Page 67 of Blood Singer

"I'm pretty sure my right shoulder is dislocated and there's a cut on my right one," I said. "And my throat, a little. But I'm okay, Kavan. I'm okay."

He pulled me against his chest, and I felt the tremor that ran through his entire body. "I thought I'd lost you." His voice broke. "I thought I'd lost you before I could tell you how much you mean to me."

I wrapped my arm around him, ignoring the pain in my shoulder, and held on tight. "I'm here. I'm right here."

"I'm taking you home," he said against my hair. "I'm taking you back to the castle, and I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

I wanted to argue that I was a trained operative, that I could take care of myself, that I did not need constant protection. But the truth was, right now, I just wanted to be held. I wanted to feel safe. I wanted to be with him.

"Okay," I whispered. "Take me home."

Chapter 20

Leila

The flight back to the castle was nothing like our first flight together. Then, I'd been exhilarated and nervous, caught up in the wonder of seeing Drakhone from the sky. Now, I was cradled against Kavan's chest in his dragon form, his massive claws curved protectively around me, and all I could feel was the steady rhythm of his heartbeat and the warmth of his scales against my skin.

The sun was setting by the time we reached the castle, painting the white stone walls in shades of gold and pink. Kavan landed in the northern courtyard, the same place where he'd first shown me his dragon form, and shifted back to human with me still in his arms.

Murdette was waiting, along with Binwee and what looked like half the castle staff. Binwee's blue face was tight with worry, but when she saw me, relief flooded her features.

"Thank the stars," she said, hurrying forward. "Leila, are you—"

"She needs a healer," Kavan interrupted, his voice brooking no argument. "And a bath, and food, and—"

"I'm okay," I said, though my voice came out weaker than I expected. "Really, I'm—"

"You're bleeding. You've got a dislocated shoulder, a knife wound, and bruises on your throat and wrists. You're seeing a healer."

Murdette stepped forward, her expression equal parts relief and maternal concern. "I've already sent for Kherra. She's the best healer we have. She'll meet you in your chambers."

"My chambers," Kavan said. "She's staying in my chambers."

I should've protested. Should've said something about propriety or diplomatic protocol or maintaining professional boundaries. But I didn't want to be anywhere that Kavan wasn't.

"Okay," I said, and let him carry me inside.

Kherra was indeed waiting in Kavan's chambers, a tall Drakhoni female with kind eyes and gentle hands. She examined my injuries, her touch careful as she assessed the damage. When she reached my right shoulder, I hissed in pain at even the lightest pressure.

"This is dislocated. I'm going to reset it. It's going to hurt for a moment, but it'll feel better once it's back in place."

I nodded, bracing myself, and she moved with swift precision. The bone settled back into its socket with an almost audible click and a white hot flash of pain that made me cry out, and immediately the worst of the pain receded to a dull, manageable throb.

"Good," Kherra murmured. She cleaned the shallow cut on my shoulder where Verrater's blade had caught me as I fell, applied a salve that smelled of mint and something herbal I couldn't quite place, and bandaged it tightly. She checked my throat next, her fingers gentle as she examined the knife wound there. Just a scratch, and she treated it with the same careful attention.

The bruises on my wrists and throat she assessed with a frown, running her fingers lightly over the discolored skin. Then she retrieved a medi-unit from her bag, older than the sleek Alliance models I'd seen, all burnished metal and glowing panels that flickered with an uneven rhythm. It hummed to life with a sound that was almost reluctant, as if the device was working harder than it should have to and resented the fact.

"This'll help with the pain and reduce the swelling. It's not as sophisticated as what the Alliance currently uses, but it accelerates soft-tissue healing. Your bruises should fade significantly within a few hours."

A warm, tingling sensation spread across my body everywhere the blue light of the medi-unit touched, not quite pleasant but not painful either. I watched as the device worked, the warmth spreading in waves, the swelling visibly diminishing. It was impressive, in its way.

"The shoulder will still need rest." Kherra's tone became more serious. She deactivated the unit and set it aside. "The reset is complete, and the medi-unit helps with the swelling, but the ligaments and muscles need time to stabilize. I'd recommend keeping your arm immobilized for at least two days."

"How long until I can use it normally?" I asked.

"At least a week, realistically. My medi-unit can't accelerate bone and ligament healing the way newer models can. It can manage pain and reduce swelling, but the underlying damage needs time." She met my eyes with genuine sympathy. "You were fortunate." She nodded toward my neck. "Another inch deeper and the blade would've done far more damage."

Kavan, who'd been standing silently in the corner, made a low sound in his throat, something between a growl and a groan.