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He waved to Edmund, and I saw him bring the wagon full of the corpses Ronan and his men had killed in battle.

Rhyder nodded and took both rods of the wagon without complaint and began to drag the heavy unwieldy machine. It was so big, filled with dozens of the slain Congregants, but so great was Rhyder’s strength, that he was able to haul it by himself.

I felt someone beside me and Bee was there, pressing a heavy cloth bag into my hands. From the delicious smells, it seemed like it was full of food.

“Spring breeding season is almost here,” she said to me, but her eyes flicked to Rhyder too and I knew he had heard her.

“Think about it.”

Then she gave me a quick kiss on my cheek. “I hope to see you again,” she said.

“Please join me in the house, Wife,” I heard Ronan say as we left. “I have a few things I would like to say to you.”



















Chapter 20

Once we had passedthrough the border gates, accompanied by one of the Elders to make sure we really left, I stood in front of Rhyder.

“Stop! Let me see how many ribs you broke at least,” I said.

He slumped heavily back on the cart, and I noticed he had a limp. His face looked gray and pained.

Bee had packed some salve as well as water, strong mountain tea, and food, and I held the water to Rhyder’s lips, watching his color come back slowly as I fed him bits of bread and what looked like smoked salmon with trembling fingers.

Then I reached for his shirt, which looked stuck together with blood and cuts.

He brought a slow, pained hand up to try and stop me, but I impatiently batted it away.

“What are you afraid of?” I snapped at him, my nerves fraying. “You’ve fucked me more times than I can count now. Stop. I just need to put some salve on you.”

I ripped off his gray T-shirt, yanking it over his head before he could stop me.

Then I gasped in shock and horror at what was beneath, the shirt hanging off his neck.

Thorns

Dozens of them, tiny flashes of plant and bone and metal, sewed into his shirt.