“Shea, that’s enough,” Caden said from rightnext to her. His sword was out and pointed at Indra.
“Do it,” Indra hissed, raising her head andtrying to impale herself on Shea’s blade.
Shea smiled at the woman under her. It wasn’ta very nice smile, evidenced by Indra’s barely perceptible flinch.“You’d like that, wouldn’t you? But, no, I think that would be tooeasy a punishment for you. I’m sure Fallon and Caden have somequestions for you.”
“Coward.”
Shea paused in the act of climbing off Indra.She bent down, bringing her face close to the other woman’s.
“I don’t think so. I’m not the one fleeingfrom the consequences of my actions. That would be you. Seems thosepure bloodlines you have don’t protect against common defects ofcharacter. Such a pity.”
With that, Shea stood and let Caden takeover.
Two men moved past her and grabbed Indra,flipping her over and binding her arms behind her.
“Thought you agreed to stay hidden and notinterfere,” Caden said, glaring at her.
Shea shrugged. “That was before I saw herfleeing. I saw a need and pursued it.”
He rubbed his head. “Fallon’s going to havemy head.”
“I don’t see why. I did catch one of theconspirators.”
He gave her a look. One that said he was thisclose to relegating her to idiot territory. He grabbed her injuredarm and jerked it forward. Shea couldn’t help the moan thatescaped, fighting to stay on her feet as black spots ate at theedges of her vision.
He grabbed a length of cloth and pressed itagainst the wound to staunch the bleeding, forcing another moan outof her.
“This, this right here is why he wanted youto stay hidden,” he said, wrapping another strip of cloth aroundher arm to hold the compress in place. “He wants you safe,girl.”
“There’s no such thing as safe in the BrokenLands,” Shea said faintly. Boy, she was beginning to feel a littlelightheaded. “I think I need to sit down.”
Caden cursed, the words out of his mouthheated enough to blister the air. A pair of firm hands guided Sheato a resting spot. It was a good thing too because black spots hadstolen nearly all of her vision, and she wasn’t entirely sure shewould have been able to find her seat on her own.
“I’ll let you tell him that,” Caden told her,continuing their previous conversation.
He jostled her as he pressed another wad ofbandages against the wound on her thigh and then wrapped ittightly.
“Tell him what?”
“That there’s no such thing as safety when itcomes to you. Then I’ll sit back and watch the explosion. It shouldbe a good show.”
“I don’t know why you think that. It’s afact. Had he left me back at the camp, his enemies might have beenjust as likely to eliminate me. And, in this situation, I didcapture the woman.”
A dry bark escaped Caden. It took Shea asecond to realize it was a laugh.
“Fallon lives to keep the people he caresabout safe. He’s done all this to build the foundation of somethingthat will guarantee the survival of the family he intends to havesomeday. You willingly jeopardizing that is not going to go overwell.”
“Family?”
Caden sighed, his intense gaze meeting hers.“You. And whatever children the two of you create.”
Shea’s faintness returned.
“I thought I was just a passing fancy. Thathe’d eventually grow bored and move on,” she whispered.
Caden snorted. “For all your brains, you’re abit slow.”
He stood and shook his head. Shea watched himgo with an open mouth.
