The Barrens were hot, steam coming off the rocks. A lava pool roiled in the distance.
Mal slowed, looking to the horizon.
“Mal?”
“I…sense something ahead.”
Her energy abilities were continuing to grow. He felt a faint tickle of something, but it was still vague.
They kept moving.
Then Rhain made out a twisted shape on the ground.
“The rugger!” someone called out.
Rhain broke into a run.
The vehicle was tipped on its side, dented and beaten up. His pulse pounded. Mal stopped beside him and grabbed his arm.
“Rhain?”
There were several bodies near the vehicle. He ground his teeth together. His people were dead.
Fury and grief twisted inside him.
Thadd. He didn’t see Thadd.
“Auroras above,” Cedo murmured. “They’re all dead.”
“They took a lot with them,” Carvia gritted out.
There were numerous hexid and cupra corpses nearby. Rhain circled the rugger. He heard a sound—a rasping hack.
He saw a fighter.
“Zand.” Rhain ran and dropped to his knees. The young man was propped up in a sitting position against the wrecked rugger.
Blood stained Zand’s chest and mouth. “Overlord.” He lifted a shaking hand.
Rhain took it.
“We…fought hard.”
“I see that.”
“We took down as many as we could.”
“You did well, Zand.”
“There were so many.” He coughed and blood sprayed on his lips.
“Herris!” Rhain called.
The man knelt beside Rhain. “I’m drained, Overlord.” Sorrow was thick in his voice.
“I have a little healing ability.” Carvia knelt. “Hi, Zand.”
“Hi…”
She held her palm over his ripped-up chest.
“Thadd…” Zand coughed again. “The Zhylaw took him.”
Rhain stiffened. “What?”
“The Zhylaw warlord took Thadd. The captain fought hard, but they put him in manacles.”
Rhain’s insides felt frozen.
“I…” Zand squeezed Rhain’s hand. “Overlord, I…” The young man slumped.
Carvia sat back. “He’s unconscious. I don’t know if I can save him.”
“Do your best, Carvia.”
Rhain rose and stalked away to the edge of the group. He stared blindly at the rocky landscape.
Then he felt a touch on his back. Mal leaned into him.
He closed his eyes and absorbed the feel of her.
“We’ll rescue him,” she said. “I feel the pull. We’re close.”
But how could they fight, when they were injured, tired, and bloodied?
She stepped in front of him.
Then he watched the color drain from her face. She started to collapse.
Rhain caught her. “Mal!”
“We have to stop meeting like this.” Her voice was a little slurred.
“Take it easy. Don’t talk. I’ve got you.”
“I know.”
Chapter Fifteen
“I’m sorry, Overlord,” Herris said. “I’m still too spent to heal her.”
Mal blinked slowly. She was lying on the ground, her head on Rhain’s lap. His face was twisted with frustration.
Her chest throbbed, her ribs ached, and her hip was sore.
“Hey.” She grabbed his hand.
He looked at her, then stroked her cheekbone.
“You’re injured and you need to rest.” He took a deep breath. “We all need time to recuperate.”
“Overlord,” Kasra said. “There’s a rock formation to the east. It sits on higher ground. We can set up a defensive perimeter there.”
Rhain nodded. “Let’s do it.” He lifted Mal into his arms.
“Your Overlordness, I can walk.”
“Not today—” his hands tightened on her “—because I’m carrying you.”
The hard line of his jaw warned her not to argue. “Fine.”
It was a slow walk to the rock pile, with the fighters helping or carrying the injured. The small pile of stones sat on top of the hill.
“Kasra and Cedo, you’re on sentry duty,” Rhain ordered.
Cedo nodded. “Yes, Overlord.”
Rhain set Mal down, leaning her against a large slab of rock.
“I need to check on the others,” he said.
She nodded and looked around. Some of the rocks looked like they’d been cut. She frowned and fingered the smooth stone beside her. Was that faint writing engraved on it? It was so weathered that it wasn’t clear.
She listened to Rhain talk with his people. Reassuring them, thanking them. That this man thought he was anything like the man that fathered him was crazy.
He finally returned.
“Here.” He held out a bottle of water to her.
She sipped it.
He sat beside her. He looked tired, but she knew he’d keep going. He’d never stop.
“Will you call in more fighters?” she asked.
“Comms are blocked.” He scowled. “Krastin isn’t stupid.”
“Hey.” She grabbed his arm. “We won’t let him win.”
Rhain nodded. “I need to check your wounds.”
“I’m all right. Herris said he’s still tapped out.”
“But I’m not.”
“Um, Tavith didn’t speak very highly of your healing.” And she remembered that it hurt him.
“I need you well.”
“Rhain—”
He cupped her jaw. “No arguments. I…need this. I need to know that you’re okay.”
“All right, Rhain.” She leaned back.
His face relaxed a little. Carefully, he worked her armor off.
Then he hissed out a breath. “Mal.”
Hmm, okay, the bruising was a little worse than she’d guessed.
The side of her ribs was already a putrid shade of black. Rhain gently probed, and she hissed out a breath.
“There’s nothing broken,” she said.
He shot her a hot stare.
Okay, she guessed he didn’t care for minor distinctions.
He moved his hands over her and she felt the energy in his palms. It brushed over her skin. The sensation wasn’t quite as pleasant as when Tavith healed her. She watched the muscles in Rhain’s shoulders tense.
She grabbed his wrist. “It hurts you.”
His silver eyes looked molten and alive. “I don’t care. I’d take all the hurt from you if I could.”
Oh, Rhain. The emotion was clear in his eyes. Knowing that he felt things for her both excited and terrified her. What did she know about loving a man? Zilch. Nada. Zip.
She wasn’t sure she was built for it. She was pretty sure she wasn’t the kind of woman Rhain’s people imagined for him.
But now was not the time to worry about that. They had to rescue Poppy and Thadd.
“There.” Rhain sat back.
She felt somewhat better, and the pain had dulled to a low throb. Her bruises were already fading.
Rhain looked so tired.
“Come here,” she murmured.
She pulled him down beside her. He leaned against the rock and slid an arm around her.