East

"When possible."

"I can't believe Ghoajin is still alive." The words sounded morbid aloud, and I glanced at him, rushing on. "That came out wrong. I'm sorry."

Batu was peeling off his weapons. "She is the oldest living member of any steppe tribe. You are right to be surprised, ugly one."

I smiled, dwelling on how much time had passed with some disbelief. I could've played it off as not happening if I hadn't met her when she was young. Carter's brilliance - and the idea I could've been stored like wine in someone's basement for seventy years - never ceased to terrify me. It was also amazing to have passed through time as I had and had met Ghoajin on either end.

"What do you do, goddess?"

Blinking out of my thoughts, I moved away from the entrance to the fire, where it was warmer. "Thinking about how I was asleep for so long. Where was my body while I slept?"

"It is not known. Some say you were buried with the Great Khan, Genghis. Some said you went back to Father Sky." He shrugged. "The Arabs found you, but I know not how. When I heard they had found you, I came after you."

If you hadn't killed Mahmood … I didn't let the thought stick around. It was likely I would never know for sure where I ended up sleeping away seventy years.

Batu approached me with new bandages the way he had since finding me. He unwrapped my hands and arms, inspected them and then rewrapped the bad hand and opposite forearm. "The others need air," he explained and tossed the used bandages into the fire.

Peeling off his tunics and boots, he dropped into the bed opposite the door, his bare chest drawing my attention.

"There's only one bed," I complained, looking around.

"We have slept together since meeting, goddess. Why does it bother you now?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "We had no choice in the wilderness."

"Then sleep by the fire. I am in need of a real bed." He rolled his muscular back to me.

I guess it doesn't matter. It just seemed weird to sleep with him when we weren't trapped in a pup tent built for one. But I wasn't about to sleep by the fire as he suggested. I, too, needed a real bed and a good night of sleep.

Stripping off my boots, I snuggled into bed with him. He was right; we had been sleeping together for a few days at least. One more wasn't going to matter, and … I kind of looked forward to his warmth and strength at night. In a world that scared me, he left me feeling protected.