Page 27 of Commanding Flame and Shield
“Does it really matter? What matters is you did it. And the entire hierarchy is indebted to you. The Men of Renown caught us off guard, my dear.” Saraya gazed off in the distance, sensing something unspoken. “What do you think drew that power forth?”
“I don’t know for sure, but I think it had to do with protecting August.”
“Your warrior calling.” Warrior calling. August dove head first into battle alongside Nephilim with centuries under their sheaths. He crashed right up against our true giant cousins with no hesitation and cut them down in his path towards me. Had thrown his shield over me—that skill took Alec nearly a decade to perfect, and August had guarded me within a day of waking. My breath had grown shallow as I walked through it in my mind, and I inhaled deeply.
“Evidently so.”
“Have you read him yet?”
“No. It’s his choice, Saraya. You know that.”
She shrugged, closing her eyes as if to say, ‘what’s it matter’. Reaching forward, Saraya pressed her palm to the pulse point in my wrist, and a wave of our missed months flooded through my mind. She truly was amazing at what she did.
I grinned at her. “You have no secrets, sister. He had a life. A wife—”
“I saw no ring on the handsome man I kicked out of here not twenty minutes ago.”
“Okay. A soon to be wife,” I laughed. “A business.”
“We all had lives, sweet girl. We all ascended to our greater calling. Have you asked him?”
“I didn’t really have the time. I’d only just told him about my abilities when Westerlund called for help with the wave of braids in New York, and, well, you know what waited there. Marcus and his brothers were already spread way too thin, and I was so distracted by August, I didn’t see it coming.”
“It’s safer for all of us if you know him.Seehim.”
I shook my head, and she laughed.
“His choice, I know!” She threw her delicate hands up in surrender.
“So...he was here?”
“Yep, sent him away to eat something just a few moments before you woke up. He left muttering epithets.” She raised her brows, the corner of her lip twitching. “He cares for you, Ally.”
So, Aren let him go—trusted Alec’s judgement…my judgement. That, at least, was something. “That seems to be the consensus. Sire-offspring bonds are intense, as you know.”
She smiled but narrowed her eyes. “If you say so.”
“I would’ve hovered around Aren, even in the beginning.”
“As you say, sweet girl.”
She didn’t remotely agree with me, but she brushed the hair out of my face with her cool fingers and turned around to a small metal trolly on wheels, plucking up a cotton ball, dipping it in clear liquid, and swiping a wet washcloth. Saraya turned her gaze back to me, and dabbed the cloth across my cheekbone, which still stung, and then moved her attention to my ribs which only ached now. She ran the damp cotton over both wounds, and leaned back, smiling.
“You were always stubborn. Resilient. It comes in handy when something should’vekilledyou.” A wry smile crossed her beautiful face but didn’t touch her eyes.
I shrugged, not necessarily agreeing, but not arguing either. “Super healing,” I said with a wink, trying to brush it off.
“Super healing doesn’t count with cursed swords and daggers, dear. Honestly at this point, the healers are going to make you a frequent flyer card.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not that bad.”
“You’re on a first name basis with the entire wing.”
“I’m their second in command, it’s in the job description.”
“Not if you only know them because they constantly keep you on just this side of death, darling.”
“Hey,” I winced as I sat up, scooting against the headboard. “Somebody’s gotta take the hit.”
