Page 54 of On a Barbarian World

CHAPTER TEN

Clinging to a ledge not far from the window she was aiming for, Aurina took a deep breath.

She was balanced precariously, but determined to make it. She looked down and swallowed. The hard ground looked very far below. Maybe this hadn’t been her best idea, but it was too late to do anything about that.

Kavon needed her.

Suck it up and get moving, Phoenix. She reached above her, finding a handhold, and pulled herself upward. She moved over a little, trying to line up with the right window.

Reaching out, she moved her hand along, searching for another handhold. The gray rock used to build the place wasn’t polished, thank the stars, so there were enough rough dips and small ledges for her to grip.

Her fingers slid into a groove and again, she pulled herself up. She moved her foot, searching for a place to put it…and slipped.

No! She slid down a meter, pressing herself flat against the rock, her nails scraping. She caught herself, clinging there, her heart hammering.

Still not giving up, damn you. She looked up, and keeping her gaze fixed on that window, she kept climbing.

Centimeter by centimeter, she crawled up the rock. Finally, she reached the window ledge, and gripping it hard, pulled herself inside.

Panting, she sat with her back against the wall for a moment, her arms wrapped around her knees and her eyes closed, and thanked the stars.

When she opened her eyes, she gasped.

The wreckage from her ship was laid out on a giant, polished-stone table.

There wasn’t much of it.

Stars, if this was it, and Drog had a similar stash, she was lucky she’d survived at all.

She pushed to her feet and walked over, running her hand over a small sheet of metal. Her chest constricted. Oh, her sweet little ship. She’d loved the Ariel. It had taken her to so many places, and saved her butt more times than she could count.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Aurina moved along the table and froze.

The emergency beacon stared up at her.

Her hand reached out, hovering above the surface of the device. It wasn’t even dented, but was inactive. She had no idea if her brothers were nearby, and if they were searching for her, but boy, a part of her was tempted to just flick the switch.

Her hand dropped to her side. She wouldn’t break her word to Kavon. Especially not while he was lying in bed, dying, after getting injured protecting her.

If nothing else, her mother had taught her that keeping your word was the one thing you could have even when you had no e-creds or pretty things. Being with Kavon had reinforced to her that honor was a hell of an admirable trait.

She scanned the rest of the table, and spotted the twisted remains of her med kit. Heart hammering, she raced over to it. It was bent out of shape, but when she managed to pry the lid open, she saw the shiny cylinder of the medscope inside.

Undamaged.

Yes! She smiled and snatched it up.

She tucked the medscope safely into the bodice of her corset. Energized, she made short work of the climb back down. It was much easier than climbing up. She didn’t aim for the small balcony off her new room, but for the large one off Kavon’s.

Her feet touched the smooth balcony stone, and she dropped into a crouch. She could hear the healers inside. The chanting continued, but more quietly now. She peeked through the curtains and saw three healers standing by the big bed.

Patience. She willed them to leave. It took time, but slowly, the chanting stopped and the healers gradually filed from the room. The last to leave dimmed some of the light wands, leaving a muted glow in the room.

Aurina moved inside. She wanted to run to the bed, needed to see Kavon, but she forced herself to head over to the door. She moved the old-fashioned lock into place. The click seemed overloud to her ears, and she half expected the warriors standing guard outside to start pounding on the door.

Silence. Now she turned and hurried to the bed.

When she saw Kavon, her heart clenched. So still, his bronze skin pale. A stark white bandage was pressed in place over his neck, and his chest was bare but still bore ragged tears from the beast. A sheet covered the lower half of his body.