“What’s your name?”
My name? She wants to know my name? No one’s ever bothered to ask me that before. To be nice to me. Is it a trick?
“I won’t hurt you. I just want to be sure you’re okay.” She sits back, as if to give me room. The void of space where her hip rested just moments before feels vast. “My name is Cara.” She smiles, and I want to smile back. I just don’t remember how.
“S-sable.” My voice creaks out of me, and I realize I’m quite thirsty. I look down, away from the beautiful woman, and wring my hands together. I notice that the men who held me have let go, though I’m afraid to move too much lest they grab me again. “May I have some water?”
Another smile and a nod. She gets up, a strangely fluid motion that for some reason heats my cheeks. I find myself watching her walk across the smoking room to a pitcher in the corner. She strides past burning furniture like it’s nothing, like she has no fear of fire.
The woman—Cara—pours a glass of water and hands me the cup. I wonder for a moment if it’s poisoned, but my thirst wins out, and I gulp it down.
“Better?”
I nod, again looking down, focusing on the cup in my hands. I feel the woman’s eyes on me, but I can’t bring myself to meet her gaze.
“Sable, honey, do you remember what happened?”
Do I remember? How can I forget! I shift my hips and give a grunt of affirmation.
“Can you tell me about it?”
My hair flies in my face as I shake my head. I can’t tell her what happened. I can never tell anyone what happened. Better to keep my mouth shut and just wait for them to throw me out, back into the woods, to face the panthers again.
“Okay. I won’t push.”
That shocks me so much I jerk my eyes to meet hers. Why is she being so nice to me?
A dark-haired male steps close, and he places a fist over his heart. “My lady Sable, I offer my thanks for healing my mate.” Another male, dark-skinned and wearing an oversized tunic, wraps an arm over the first man’s shoulder and kisses his cheek. “He was on death’s door, and you saved him.”
I blink in confusion until I recognize the couple. They were on the cart that carried us from the woods. I had seen the darker man lying near death, and how his mate gazed at him. The naked love and anguish in his eyes was unbearable to witness, so I’d done what I could.
Cara rests a hand on my knee and gives it a squeeze. “Yes. Thank you for healing my friend. Can you do that again? Heal yourself, or some of the other injured? Our priests have medicines and bandages, but if you have the energy it would be a great help.”
I shrug one shoulder. “Maybe? I haven’t done it often. I’m not sure.”
Cara’s lips set in a thin line, and she rubs my knee. “Okay. That’s fair. If you think you can, try it on yourself first. See how much of your strength it takes. If it’s too strenuous, we won’t ask you to do any more.”
My eyes sweep the temple and take in the wounded lying around. I might be pushing it if I try to heal all of them. The flames might follow my command, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a price associated with using them. I could easily drain myself dry if I do too much. Still, this woman is putting my needs first, making sure I’m okay with it, and that’s a rare occurrence in my life.
With a trembling hand, I cover the largest bandage, splaying my fingers as I summon the healing fire within me. Bright yellow-orange flames spread from my hand, and a soothing warmth engulfs me as the fire mends my injuries. The brilliance of the light blinds me for a moment, and when my vision clears, Cara is gently tugging at my bandages, inspecting the healed skin. Her eyes widen in wonder, and another blush creeps into my cheeks. A strange fluttering begins in my stomach as her delicate fingers trail over the intact skin of my abdomen, where mere moments ago I had bled.
A male wolf with a saturated bandage around his midsection steps forward—the same one who moments ago tried to kill me—and I shrink back as he reaches for me. He stops, but not before Cara gives him a scathing glare.
“Leave her alone, Corvin. Give her some space.”
“How did she do that? Can she heal the rest of us?”
Here it comes. They’re going to insist that I heal the other injured wolves, and it’s going to take most of my strength. I might survive it, but I doubt they care one way or the other. They just want their own fixed.
“Damnit, Corvin, she’s been through a lot. Can’t you wait five minutes for her to tell me if she even thinks she can?”
She’s … standing up for me?
I don’t understand. She doesn’t know me. Why is she defending me?
This woman, this stranger, is putting herself between me and the large, wounded animal, and she’s protecting me.
A newfound resolve straightens my spine, and I clear my throat.
