All around us, amsirah scurried to gather the supplies Tucker had ordered.They raced back to us.
I took some bandages from the woman who handed them to me as I tugged at Ellery’s shirt.The chains rattled as Ellery shivered, and goose bumps broke out across her flesh.
“Get me the keys to the chains!”I yelled.
One of the women from the palace rushed over and held out a key to me.The other keys on the ring clinked together as I took it from her.
I squeezed Ellery’s hand before pulling them toward me and sliding the key into the lock.I undid her wrists and ankles before tossing the chains aside.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
When she spoke, blood slipped out of her mouth to wet her lips.
“Fuck,” I snarled as I dabbed her lips with one of the rags they’d delivered.“Save your strength.Don’t talk.”
“You should… take care… of… you,” she whispered between rattling breaths.
“I’m fine,” I assured her.
Gripping her shirt again, I lifted it to reveal the gash in her side.My fingers stilled on her blood-drenched, too-pale skin.
The blade had sliced upward, revealing her ribs, and little bubbles popped in some of the blood from the hole in her lung.“What did he do to you?”
“It… will… heal.”
I lifted my eyes to hers and tenderly touched her cheek.“Save your strength.Don’t talk.”
“The others?Mr.Flet… cher… Ianto… Billy?”
I glanced over my shoulder at where the others lay in the clearing.I couldn’t tell what shape they were in, but men and women were working on Ianto, Fletcher, and the boy.If they were already dead, then no one would be trying to help them.
Some of the women who had come off the battlefield with us were also maimed.Most had already been taken care of, but they were tending a few.
“They’re alive,” I told her.
She closed her eyes, and a small smile played at the corners of her mouth before it fell away.“Good.”
“Stop talking.You need to rest.”
She opened her eyes again and gave me a skeptical look.“So do you.”
I didn’t acknowledge her words as I washed away the blood and gently cleansed the wound.When I was satisfied I couldn’t do any more, I wrapped the bandage around her and knotted it.
I settled her shirt back into place; I’d prefer to get the bloody material away from her, but she wasn’t strong enough to move, and I wasn’t going to strip her in front of everyone.For now, she needed to heal before I could clean her further.
Carefully shifting her, I settled with my back against a tree.She opened her eyes and leaned against my side.Callan brought us a blanket and helped me get it around her.
When he started to leave, I stopped him with my words.“Callan.”His brow furrowed as he turned back to me.“Thank you for helping to save her.”
I would have lost her if it hadn’t been for the musician clinging to her.
Callan bowed his head.“He never should have gotten her into the portal.”
“Not… your… fau… lt,” Ellery got out from between her chattering teeth.
“What happened?”I asked the musician.
He knelt at Ellery’s side as he revealed what had happened while I was at my father’s.I shouldn’t have let her go on her own.
