“I said I promise!”
She grabbed his shoulders, shook him hard enough to whip his head from front to back.
Nothing.
“Damn it.” The snarl tore out. “You are so annoying!”
The vow sat sour in her mouth, but it bound her just the same. She’d do what she could to keep him alive long enough to point the damn way.
He’d played her like a hellspawned fiddle.
“Where have my clothes gone, pet?” Kaelith coughed himself awake.
“You kept leaking. And your ribs are broken.” Rynna didn’t bother looking up. She pointed toward the bandages now wrapped across his torso—layers of dark linen, torn from his shirt, and knotted firm to keep him held together.
“Also. My name’s Rynna. Enough with the ‘pet’ nonsense. It’s creepy.”
She drew the last knot tight on the makeshift stretcher—branches lashed together with pieces of her own clothes, crude but serviceable. Rising to her feet, she dusted her hands off against her thighs.
“There’s some water next to you.” She jerked her chin toward the small waterskin resting near his side. “Drink up. Then tell mewhere to go.”
Kaelith reached for the water with a wince, turning it over once in his hands before lifting it to his lips. He took a small sip, swallowed, then grimaced.
The satchel hovered in front of his face for a moment.
“Rynna.” He said it as if he were tasting the sound of it. “You went through my things.” His eyes traced down the length of her. “Find anything you like?”
She cocked a hip, arms crossed loosely. “Nothing large enough to notice.”
He choked, snorting out the water before stoppering the sack with one hand and letting his dark hair fall forward, half-shadowing his face.
“Perhaps, one day, I’ll show you just how...noticeable I can be.” His tongue flicked out, wetting his lips. “Rynna.”
Lifting her face toward the sky, she silently begged for mercy as she lugged the stretcher next to him, then slipped her arms under his armpits.
“Not now! You shameless woman! I am injured!”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” She heaved, then dropped him onto the stretcher.
“Ow!”
Ignoring him, she pulled one of the ties loose from her belt and started securing it across him, maybe a little too snug.
“I still need to breathe!” He squirmed weakly beneath her knot.
She stepped back and looked him over, jaw tense. It was going to be a long freaking journey if he kept this up.
Rynna smiled.
“What are you thinking?” Kaelith’s brow furrowed. “Whatever it is, I don’t like the look of it.”
She nodded to herself, tugging the last strip of torn fabric free. And without a word, she bent low and shoved it into his mouth.
Kaelith growled behind the gag, trying to twist away, but his body had no strength left.
“Better.” She straightened, brushing off her hands.
He glared up at her, mumbling furiously around the wad of cloth.
