“I can do it.”
My voice comes out louder than I intended, and I shrink into myself as embarrassment tamps down the momentary burst of confidence.
Cara places a hand on mine, lacing her fingers with my own. “Are you sure? You don’t have to let Corvin intimidate you. If you’re not feeling up to it, we’ll handle things on our own until you are. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
I look back at the mated men. Seeing the love between them fuels my resolve. “I can do it,” I say, quieter this time, though with more confidence.
With Cara’s help I get to my feet, and we walk hand in hand over to the man called Corvin. Cara nudges my side and whispers loudly, “You don’t have to heal him if you don’t want. He’s a jerk, anyway.” Her words surprise me, until I see the glint of humor in her eyes.
At least, I think it’s humor. I’m not terribly well-versed in that particular emotion.
I raise my hands to focus my power, but a new thought gives me pause.
“I can stop if it gets to be too much? I don’t have to keep going if I’m getting drained?” I look up at Cara, who I now realize is several inches taller than me. For some reason, though, her height doesn’t intimidate me. Instead, I find it comforting to have her standing over me.
“Only do what you can. If you get tired or drained, just stop.”
She smiles, and with that smile my fears melt away. I turn back to Corvin and hold my hands over his wound, summoning the flames that live within me. Seconds later, the bright, flickering lights engulf his midsection, and once they burn out he removes his bandages. Pink, intact skin lies beneath, and his eyes grow wide.
“Thank you.”
His words catch me off-guard. He’s … thanking me? But moments ago, he was angry with me … I don’t understand.
Rather than dwell on the incongruous nature of his response, I move to the next cot, where another injured wolf lies dying. Cot after cot, I move along, healing as I go. By the time I heal the last wolf, I’m exhausted. I collapse on the floor, sitting hard on my tailbone as the strength to stand drains out of me, and Cara rushes to my side.
“Sable! Are you okay?”
I nod weakly, taking her offered hand. “Yeah. Just tired.”
“Come here. Let’s get you back to your cot so you can rest.” Her toned arms slide under my legs and behind my back, and she lifts me like I was a little cub. I snuggle to her buxom chest as she carries me back to my cot. A small whimper escapes my lips when she lets go to tuck me in, though I don’t quite know why.
“Shh. You’re okay. Just rest.”
I want to protest, to find some excuse for her to stay with me, but my lids feel heavy, and sleep beckons.
Chapter 7
Cara
Strange how I could watch this woman sleep for hours and never get tired of it.
Corvin’s surly attitude returned after she fell back asleep, brought on, it seems, by my refusal to leave her side and return to the palace with him.
Jealousy doesn’t sit well on those annoyingly broad shoulders of his.
Hugh and Sym wanted to stay in the town with me, but once all of our surviving soldiers were healed—and after a heated argument with me—Corvin led them back to the palace, insisting they join him for a debrief with the Elders. I suppose I should have at least seen them off, but it worries me that Sable is sleeping so deeply. She hasn’t even stirred in the past several hours, and I wonder if we drained too much of her energy by asking her to heal so many.
Dawn breaks, and the sun burns off the early fog, but still Sable slumbers. Our healers can’t find anything physically wrong with her anymore, so their only theory is that she’s exhausted.
If I thought it possible, I would happily lend her some of my own energy. As far as I know, though, it’s not within my skillset. Then again, I wouldn’t have thought that the Sun God’s gifts could heal as well as burn, so maybe I just don’t know how. I wonder if all Suntouched Souls have different powers. I suppose we'll never know, unless a third Suntouched shows up. Solari help us if that ever happens! I don’t know yet how to deal with just two of us.
Finally, as the sun hits its midday zenith, her thick lashes flutter open. Her brow furrows as she surveys her surroundings.
“Where am I?”
I offer her a smile, hoping it calms her anxiety at waking in a strange place. “You're in our healers’ temple. Do you remember that?”
She nods and sits up. “Yes, of course I remember. I'm just surprised to wake up here.”
