Page 55 of Warrior's Reign
“Go ahead, I’ll take the lecture,” she said as Eagan withdrew equipment. “Numar would hand me my head for losing my temper.”
“You were starting to go dark.” His voice was deep.
She opened her eyes and craned her neck to pin him with a look. “How did you know?” She could think of three people who’d ever seen her go into her dark state.
Eagan snapped his fingers twice. “Over here, Obe’shan.” She turned back obediently.
“It is the opposite of Silent,” Vykhan said. “And a risk for those of us who choose to make our lives in battle and violence. You tookjokdaht.”
“You’ve never brought it up before.”
“That would be rude.” He lifted the hand near her thigh and squeezed the curve of her waist. The kind of casual touch between well settled couples.
“Your blood pressure is elevated,” Eagan said. “And you’re dehydrated. I suspect you’re not getting your allotted eight hours of sleep either. No wonder you’re too slow to duck a weapon coming towards your face.”
She snorted as the medic held a scanner to her cheekbone. “You know that asshole wants my blood because I’m human, right?”
Vykhan inhaled, let the breath out in a sigh. “You will have to be diplomatic among Adevega’s people. And never be alone with them. I do not trust their honor.”
That was a crushing indictment from someone like Vykhan. “I can hold my own.”
Voice icy, “Any warrior can be bested when ambushed and outnumbered. Yilsa isAdekhan.You areAdejahna.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know my place.”
“Do not defy me, Reign.” A hint of warning in his voice, restrained because they weren’t alone, she suspected. “Yourplaceis alive and at Ibukay’s side, and at Yna Ipaluk furthering your training. Not dead or in a med unit because you were foolish.”
“You really were trained by Numar,” she muttered. It was the reprimand she’d expected.
His hand on her waist relaxed. “You fought well. You avoided embarrassingAdekhyunNumar.”
Reign gave a low whistle and sloppy salute—backwards. “That there’s high praise, sergeant.”
“It’s not broken,” Eagan said finally, lowering the scanner. “And not because Yilsa didn’t try.”
Vykhan walked around the bed and stood in front of her, eyeing the injured check, another flare of heat in his eyes. “You will file a formal complaint.”
“Like hell I will.” She missed his warmth at her back.
“Someone needs to,” Eagan said. “You’re not the first recruit he’s beat up. You’re probably the one he took the most pleasure in though.”
“The way to deal with a bully is to catch him in a dark corner one day and kick his ass, then deny everything.”
Eagan snorted. “I’d like to see that.”
“You will not see that,” Vykhan said, giving them both a withering look.
The medic shrugged, jabbing Reign with a tiny pinprick needle. “Ow.”
“It’s a painkiller and anti-inflammatory,” he said. “I’ll send a portable unit to your room. You can lie down while it seals the fracture. Not talking will help. Or any other activity that involves facial muscles.”
He glanced between Vykhan and Reign, expression neutral.
“Noted,” Vykhan said. “I will see that she rests.”
“I have a shift.”
“It is rescheduled.”
