“He’s getting better,” Scarlet replied.“He’s still sleeping, but his color is improving, and his fingers have started twitching.That bastard slit his throat.”
I winced, and my hand went instinctively to my throat.“How awful.”
“Eat,” Ryker said and tapped my plate.
I didn’t like obeying anyone, but my stomach was more than happy to agree to this order.Lifting a piece of buxon, I bit into the tender meat and groaned as the delicious taste hit my tongue.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
Ellery
I ateuntil I was stuffed and then licked my fingers clean.Ryker took the plate from me and set it on the ground.
When I went to nestle closer to him, I winced as the movement pulled at my wound.Sitting up again, I lifted my shirt to examine the bandage.Fresh blood stained it.
“You should rest.”Ryker settled his hand over mine.“Let me.”
I lowered my hand so he could untie the bandage.He pulled it open to reveal the gash.
I twisted to see better, but the movement only pulled at my skin, and a trickle of warmth seeped down my side.I was able to glimpse a small hole.
“It’s healing nicely,” Ryker said as Scarlet knelt beside me with fresh bandages.“I can’t see your ribs anymore.”
“That’s a goal everyone should have,” I replied.
His lips twitched toward a smile as he pulled the bandages away, and Scarlet gave him the new ones.She returned to Billy as Ryker re-covered the wound, settled my shirt back into place, and rested his hand against my side.
His silver eyes burned into mine as he bent to kiss me.“I almost lost you,” he whispered against my lips.
“It wasn’t looking so good for you either for a little bit there, but we’re both here.”
He cupped my cheeks as he kissed me again.“We’re both here.”
From somewhere deeper within the encampment, laughter rang out and cheers sounded.They quickly hushed.
“They’re happy Ivan’s dead,” Ryker said, “but they’re trying to be respectful of the injured.”
“And dead,” I murmured.“Ivan’s not the only one who lost his life today.Many innocents died on that field.”
“Notbecause of you.”
I closed my eyes.“Not because of me.”
It would take me a while to completely convince myself of this, but he was right.Those women were there because evil men were hunting me; I didn’t place them there, I wouldn’t have chosen it for them, and I would fight until my very last breath to ensure they never ended up there again.
My eyes shifted away from the amsirah clanking their drinks together around a smaller cooking fire and back to him.“Everyone knows who I am now.”
“They do.”
“We’ve become the hunted.”
“We have.”
I’d lost the home, animals, and land I loved, but as I rested my palm against his cheek, I knew that was my past.My future was sitting before me and spread out all around us.
“You killed the king,” I said.
“I needed abigdistraction to get you out of there.”
