The howls of the sylkren faded as we raced ahead.
Crimson caught my eye as I glanced over my shoulder—Lioran’s tunic pooled with blood. His face grew paler with each beat of the land beneath us.
I ripped hanging fabric from my tunic and pressed it to his side. He flinched with my touch. Veylar carried us further into the forest. My heart thundered, rising higher in my chest.
Lioran’s blood coated my hands.
Chapter 10
“Fyn! We need to stop!” I yelled.
A ring of blood seeped past my hand.
“I’ll…be… fine.” Lioran’s words caught. “We can’t stop here…it’s not…safe.”
“I’m not going to let you bleed out.” I grabbed Veylar’s reins and yanked hard. Lioran’s stallion was loyal to a fault—he refused to stop.
Fyn rode closer. His eyes scanned Lioran.
“We’re stopping now. You can be stubborn all you want later.” His tone was sharp.
“We will stop…when…it’s…safe.” Lioran grunted with each word. His body slumped into mine.
“Stop now, Veylar. Unless you’re not opposed to Lioran dying.” I yanked the reins harder.
The stallion halted.
Fyn raced to secure Lioran as he slid out of the saddle. My hands shook as they gripped the satchel.
Fyn desperately ripped Lioran’s tunic, tearing it free. Crimson gushed freely.
I couldn’t help.
I didn’t know what to do.
A vial trembled in my hand—remnants of Neena’s supplies.
“Bring me anything—I need everything!” Fyn yelled.
His satchel caught on the saddle, but I ripped it free. Fyn braced Lioran at the base of a tree as I darted back to them. He removed a thin strip of light brown bark from his bag and shoved it into Lioran’s mouth. Lioran groaned as his teeth clenched around it.
Brown liquid trickled over the wound from Fyn’s quaking hand.
Lioran roared. Every muscle in his body tensed.
I quickly pried the lid off an herbal salve Neena gave me before we left. Fyn slathered it on the wound.
Lioran grunted—sweat dripped from his brow.
I was his enemy’s daughter, but he protected me anyway.
“They were fae.” I said.
My thigh muscles spasmed. I could still feel the hand on my thigh, but no one held me. Tears crashed down my face.
“Bailoc is full of surprises,” Fyn huffed.
Lioran’s groans reverberated through the ground. His fingers dug into the dirt. Fyn frantically pulled the dressing tight around his wound.
