Finding herself out of immediate danger, Sheafound her gaze returning to Fallon. What was he doing here?
He frowned as his men cleaned up theremaining revenants.
Shea found herself studying him. She hadnever thought to see him again.
Tiny lines feathered out from his eyes. Hismouth was a flat line as he surveyed the battle. He was so absorbedin his surroundings it was tempting to think he’d forgotten allabout her standing there at his side. That was a trap. It wasevident by the way he held himself alert that, despite appearances,on some level he knew she was still there, and he was ready toreact in any way should she move against him.
Somehow, though, she had thought his reactionto meeting her again would be slightly different. Slightly more.Not this barely acknowledged existence.
Fallon bared his teeth and strode forward,leaving her standing and staring after him in consternation. Thenit dawned on her that he didn’t recognize her.
She didn’t know if it was her attempt to looklike a boy, the gore caked all over her face and clothes, or justher general insignificance as a rank and file soldier, but hehadn’t looked twice at her.
A laugh broke from her and was quicklystifled. The glee bubbled up and escaped until she was laughing sohard that she was nearly crying.
“Shane,” Eamon roared, “We don’t have timefor you to have a break down. Get your ass back on the line.”
Her laughter died abruptly, and she lookedover her shoulder to see Eamon glowering at her from his place infront of the ragged line that had formed at the mouth of the cave.Her eyes went from the haggard looking men to Fallon’swarriors.
Though the tide had turned in the Trateri’sfavor, the fight wasn’t over. Shea was standing unprotected closeto the tree line, easy pickings for any stray revenant. Even as shedelayed, a clump of riders with revenants snapping at all sidesshifted towards her.
“Move, Shane!”
She didn’t hesitate again and hauled ass backto the dubious safety of Eamon and the others. They waited andwatched as Fallon rallied his men and drove the revenants towardsthe warriors waiting by the cave.
Eamon gave a war cry and tore forward, therest of the men following as they hacked their way through thebeasts while Fallon’s men on the other side did the same. Caught upin the wave, Shea followed, trying to stay close to Clark as theyonce again engaged the revenants.
The death cries of wounded beasts assaultedShea’s ears as she hacked and sliced her way through body afterbody. After what felt like an eternity, but was likely onlyminutes, of furious battle, a peculiar silence fell over the groupwhen the last revenant was killed. Panting filled the air as eachman looked around noting, finally, that it seemed to be over. Thatthey’d won.
Shea knew her face reflected the sameastonishment and bloody triumph as those around her.
A single cry of victory rose from Clark,nearly deafening Shea in its intensity, since he was standing ather shoulder. A second cry followed, and then all the men werescreaming their triumph at the sky.
A slight smile graced Shea’s lips as shelooked around. That smile froze on her face as her eyes foundFallon watching his men with arms folded over his muscled chest.His normally stern face radiated power and an intensesatisfaction.
Briefly, his eyes met Shea’s, pinning her inplace for a timeless moment before moving away.
Shea’s heart stuttered and then slammed intotriple time.
A hand grabbed her good arm and pulled herback, turning her to face a blood coated Eamon and an injuredBuck.
She hadn’t noticed them with her thoughtsturned to Fallon.
“Boy, next time I say move, you don’t juststare dumbly at me as if you got nothing but rocks in your brain,you move.”
At odds with the angry tone of his voice,Eamon pulled her injured arm gently away from her body and pickedthe ragged pieces of cloth out of the wound. She hissed in pain andtried to take her arm back. He held it tighter and gave her awarning look.
“You need to pay better attention,” heinformed her grimly, dumping the contents of a canteen over thewound. A shrill sound escaped Shea, and she nearly passed out. Thatwasn’t water in there. “You could have gotten yourself and otherskilled today. Normally I couldn’t care less if a dirt grubber getshimself killed, but right now you’re our scout. If you get yourselfdead, I’d have to explain to the quartermaster why he’s having tofind me a replacement since the last one wasn’t smart enough not togo off by themselves during a battle.”
Shea didn’t think that required a response soshe kept her mouth shut.
Buck handed him some gauze to wrap the woundwith, and she nearly whimpered again. His version of care hurt morethan the actual injury.
All the while Eamon dressed her injury helectured her on everything she had done wrong. Buck handed Eamonthe supplies he needed, his face a grim mask.
By the time Eamon was finished, Shea’s armwasn’t the only thing that was stinging. Her pride was too. Hereyes smarted, though she attributed that to the pain. She bit herlip hard against the words she wanted to say.
“Do you think they’ll come back?” Buckasked.
