Page 92 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
He held out a hand, and Myra took it without hesitation. Once upright, she wobbled on her feet.
Laurince caught her, his hands landing on her waist and steadying her. "Are you all right?" His gaze caught on her neck, where the man had nicked her with his weapon. His eyes trailed down her torso toward her thigh.
Myra slammed her legs together and swallowed the resulting curse. "I’m fine. I’m…" Her words trailed off.
She wasn’t fine; she was terrified.
Wiping her hand across her neck, she scratched the droplet of dried blood. She looked back up at Laurince. She was alive. She was safe.
Because of him.
"Thank you for coming," she said quietly, dropping her gaze again.
He tipped her chin up with his thumb. "Did you think I wouldn’t?"
"I—I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure," she admitted.
"Haze," he said, drawing out the name.
She stumbled, her knees buckling.
"Whoa," he said, catching her by the waist.
Her vision blurred, and her body grew suddenly cold, chills covering her flesh. "I think…I think I’m concussed…"
At least she assumed that was why her knees wobbled and why it was still hard for her to breathe. Although Laurince’s presence, his closeness, and the protective shield he offered her without question, might have played a part, too.
Laurince wrapped his arm around her back, tucking her against him. "Lean on me then, yeah?"
Chapter 37
KALLIE
Kallie watchedas the magnificent dragon flew over the trees, its tail the last part she saw before Graeson melted into the night sky.
Although they were upwind and the smoke wasn’t as strong as it had been, it still soaked their clothes and their hair.
A wet snout nudged her hand. When Kallie went to pet Nyrri, she moved just right that the pain from the arrow returned, her adrenaline long-since drained.
"We need to get the arrow out and clean the wound before it’s infected," Ellie said, grabbing Kallie’s arm.
"We need to go after him," Kallie countered through clenched teeth. Her entire arm was throbbing now.
"Please tell me how you are going to chase after a fucking dragon with a wounded arm and leg?" Ellie demanded, hands on her hips.
"Nyrri can—" Kallie choked on her scream as Ellie ripped the arrow from her arm.
"Shit," Kallie spat, her nails biting into her palms. "A warning would have been nice."
"Next time, don’t say stupid shit." Ellie splashed alcohol from a canteen onto Kallie’s arm, and Kallie hissed. When she poured more on her hamstring, Kallie hobbled away.
"You’re doing that on purpose," Kallie hissed.
Ellie glared. "I’m making sure your wounds don’t get fucking infected. You can barely stand as it is." Ellie shoved Kallie’s bad leg, and Kallie teetered without Nyrri’s support.
Nyrri whined, and Kallie patted her side. "It’s only a flesh wound. It’ll heal."
Although when Kallie hiked up her bloody trousers, blood trailed down her leg.
