Page 189 of War

Only once they’re gone does the horseman reach for my arrow. Faster than I can follow, he grasps the arrowhead and yanks it out.

I scream, more out of surprise than pain. A warning would’ve been nice.

Immediately, War’s hand covers the wound, his touch warm. It only takes a little longer for my flesh to feel tingly. The two of us sit like that on Deimos in the middle of the road as the horseman heals me.

After what feels like an eternity, the horseman releases my shoulder. “The wound has closed, though it will take a bit longer to fully repair itself.”

I pull my bloody, torn shirtsleeve aside to glance at the freshly stitched skin. “Thank you.”

Behind me, War shakes his head. “You’re my wife. It is the least of what I would do for you.”

I swallow. The two of us are dipping our toes into a real relationship. Well, for War it’s always been real, but for me, this is all new. And I feel those words. The weight of them.

His other hand moves to my stomach.

“The baby?” There’s such concern in his voice.

The baby. Fuck, that’s right.

I lift my shoulders hopelessly. “I’m sure it’s okay,” I say, more to reassure myself than anything else.

War gives a slight nod. Apparently if I think it’s okay, he thinks it’s okay.

With that, the horseman dismounts. As soon as he does so, I see the arrows in his back.

“War!” This whole time he had his own injuries he was ignoring.

I take in the five projectiles buried in his back. My own wound throbs just staring at them all.

When the horseman sees where I’m looking, he glances over his shoulder at the protruding arrows.

“They’re harmless,” he says, shrugging off my concern.

Are they though?

I remember how he walked into Zara’s gunfire when she faced him off. How he cut up his palms fending my attack off. And supposedly he once took a blade to the gut, just for the hell of it. I guess to him, a few arrows might seem harmless.

Still.

“Can you even feel pain?” I ask as he helps me off Deimos.

“Of course I can.”

He says it like it should be obvious.

“Then how are you not hurting?” I ask.

“The arrows hit my armor.”

Oh. I guess that makes sense. I begin to walk around to inspect them when War catches me.

His eyes move to all the blood that’s dripped down my arm, and a deep frown forms.

Here he is, caring about my pain once again. My throat tightens when I remember that only a short while ago I was attempting to do the exact opposite to him.

My eyes go to the sword at his back. “I’m sorry,” I say.

I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to muster the words, but it’s long overdue.

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