Page 54 of Wings of Ice and Steel

‘Oh, I’m sure.’

‘What does that mean?’ Nieve let out an exasperated breath and Ariadnne flushed. She wished her dragon would stop screaming for blood and death inside her skull so she could think clearly.

‘I’m sorry. I don’t know what to think—’ she trailed off. It was true. There was no knight on the team idiotic enough to fire such a bad shot by accident, not after Ariadnne had already been hit…

Nieve’s jaw unclenched and she tilted her head. Ariadnne looked away from the softening look in her eyes, her head too crowded to interpret it. She was beginning to feel embarrassed—though she wouldn’t admit it.

Instead, she twisted her neck to watch the firedrakes land. Sol leapt from Lucius’ back and, to her shock, came striding over.

‘Are you alright? Were you harmed?’ His eyes roamed her body, causing her to pull the robe tighter. His brow furrowed as he caught sight of the arrow shaft buried in her shoulder.

‘It’s nothing.’ Ariadnne deflected quickly. ‘It was Melixanthe who was injured.’ Sol’s eyes flicked to where Melixanthe lay and his expression hardened, becoming more difficult to read. He looked back at Ariadnne, stepping back as he noticed Nieve at her side.

‘Nieve.’ He greeted her with a polite, if somewhat stiff, nod. ‘You should get that seen to.’ He gestured towards Ariadnne’s shoulder and seemed about to say more before thinking better of it and pursing his lips. He spun on his heel and marched over to where the healers gathered around Melixanthe. Ariadnne barely knew what to make of the interaction, and why he cared if she’d been injured. Unless it was because she hadn’t been the target.

Perhaps Melixanthe’s injury wasn’t an accident.

Rage took hold again, but behind her Nieve let out a low gasp as she noticed the arrow embedded in her shoulder, face clouding in concern. The expression soothed Ariadnne. It shouldn’t have, but it did.

‘You didn’t tell me you’d been hurt,’ Nieve said softly, moving in closer to look at the shaft.

‘I’ll be fine. It’s one arrow.’ Ariadnne grimaced as Nieve’s breath fluttered across her bare skin, trying to ignore the shiver it sent down her spine.

‘I can’t reach it... the arrow. Could you?’ She twisted her shoulder towards Nieve. ‘Melixanthe needs the healers more than I do.’

Nieve’s cool hand ran lightly along her bare shoulder.

Inside, her dragon settled.

‘Brace yourself. It’s not deep.’ Nieve warned before grasping the shaft and giving a swift tug. Blinding agony flashed through Ariadnne’s shoulder, and she fought the urge to cry out as Nieve pressed a hand to the wound to stem the trickling blood. Ariadnne swayed, conscious of Nieve stroking her side to soothe the pain.

Inside, her dragon rumbled; a strange, high-pitched sound that was almost like… purring?

Ariadnne swallowed.

There were still things she wanted to know.

‘You really didn’t see where the arrow came from?’

‘No.’

Ariadnne caught Nieve’s lips tightening in the corner of her vision.

‘You tried to shield her?’

‘I did.’

Melixanthe’s cry as her arrow was pulled free caused Ariadnne’s attention to snap back. She gave Nieve’s hand a grateful squeeze, holding it longer than necessary, before returning to Melixanthe’s side, shrugging her robe back on as she went. Sol, at least, had returned to Lucius.

Melixanthe’s smile was strained, her hand pressed to the hole in her abdomen as a crimson stain spread from under her palm. She was so pale, too pale, but her gaze held steady as Ariadnne approached.

‘Don’t worry so much, Ari. I’ve had worse.’

Sol glanced between them and slunk off; Ariadnne barely spared him a glance.

‘This shouldn’t have happened,’ she protested. ‘If it wasn’t for this idiotic exercise… I’m not doing it. I’m not working with those males—’

A firm voice halted her in her tracks.