“Haven’t taken any in a while.”
Erin pulled the last of the bandages away. Iunderstood the saying jaw hitting the floor, and I was pretty suremine did when his torso was revealed. The jagged slices of Lilitu’stalons raked across his tanned, muscular torso were puckered asthey stood a good inch off of his chest. The gashes were pinkagainst his skin with black stitches crisscrossing his flesh.
No blood swelled up from the slices anymore,but that wasn’t what had me gawking like an idiot.
I wasn’t any kind of medical expert, but Iwas fairly certain those wounds looked at least two weeks old, notbarely a day. Either Hawk was some kind of miracle healer or—
A piece of jerky and some trail mix beingthrust under my nose distracted me from Hawk’s chest when Kobalheld them out. As my mouth watered, I snatched the food away fromhim and bit into the jerky. It tasted better than steak to me, andI barely suppressed a groan.
“Well, I’ll be,” Hawk said, drawing myattention away from my rabid eating as he gazed down at hischest.
“Amazing,” Erin murmured and fingered theedge of one stitch.
Beside me, Kobal stiffened and his eyesnarrowed on Hawk’s bared torso. Corson had been walking toward us,but he froze in midstride when he saw Hawk’s chest. His gaze flewto Kobal, whose jaw clenched.
“Wrap him back up,” Kobal commanded.
My appetite abated at the gruffness of histone and the disbelieving, almost resigned look on Corson’s face.“Is everything okay?” I asked
“Fine, that should remain covered to preventinfection though,” Kobal briskly replied.
He turned away from me before I could readhis expression. Erin gathered some fresh gauze, tape, and bandages.Ever so carefully, she recovered the wound. Hawk didn’t even flinchas she worked.
I finished off my meal, but I couldn’t takethe same enjoyment in it as I had in the beginning. An unsettlingsensation churned through my belly while I watched her. I tried tokeep it from happening, but there was a tremor in my hands when Islid the elastic band from my wrist and pulled my hair into a knotat my nape.
Climbing from the truck, I walked over towhere Kobal stood by the driver’s door, and rested my hand on hisarm. “Is Hawk going to be okay?” I asked in a low murmur.
He barely glanced at me when he responded,“He’ll be fine.”
“You’re not telling me something.”
“You saw him. He’s healing well.”
“He is, almost too well.”
“Kobal!” Bale called, drawing his attentionto her as she jogged over. “Morax spotted lanavours not a mile awayfrom here. We have to go.”
Kobal pulled open the driver’s side door.“Get in,” he commanded brusquely.
My hackles rose at the command, but the lookon his face silenced any protest over his high-handed manner. Everytime someone spotted the lanavours, the demons sought to get awayfrom them. I didn’t ever want to encounter one of them. Bale joggedaround and slid into the passenger seat next to me.
Kobal started the truck and pulled out of theclearing with a squeal of tires. I didn’t look back as the othervehicles followed behind us. The truck fishtailed on the roadbefore gaining traction on the broken asphalt. Bale’s hand shot up,bracing herself against the roof to keep from spilling onto theroadway.
I gripped the dashboard to keep from gettinga concussion as we raced over the broken roads. Before me, theangel figurine rattled on the dash as she stared toward Heaven.
CHAPTER 42
Kobal
“Why is Hawk healing so quickly?”
I nearly groan aloud, but I had known Riverwouldn’t let it go so easily.
“People heal differently,” Bale said.
River’s lips pursed at Bale’s words. Shedidn’t look at all appeased by Bale’s innocent countenance. Iglanced in the rearview at the closed window behind us and thegroup sprawled out in the back of the truck.
“Not that differently,” River replied. “Hewas half dead yesterday.”
