Sky Woman: Book One of The Empress Saga

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Waking brought with it a wealth of aches and pains. Chief among them was the burn on Enfri's calf, but her back was a determined contender. Every joint was stiff, and each muscle was sore. Enfri would have thought that she'd have grown used to sleeping on the hard ground by now. Perhaps she wasn't yet as rugged as she thought.

Enfri shivered. The firefly light shone a steady glow, a contrast to the flickering fires still burning throughout the city. Deebee's battle with the assassins left much of the ruins demolished and in flames. Dragon fire consumed all. Even stones burned.

The sky was dark outside, so Enfri must not have been asleep for long. She had tended to Jin for several hours before trying to get some rest.

It was thinking of Jin that brought Enfri fully awake. Looking up, she was confronted with who she had been using as a pillow through the night.

I had to, Enfri told herself vehemently. She's anemic, and the cold air could have done her in. I had to warm her somehow.

Enfri put her hand to Jin's cheek and was gratified to feel that she was still warm. Her chest was rising and falling with slow, even breaths, and her pulse was stronger. There were a few things that made Enfri draw her brow together in concern, however. Jin wasn't only warm, she was sweating. Her cheeks were flush, but most of all, she hadn't yet come awake.

Enfri sat up, but was held down by something tugging at her scalp. Jin's fingers were tangled in Enfri's hair. Taking care not to stir the assassin, Enfri freed herself and knelt over Jin.

After treating Jin's thigh muscle and a host of other minor injuries, Enfri had taken off her linen dress and put it on Jin. It wasn't much of a barrier to the cold, but it was better than leather armor that didn't even cover the arms.

Left with just her shift, Enfri was feeling somewhat exposed. In survival situations, modesty was the first casualty. She pulled the skirt of the linen dress above Jin's abdomen and lifted the bandages to look underneath.

The sutures were holding, but the skin was turning a pale red. Enfri hissed in sympathy. Despite using every drop of antiseptic she had, the wounds were showing some signs of infection.

That blustering barrier. If Enfri could only get past the interdiction, she could gather grasses and desert marigold from the oasis. Gently, Enfri touched at Jin's stomach with her fingertips.

Jin's eyes snapped open, and she let out a sharp gasp. The flesh was hypersensitive and tender. Her eyes were dilated and bloodshot. Jin's pain must have been horrible.

"Easy," Enfri whispered soothingly. "Easy, now. Try not to move." She got up and hobbled to the wellspring. Her water skins needed refilling, and Enfri soaked a pair of bandages in the ice-cold water. She returned to Jin's side, placed a wet bandage on both her forehead and over her sutures, then made her drink some water.

Jin drank half a skin, then sputtered up the rest. She dropped her head back down to the stone and breathed heavily. "I could use a drink," she murmured.

"I'm guessing you don't mean water," Enfri replied with a disapproving tone. Her eyes then widened as an idea hit her. "You can have one drink, but I'll need the rest."

"Raiding my supply, Sky Woman?"

Enfri clucked her tongue as she retrieved Jin's boot flask. "No. I can use it as a disinfectant. Too many sugars, probably, and it'll dry out your skin, but it should help lessen the infection setting into your wounds."

After allowing Jin a pull from her flask, Enfri set to work dousing her wounds with the vile drink. Jin's lips contorted as the stinging hit her.

"How do you feel?" Enfri asked.