Page 98 of Heart of the Desert

“The lord is gravely injured…”

My head snapped up, whirling. I had seen Lords Koen, Noc, Vidar, and Demir in the aftermath, lending aid and helping set up the new camp. But I had not seen Dhara or Izumi. Dread pooled in my belly anew.

The rider I held met my eyes.

“I can hold still,” he forced out from behind gritted teeth. “He’s almost done anyway.”

I hesitated a moment, before giving his arm a quick squeeze and turning away. The chaos had migrated to the center of the rows of mats, and several healers flitted around anxiously. At the center of the whirlwind of activity stood Elion, and cradled in his arms, was the limp form of Lord Dhara.

Her head lolled against his shoulder, mouth hanging slightly open. The front of her tunic was coated in blood, darkening the fabric and dripping down to stain Elion’s hands. I hurried over, a few people stepping aside to let me through as Elion gently laid Dhara down. He didn’t step back though, keeping one of her hands clasped in both of his.

I hadn’t realized before this moment quite how small Dhara was. Everything about her, from her scowls to the way that fire jumped to her fingertips, seemed larger than life. But without the permanent crease between her brows and the sense that every sentence she spoke was a challenge, she didn’t seem as imposing as I had always thought.

A lump rose in my throat.

Quickly, the healers began unwinding her sash and removing her vest, looking for the source of her injuries. When they lifted her tunic, a ragged gash across her abdomen came into view, and a hiss escaped my teeth. As one of them began prodding it, trying to assess the damage, Dhara twitched and her eyes snapped open as she gasped.

It was as painful as it was relieving to see her conscious.

“Dhara,” Elion gasped squeezing her hand as he reached for her cheek and turned her face toward him. Her eyes were hazy, but they seemed to clear somewhat when they saw him.

“Did it work?” Her voice was a cracked rasp. “Did the second charge break their lines?”

“With you at the front? Of course, it worked,” Elion assured. “The troops of Viltov have retreated back toward Kelvadan, and our people are safe.”

The lump in my throat thickened. Only Aderyn knew the Heart was gone, as she had been there when Erix discovered it was gone. I didn’t know how safe the people would remain with it in Calix’s hands. It was still broken, but he believed it could bring magic back to his own land. How would the desert react if it left her borders entirely?

I sucked on my teeth and stayed quiet. I would tell them, and we would make a plan. But I would give us one night first. One night to honor the dead and heal the wounded before facing down another impossible battle. The riders of the clans had earned so much more than that, but I could only afford to give them that much.

Erix and I could face the problem together once it was no longer the same day we had watched so many of our loved ones bleed under our leadership.

One of the healers at Dhara’s side probed her wound, trying to see how deep it was and she hissed. Elion spoke quickly, trying to distract her from the sensation.

“You know, getting yourself killed doesn’t count toward the deaths for our bet,” he pointed out. “I’m sure you were lagging behind, as my final count was forty-five.”

Dhara blinked slowly, but her eyes weren’t as dazed as they might have been given the amount of blood staining the ground around her. “I lost count.”

Elion smiled. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you stay stubborn enough to survive this wound.”

She shook her head, the motion weak. “It matters. My word as a lord is good. I will marry you. First I just need…” She sighed heavily. “I just need to rest. Everything feels so heavy.”

Her eyes fluttered shut, and Elion’s smile turned into panic. “Dhara? Dhara!” He shook her gently with the hand on her cheek.

“She’s lost too much blood,” one of the healers murmured. “And she’s still bleeding. We need to work quickly.”

Everything turned into a flurry of chaos as they began stitching and binding the wound. My hands clenched and unclenched unconsciously, wishing they still held a sword. Even against the overwhelming tide of Viltov’s armies, I hadn’t felt this helpless.

So, I turned away and tried to find another way to make myself useful. Elion would watch over Dhara as the healers worked. I was sure of it.

My limbs were leaden and my eyes were heavy when Erix found me helping drive a tent stake into the ground. While the clans were often quick to tear down and set up their temporary homes after spending lives on the move, with veritable cities springing up in the space of a few hours, battle had left everybody harrowed and tired.

With many wounded, there were fewer hands and the work was slow. So, I helped where I could.

Still, the mallet I was using to drive the stake into the ground missed its mark, and I frowned as it thudded uselessly into the sand. My eyes were nearly crossed with exhaustion, and it grew so dark I couldn’t see.

A shiver in my stomach preceded a warm hand on my shoulder. Erix’s touch drove some of the exhaustion away, and I shot to my feet—too quickly—before wavering. He held both my shoulders, and I leaned into the support gratefully. Still, I wasn’t the only one who had battled with the suffering brought on by war for the past hours.

“Alza?”