He rolled away from her, smiling again as Flynt woke and chattered to her, patting his clawed hand against her hair.
Scarlett rose and wobbled.“Perhaps I do need help.My legs are as limp as spaghetti noodles.”
Ransom stood and scooped her up.At least her eyes had changed from the weird milky white.They weren’t her original green, but he could live with the golden-brown.He carried her to the outskirts of their camp and set her on her feet.“Can you see all right?”
“Yes, why?”
“Your eyes are brown.”
“Really?”She wrinkled her nose.“That’s weird.My vision is fine.”
“That’s all that matters,” Ransom said.“They’re still pretty.Call if you need me to come and get you.Maybe you should try to shift.You might feel stronger.”
“No!I can’t shift right now.”
“Why?”
“Go.”She flapped her hands at him.“I’ll explain later.I could murder a hot drink.”
Ransom turned to camp.“Very well.I’ll make food.”
When he arrived, he found Flynt had dragged pieces of wood, large and small, to the edge of their fire.
“Thanks,” Ransom said.“We’ll get some food underway.Scarlett needs to eat.”
Another of those tremors vibrated the ground beneath their feet, and Ransom paused until they ended.
By the time Scarlett staggered back and pulled on her tunic and trews, he had water boiling, and Flynt was eating the first of the shrink-meals.
“We’re running low on food,” Ransom said.
“What?We packed plenty.”
“We’re feeding Flynt, and you’ve been sleeping for almost five cycles.”
“Five?No wonder I’m thirsty.”Scarlett gestured at the Trolleris.“His name is Talon.”
“How do you know?”
Scarlett accepted the hot drink he handed her.“When you went for water, Talon and I had visitors.I could understand them, and they interpreted for me.I guess my translator needs an update.Yours too.”
She told him about the visit and everything that had happened.
“You let him drill in your arm?”Horror filled him at the danger she’d put herself in by trusting a stranger.
“I wasn’t getting better,” Scarlett said.“Talon trusted them, so I did too.”
“Can I check your arm?Talon has kept me away.The kid hissed and growled every time I tried to look at it.”
Scarlett lifted her tunic sleeve.“It has healed, but I have a weird scar.They told me I shouldn’t shift until after our showdown with the prince.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.Whatever they did, it was Talon’s idea.”
They both glanced at Talon and found the Trolleris kid watching them with interest.
“If the volcano is about to blow, we need to hustle to find the prince,” Ransom said.“Are you up to walking?”
