Page 34 of Naga General's Mate

“You don’t have to hover.” His eyes followed her movements. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Someone needs to make sure you don’t try getting up again.” She wrung out the cloth, focusing on the task rather than the way her pulse quickened when he looked at her.

“That was one time.”

“One time too many.”

His tail shifted on the mattress, scales gleaming in the afternoon light. “You need rest, too.”

“I’m fine.” The lie came easily, though the dark circles under her eyes told a different story. Sleep had become a luxury she couldn’t afford—not when every labored breath from him sent fear coursing through her veins.

“Stubborn woman.” His hand caught hers as she reached to adjust his bandage. The touch sent warmth spreading up her arm. “At least sit down.”

She perched on the edge of the bed, hyper-aware of his thumb tracing circles on her wrist. No one had ever touched her with such gentleness before. It stirred something deep in her chest, unfamiliar yet welcome.

“Tell me a story.” His voice was rough with fatigue. “Anything to pass the time.”

“I don’t know many stories.” But she found herself talking anyway, sharing memories of quiet moments with Priscilla. He listened intently.

The afternoon light faded to dusk as she talked. Mila’s throat grew hoarse, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop. Every smile, every quiet laugh from him eased the knot of worry in her chest. He had become her anchor in the storm. When had that happened?

His eyes drifted closed, breaths evening out into sleep. She should move, check his bandages again, but his hand still held hers. Just a few more minutes, she told herself. Just to make sure he was really okay.

Mila watched Brivul’s chest rise and fall in steady rhythm, so different from the labored breathing of days past. His scales had regained their healthy sheen, no longer the sickly pallor that had terrified her.

The evidence against Kurg pressed against her hip where she’d sewn it into her pants pocket—her constant reminder of why they were here in the first place.

“I should’ve told you sooner,” she whispered, knowing he couldn’t hear her. “About everything. The real reason Kurg wanted me dead.”

The late afternoon sun painted shadows across his sleeping form. Even in rest, his massive tail curled protectively aroundher where she sat on the bed’s edge. She’d grown used to his presence, the way he made her feel safe without trying.

Her voice caught. “I’ve been keeping secrets.”

A gentle breeze stirred the curtains, carrying the scent of rain.Perfect weather for confessions, she thought with a wry smile. Her hand found his, his warm scales beneath her fingers.

“When you wake up, I’ll tell you everything.” The promise felt right, settling something restless in her chest. “About the evidence, about Kurg’s embezzlement. Maybe together we can figure out how to use it.”

Thunder rumbled in the distance. Mila pulled the blanket higher over his chest, careful not to disturb his bandages. Trust was a foreign concept after years of slavery, yet somehow this warrior had earned hers completely.

“You’ll probably tell me I was foolish to steal the evidence.” She smoothed a wrinkle from the blanket. “But you’ll help anyway. Won’t you? Because that’s who you are.”

The thought warmed her. For the first time since finding the evidence, hope flickered in her chest. With Brivul at her side, maybe they could actually bring Kurg down. Maybe they could save Priscilla from him.

Chapter 16

Brivul

Sunlight filtered through thethin curtains, casting warm patterns across the bed. Brivul shifted, testing his muscles. The wound in his side pulled, but the searing agony from days past had dulled to a manageable ache.

“Don’t you dare try to get up.” Mila’s scent reached him before he saw her—jasmine and determination.

“I’ve had worse.”

“Of course you have, mighty warrior.” She crossed the room with a fresh bandage in hand. “Now stay still.”

Her fingers brushed his scales as she checked his wound. His tail twitched at her touch, and he fought down the urge to wrap it around her waist and pull her closer.

“The bleeding’s stopped.”

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