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“No,” Darla rasped, her eyes opening fully. Her voice wasrough,but the hair on the back of my neck stood up from the energy radiating out of her. I didn’t know if that was runoff from Ayla’s insane healing magic, or if it was Darla’s own abilities crackling through the air around her, but either way, my inner wolf knewsomethingwas up. “I’m fine.”
“Darla, you almostdied!” It was then I realized they definitely had a connection. Were they lovers? Friends? I didn’t know. I certainly had to appreciate that they kept whatever was going on between them quiet considering how many were interested in Officer Khan.
But then something in me most definitelydidn’tlike it. It felt ugly and territorial, snapping its teeth at the thought of Ayla embracing another. My inner wolf didn’t care that they were both women, it was just incensed that Darla wasn’tme.
Why did I evencare?Ayla was nothing to me, a complete stranger, and I’d never been attracted to Darla. I admired her beauty and always found her charming, but the spark was never there.
Not like it was with Ayla.
“Stuff it, Everton,” Darla said. “You’ve brought people back who ended up in physical combat. All I have to do is walk and use my mind.”
“You’ve lost so much blood…”
“Then, get me one of the regeneration positions you healers like to store up, and let’sgo.”
Ayla looked to me, and I felt like a teacher who’d suddenly been called upon to mitigate a fight between best friends. Maybe they weren’t lovers, but they definitely cared about each other.
So it turned out that Ayla wasn’t acompleterecluse. As silly as it was, my inner wolf really enjoyed the thought. In fact, itlikedthat the healer wasn’t completely alone and had at least some support at our station.
“Would you talk some sense into her?” Ayla’s tone was all fire and concern.
Was it wrong that my inner wolf liked that, too? That it enjoyed the spark in her eyes and the passion in her voice? Nevertheless, I put that aside and realized I needed to be a true leader.
“Everton, you’re the expert here, not me.” They’d both opened their mouths, but I kept going. “But you cannot let your bias toward Officer Khan affect you. You know the advantage she gives our forces and how invaluable she'd be out there, and also what a blow it’d be to morale if we lost her. If you didn’t have a personal relationship with her, what would be your judgement?”
Ayla looked shocked, but I let that slide. I watched, fascinated, as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I couldalmost feel the air cool down around us, calm permeating the atmosphere’s very molecules.
Then she pressed a hand to Darla’s middle where her shirt had been ripped. She said nothing for what felt like a lifetime. When she sat up, she let out a long sigh.
“You need a regeneration potionanda fortification potionandno physical combat. Only long range and support.”
“See?” Darla said, grinning pretty widely for a woman who'd almost died.
“Officer Khan,” I cut in sternly. “Everton saved your life. This is no time for an ‘I told you so.’”
But of course, Ayla couldn’t let that slide. Her eyes opened as she gave me a careful, blank look. I knew what she was going to say before she even opened her mouth.
“There will be others on the battlefield who I could save as well.”
She was right, too. The risk of losing a healer was a heavy one, but there was no denying that the front lines needed her.If Oren was laying out in a field, bleeding out, I'd want someone like Everton at his side, making sure he'd live to see another day.
“Get Officer Khan the potions you need, and for the Gods’ sake, properly equip yourself if you’re going to be a battleground medic. Once all of this is said and done, I do want a talk with your entire team about why there aren’t specific protocols for this in active battle.”
“Probably because there’s only three of us left, sir.”
“I saidafterthis is wrapped up. Get a move on, Everton!”
“Sir, yes sir!”
She jumped to her feet and rushed back to the infirmary. I took the moment to stand up myself, as well as help Darla to her feet.
“Do me a favor and summon me an escort, would you?”
Darla wavered a moment, and I'd have been worried that she indeed was pushing herself too hard if Ayla hadn’t already given her ruling. After what I’d just seen the medic do, I'd be damned if I didn’t listen to her professional judgement.
“They for Ayla and me?”
“Yes, Sargent Kahn.”
