I stopped. “More of Tohon’s dead?”
“No. Living soldiers, but plenty of them.” He shuddered. “They surged forward and the hole closed soon after. We were forced to retreat.”
Fear and grief churned together, forming a lump in my stomach. “Do you think Tohon was tipped off?”
“Yeah. No doubt. And when I find that bastard who has been spying on us, I’m gonna rip out his entrails and strangle him with them.”
And I would cheer him on. After I cleaned his wound, I examined it. Deep, with ragged edges and still bleeding, it snaked from his left shoulder down to his bicep. I could stitch the skin together, but it wouldn’t heal well. Magic grew, expanding from my core.
Before healing him, I glanced at the door. “How many more wounded are coming?”
“I’m it. Those dead things chased down anyone not quick enough to escape.”
Which was why he was so certain Liv and Thea were gone. I bit my lip to keep from crying. Instead, I concentrated on mixing a sleeping draft for him. Saul’s obvious pain stemmed more from the loss of his friends than the gash on his shoulder. He drained the cup without question.
It didn’t take long for him to lie back on the mattress. When his eyes drifted shut, I traced his injury with my finger, letting the magic inside me flow into Saul before returning to me. A line of fire carved into my left shoulder and down my arm. Blood welled, soaking my sleeve as the pain gripped me in its hot talons, matching the burn of sorrow in my heart.
* * *
A pounding on my door woke me. Bright sunlight filled the room, indicating midafternoon. My shoulder throbbed, and the memories of why it hurt came flooding back. Ah, hell. Then the deep voice attached to the ruckus penetrated my grief. Saul.
I jumped to my feet and paused for a moment to weather the sharp pains that shot down my arm. My correct assessment of Saul’s injury being difficult to heal didn’t make me feel any better.
Yanking my door open, I almost ran into him. He scowled and crossed his arms over his chest in the classic pissed-off man pose.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You drugged me.”
“No. I healed you. Big difference.”
“Avry, you didn’t need to—”
“Excuse me. Are you a healer now? ’Cause that would be very helpful.” I waited.
His shoulders drooped. “Ursan was right.”
“About what?”
“You.”
“And?”
“He said you were the most vexing person he has ever met.”
Remembering Kerrick’s similar comment, I grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, unless you want to assist in cleaning out bedpans...?”
Saul stepped back, wrinkling his nose. “I should report in.”
“I thought so.” Then I sobered. “Tell Wynn and Odd I’ll stop by later tonight.”
“Will do.” Saul left.
Since I was awake, I checked my patients. A few needed their bandages changed. One young soldier thrashed in his sleep. Sweat dampened his hair, and his forehead was hot to the touch. I gestured Christina over and instructed her to administer him a dose of fever powder. Then I discharged a handful of soldiers. I’d been pleasantly surprised there hadn’t been any serious cases so far, but Saul’s remark about the dead chasing down anyone not quick enough to retreat explained the reason and killed any optimism I’d felt.
Saul returned. A strange half scared, half queasy expression creased his face. He barreled through my caregivers as if he didn’t see them, heading right to me.
“What’s—”
He clasped my wrist and pulled me to my feet. “You’ve got to see this.”
Without waiting for my response, he tugged me along, almost dragging me from the infirmary.
“Is someone hurt?” I asked.
“Not yet.”
“Saul, what—”
“You’ll see in a minute.”
We left the manor house by a side door. Questions piled up in my throat, but I followed Saul. He led me to the same shady spot I’d used to spy on the activity around Jael’s tent. Except this time, all the action was happening in the courtyard.
A white flag of truce drew my attention right away. It fluttered above a woman on horseback, but as soon as my gaze dropped, it riveted on the ring of ufas surrounding the horse. I braced, expecting the creatures to leap onto the line of soldiers blocking the manor house’s steps. But the ufas remained in position as if they’d been ordered like dogs to stay.
When Jael exited the house with her entourage of officers, I moved closer, keeping to the thin line of trees. No one would notice me with a dozen ufas drooling on the cobblestones.
“What are you doing?” Saul asked from behind me.
“I need to hear.”
I crept as far as I dared. As expected, none of the people even glanced my way, but a few of the ufas swung their huge heads in my direction. Sniffing the air, they stared at me with dead eyes. I clutched a tree trunk to keep on my feet. Dead ufas. Tohon was beyond insane.
Recovering from the shock, I considered how effective that pack would be in a fight against the living. Ufas were already hard to kill, but now they’d be impossible to beat. Probably why Tohon used them to protect his emissary. I wouldn’t trust Jael to abide by the protocols of a truce flag either.
Jael stopped midway down the steps behind the line. “I see not much has changed since school, Cellina. You’re still Tohon’s lackey and he still treats you as well as his mongrels.”