Page 39 of Undying Lands
“You overheard us?” He sighed, running his hand along the leathery scales of her neck. “She hates me, Z.”
Daimon found himself wishing for the thousandth time that Zephyr could talk back. But he could still feel her through the Rider bond, and he hated that she was feeling so sad.
“It’s better this way,” he assured her.
Zephyr abruptly nudged him, pushing him forward and cutting him off.
“Ican’ttell her, you know that.”
Irritation bolted down their bond. Daimon shook his head as her golden eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“I’m not scared of her not taking it well. I just don’t want her to get hurt.”
Zephyr tilted her head to the side, and he knew the beast well enough to know this was herI don’t believe youface.
Daimon waved his hands in the air. “You know just as well as I do why I can’t risk her being tied to someone like me. Our fates were pulled in different directions.” He frowned, patting Zephyr’s head absentmindedly. “To put it lightly.”
Zephyr whined and laid her head on the ground behind him. Daimon sat down beside her, leaning his back against her neck.
It was a good thing Evelina hated him now. Especially when she was everything he had ever dreamed of. She was stunning in her element when healing, and had grown into a woman he couldn’t take his eyes off of. It was already taking every ounce of his restraint to keep his distance.
But now that she saw him for the monster he was… He was as relieved as he was devastated. If he was too weak to stay away, at least she could be strong enough for the both of them.
Twenty-Three
Evelina
Evelina dida final check over Willow the next morning and cleared her to go back to riding.
“Take iteasythe next few days,” she said firmly. “Gloriana mended the wound, but if you push it too much, it may reopen. Your body needs time to fully heal.”
Willow nodded her head, eager to get back. She rested a hand on Evelina’s shoulder, her eyes crinkling at the corners with her smile. “Thank you.” Her voice was as warm as honey. “This isn’t the way I expected for us to meet, but it’s nice to see a few more Woodland around here.”
Gloriana came in through the front door, holding a large basket filled with bandages, herbs, and beeswax for mixing salve. “New foot soldiers arrived. They brought a few baskets that Lorene packed.”
Gloriana set the basket down on a cot. She smiled at Willow and put the back of her hand against her forehead.
“No fever still.” Gloriana hummed. “Stop back if you notice any changes with your wound.”
Willow nodded and gave her thanks again before slipping out. Evelina helped Gloriana separate the new supplies, shelving them and recording the stock on scrolls of parchment.
“Brielle thought it would be beneficial for us to take turns riding with each of the wyverns over the next several days,” Gloriana said as they finished the last of their organization. “She wants the wyverns to be comfortable around us—in case we need to fly with them to an active scene. Plus, they won’t try to bite our heads off for getting close to their Rider while they’re wounded.”
Evelina nodded, knowing how vital this was as the healers of the Alpha Fleet. But she wasn’t ready to see Daimon yet, not after their last encounter in the forest. “So one of us will stay here while the other is riding?”
Gloriana nodded. “Same as at the palace. One healer should always man the healer’s room. You can ride with Brielle today and I’ll go with her tomorrow.”
That she could do. Evelina was most comfortable with Brielle and had already ridden Vero once on the way here. She turned to leave, a little more eager than the last time she had to ride the beast.
But Gloriana stopped her before she opened the door. “Are you doing all right? You haven’t seemed to be sleeping much since we got here.”
The reminder alone made Evelina yawn. “It’s a big adjustment,” she answered honestly. “And pressure. The soldiers are counting on us.”
Gloriana smiled softly, her eyes shining with understanding. “Just remember we can’t heal others if we’re not healed ourselves.”
Evelina nodded slowly. Gloriana always knew what to do and say—when to be soft and when to be firm. No one could understand better than Gloriana could. She wasn’t only her mentor; she was her friend. Evelina couldn’t have done any of this without her.
Slipping out of the cabin, Evelina found Brielle feeding Vero large slabs of raw meat behind the fleet’s cabin. The wyverns all slept there, nestled into a cavern tall enough to fiteach of them. Zephyr and Codax were nowhere to be seen, but the remaining four wyverns slept in a pile behind Vero and Brielle.
