, but beneath that…”
“Over here!”
Terena’s eyes snapped up, finding Daris as he stepped back into the cave, his sword out.
The serpent hissed and Terena held up a hand to stop him from moving closer.
“The lover returns,” Bethana hissed, drawing out her words. Terena shuddered at the brush of the serpent’s forked tongue near her ear.
