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Grunts, groans and the clang of ainst metal roused Nola from her troubled sleep She wanted to rise, to see as happening, but could not force her body into action Her back was a ony, the skin flayed completely The rest of her, well, it had not faredher battle with Aer than any weapon, but she had not eed unscathed There were deep sword slices all down her ars

She lay on her bed, her stomach pressed into soft blankets Alone, always alone No one was allowed to help her Not in any way Amazons healed as slowly as humans, so she knew she would suffer like this for many weeks to come

Outside, a scream echoed Her th to drag herself upright Or gather food Not that she even had the strength to eat She wanted to help her sisters, though Despite what had been done to them, she loved them

"You will die for this, vampires!" someone shouted

"Not by your hand," she heard a rinned Relaxed Zane was here

For hours, the battle continued to rage Nola didn't want her sisters injured, but neither did she want Zane to lose, and waiting proved difficult She chewed at her cheeks, dug her nails into her palms and broke into a sweat, which caused her back to burn as if it had been set on fire

Finally, the tent flap rose and light flooded inside And then he was there, standing in front of her Her vaainst her ribs

"Knew you'd come," she said, her voice barely audible She hadn't screa her cries inside had scraped her throat raw

"Nolasweet" He approached her slowly, as if she were a trapped animal " What did they do to you?" There was horror in his tone He crouched beside her, reached out and smoothed her hair from her damp forehead Then he froze "How is this possible? I' you"

"Yes Happened just after you'd left" Any other time, she would have been mortified for him to see her like this: broken, helpless, naked but for a sheet covering her lower half Her relief at seeing hireat

"I will destroy the gods for this I will find a way to raid the heavens and I will - "

"No, no This is a blessing I've had ti Each ti about you, like the fact that you did not deserve as done to you, and that I trust you, I've been given back a piece of ether, and a spark of hope entered his eyes "Can you pass the ca to toss me out, but that invisible wall blocked them"

Fury replaced the hope "We didn't hurt your sisters - I knew you would hate it if we did, but noish I'd sliced each and every one of them to pieces They abandoned camp or I would see to it now"

"You're here now That's all thatwill you be able to stay?" Her nervousness returned His king would want him back And the Amazons would one day come back "You can't reain and - "

"It's all right It's all right, sweet I' without you No matter what You freed th her nervousness had given her drained, and she expelled a breath "As long as I have you, I'll be all right"

"Yes, you will" He stretched out beside her and angled his head, displaying his neck to her The scent of him filled her nose Dark spice and tree dew She inhaled deeply, savoring