Page 96 of Dragon Eternal (Dragon Kings 4)
“When was the last time you ate?”
Nia thought about her day and shrugged. “I was too nervous to put anything in my stomach.”
“Between what you endured and the shock, you need something,” Tamlyn said as she moved about the kitchen.
Nia closed her eyes as her head throbbed harder. Her thoughts took her back to the soldiers yelling at her, hatred in their eyes. She had been one of them, but they had turned on her. They’d thrown her to her death simply because Sadie had spoken lies. Sadie. Nia had known better than to trust anyone, but Sadie had become like a friend. Look what that had gotten her.
“Here you go.”
Nia jumped at the sound of Tamlyn’s voice. She looked down to find a plate full of different meats, bread, and cheese.
Tamlyn put a soft hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be hard, but rest easy. You’re safe here. Cullen and Shaw will make sure of that. Try to eat. I’ll be right back with Sian.”
Thankfully, Tamlyn didn’t wait for an answer. Nia wasn’t sure she could’ve given one. She gazed at the food with distaste, but she also knew the Banshee was right, she needed to eat. She would need her strength. Being in a weakened state didn’t do her any good.
Nia reached for the bread first. She bit into it, feeling the softness of it and letting the yeasty, slightly sweet aroma fill her nostrils. The taste exploded in her mouth, making her eyes fall shut, and her stomach demand more. She ate the entire slice and reached for another, adding some cheese and meat to it.
By the time Tamlyn returned with a petite woman with long, wavy brown hair and pale green eyes wearing a short apron over her long tan gown, Nia had devoured three slices of bread.
Sian removed her thick leather gloves and smiled. “It’s nice to have visitors. Tamlyn told me all about you, Nia. I’m Sian.”
Nia smiled in greeting as she swallowed her food. “Hello.”
Sian’s smile vanished as a frown replaced it. “You’ve got some bruising I see.” She moved closer. “Is that blood?”
“My head hit the floor pretty hard,” Nia said.
Sian flashed her a grin. “Don’t worry. I have everything needed to get you cleaned up and feeling better.”
She rushed away, leaving Nia with Tamlyn. “You were right. I was hungry.”
Tamlyn shrugged as she sat on the opposite side of the table. “Sometimes, our bodies don’t let us feel things in a stressful situation.”
“Stressful. It was certainly that,” Nia murmured.
Sian returned, carrying glass bottles of different sizes and colors. She set them down and ladled water from a large barrel in the corner. After she returned with it, Sian gathered one of the torches and set it on the table for more light. Nia watched the flames, noting they looked different from the fire she was used to seeing.
“It’s Sian’s creation,” Tamlyn said. “It burns for days instead of hours. That allows us to keep everything lit here so we aren’t in darkness.”
“That’s amazing.”
Sian grinned, pride in her face. “Thank you. Now, hold still. This might sting.”
Nia flinched when Sian touched the broken skin with a piece of cloth soaked in something from a tall, slender vial. She held still as Sian moved aside her hair to better get to the lesion. After the initial stinging, the throbbing of the abrasion began to lessen. Surprised, Nia shot a look at Sian.
“She has a gift,” Tamlyn replied with a chuckle.
Sian shrugged before spreading some salve on the cut with gentle fingers. “It’s what I love.”
“Are you with a Dragon King?” Nia asked.
Sian paused for a moment, her expression falling in sorrow. “I’m with someone else. She’s gone at the moment.”
Nia glanced at Tamlyn to see her lips pinched, worry filling her eyes as she looked from Sian to Nia. Tamlyn shrugged as if to say, “It is what it is.” Unaware of the exchange, Sian moved to the bruise forming on Nia’s cheek.
“You were very brave,” Sian said. “Do you have family in Stonemore that we need to help?”
Nia realized she had no one. Not a single soul as a friend. She couldn’t even claim Shaw, because everything between them had been a ruse. “No.”
“It took a lot for you to turn away from your life and help us,” Tamlyn replied. “None of us will ever forget it.”
Nia laughed, though she didn’t feel any mirth. Her gaze dropped to the table as sadness and misery rose. “Shaw opened my eyes to the truth. It wasn’t anything to leave behind. I have nothing. No one. My father left, my mother disappeared, and my sister and brother died. I was left utterly alone, only to be brought to the citadel as a slave. I thought life might be better because I was clothed, housed, and fed. Little did I know I would be attacked and then moved to train as a courtesan.” She lifted her gaze to Tamlyn. “I did what everyone should do against oppressors.”
Sian slowly lowered her hand. “My sister and I were slaves. I got away, but she’s still there.” Sian sniffed and set a bottle before her. “Drink all of this.”
Then she was gone.
Tamlyn reached across the table and squeezed Nia’s arm. Her gaze moved over Nia’s shoulder, and she knew they weren’t alone. Tamlyn didn’t say anything as she rose and walked away. Nia stared at her plate. It felt like an eternity before she heard footsteps approaching. She recognized Shaw’s pants as he stopped beside her. He straddled the bench to face her and waited.
Nia was scared to look into his eyes, afraid to see something there she didn’t understand. Or worse, not see anything at all. She had never been in such a situation. People talked about love all the time, but she had rarely seen it and had never experienced it. How could she say the glorious, amazing, terrifying things she felt now were love?
And what if she did? Shaw was from a different world. There was no reason for him to stay on Zora, much less with her.
“Lass,” he urged in his deep, soothing voice.
She took a breath and looked at him. His fern green eyes searched hers. Concern sparked when he gently touched the injured side of her face. “We didna have much time to talk. No’ about, well…” He paused as if trying to find the words. “We both admitted the attraction between us.”
