crevice for a long moment. She didn't tr

down onto the mattress. She buried her face in

e. Her voice was calm again, the cold logic of an operative reasserting control. She sifted through the data she had already absorbed

uthority as the Chief of the Oasis Tribe to forcibly m

his chest. An eagle whose wings had been snapped and tied, his feathers

e timeline. The pro

They had allied with the rival Aberdeen Hold tribe. Fire raged across the Oas

n apart by the seven men she had abused. They didn't just kill he

cold sweat covered her back. "Jesus.

ncer that had metastasized. Forcing them to accept her, or trying to se

she used to replace smoking when stressed. She unwrapped it and stuck it

eir defensive instincts cool down. Pushing

to prove she could provide what they desperately needed-heali

ower sources-Jordi's scales, the wolf's crystal. If she could fi

slightly. She turned her head to look at the crevi

nsion again and pulled out a thick, soft wool

idn't get too close. She simply laid the blan

t he didn't scream this time. He just w

, setting up a simple Aether alarm array around the cave

emories, the fight-had drained this bod

s covers. Before she closed her eyes, she glanced at the cave e

he had forced herself into a deep, restorat

ly the soft hum of the ener

came from the crevice. Jordi poked his head

ternal struggle was evident in the twitching of hi

a trembling hand and dragged the blanket into the crevice. He wrappe