Page 29 of Shadow Wings
“I was dying, Ryn. You savedme.”
I harrumphed and patted his chest through his torn and bloody aketon. With a deep breath, I sat up and said, “I figured I owedyou.”
“How are you feeling?” Tyrrik asked, sitting and wincing with themovement.
I grimaced, watching him. I hadn’t almost died, so I had no idea why he was asking me. “Al’right. How areyou?”
He smiled sardonically. “About how you’d expect. I’ll not be much help today I’m afraid.” Tyrrik shifted on the shale, the rocks rubbing against each other, and winced again. “I need to stand up; my ass isnumb.”
I held my hand up to stop him from saying anything else. “I did not need to know that.” I stood, stretching more, and my muscles loosened. “I’m guessing I’m not getting steak today.” I pointed at the woods on the other side of the rock wall. “How do we get into theforest?”
Tyrrik watched me with hooded eyes. “I’m not sure. Will you help meup?”
His words were a punch to my gut, and I spun to face him. “You can’tstand?”
One glance at his stained and torn tunic, his still pale skin underneath, and his trembling hands told me he really wasn’t healed. “Didn’t I heal you?” I thought of our kiss and brought my fingers to my lips. Blushing, I wondered if he knew how I’d healed him. “Did it notwork?”
He tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. “No, you did more than I could’ve imagined possible.” He frowned. “Truly.”
I helped him stand and, less than a minute later, helped him sit back down because he was too weak to maintainstanding.
Tyrrik scrubbed at his face and dropped his head in hishands.
“What do you need?” I asked. Guilt churned in my gut, making me nauseated, and the hollowness in my chest was an ache I deserved. I’d almost killedhim.
“Nothing,” he answered. “I’m just exhausted. I-I . . . It’s going to take me a little time to heal.” He grimaced. “A long time, judging by how I feel. I’ve never been injured thisbadly.”
I shook my head. “We can’t stay here for a long time. We need to meet Dyter and . . .” What was his name? “The Phaetynguy.”
Tyrrik quirked an eyebrow, drawing a reluctant smile out ofme.
“What can I do to help you heal?” My feelings for Tyrrik were a tangled mess, and seeing as I’d only admitted therewasa tangled mess, I wasn’t yet sure I wanted to sort those feelings out. My chest clenched as I recalled the rock splicing through his rightshoulder.
He sighed. “Kissing me mighthelp.”
My heart thumped in my chest, and I blinked. “Are youserious?”
The prospect excited me more than it should, though witnessing Tyrrik nearly die had brought more dread than I’d expected too. I scowled as a smirk lifted the corner of his fullmouth.
He reached into his pocket and drew out the ruby, extending the gem toward me as he said, “Youshifted.”
“I also lost control.” I felt guilty, but I also really wanted the pretty gem. I accepted it with a smile, and tucked the ruby next to the gold trinket in my tunic. A deal was adeal.
“You earned it.” He groaned and lay flat on the rockyground.
The first moment I got, I was going to inspect my shiny objects side by side, but for now . . . “Tyrrik, seriously, what do you need? I want tohelp.”
He said with a sigh, “I need to eat and sleep. I’m whole; you healed me. But I need to regainstamina.”
“What if I get some water? Will you teach me how to make nectar? Would thathelp?”
He blinked, and his nervousness coursed through our bond. “Yes. That would help. But I don’t have a waterskin.”
I grinned and held up the empty one he’d given me before we took off. “Good thing I have mine. Just point me in the direction of water and Ryn the . . .” I wasn’t useless any more. I was . . . “Fearlessshallprovide.”
“Ryn the Fearless has forgotten about her new Drae senses,” he drawled, tapping hisnose.
Oh, yeah. I tilted my head back, feeling the ripple of my silver hair down my back, closed my eyes, and sniffed. No good. My attention was too divided. I let the chirping and chittering of the small animals in the surrounding area fade and forced myself to tune out Tyrrik’s quickened breathing too.Water, water,water.