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“Drink it,” he ordered.

She narrowed her eyes at him.

He glared. “It will help with your fever.”

To his relief, she reluctantly accepted the cup from his hand and drank it all. And then she coughed some more.

He watched her surreptitiously as the day went by. She didn’t move except to cough, and she rarely opened her eyes. She didn’t eat anything. The herbs did not help much as far as he could see, and she had not improved by the time night fell even though she’d slept all day.

He’d heard this cough before. Something in the river water had infected her lungs. He didn’t know much about medicine, but he knew enough to know that it was bad and that he couldn’t treat it.

When the hour grew too late to put off making a decision any longer, he went to crouch beside her. She looked up at him when his shadow fell over her. She blinked, looking like she was trying hard to rouse herself, then she swallowed, her throat convulsing.

“Don’t kill me,”she whispered in Varai.

He frowned. “What?”

“I will get better soon. Please. Just give me a little longer. I promise I’ll get better. I’m trying.”

He didn’t know what to say. She looked distraught.“I’m not going to kill you,”he said.“Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m so useless. A useless human…”

It was the fever talking. She seemed less coherent the longer the sickness went on.“We’re going now. Get up.”

Her eyes cleared a little.“Going…?”

“Yes,”he replied simply.

He had to help her stand, and then he had to help her onto Changa, who was extremely patient with them while he maneuvered her into the saddle.

* * *

It was still darkwhen they came to the outskirts of the Ardanian village he’d escaped from a week ago.

He slowed Changa to a stop well outside the settlement. He could see several Paladins posted around the houses, but there was little chance of them spotting him in the dark from this distance.

He angled his head to look down at the human leaning against his chest. She appeared to be asleep again, fortunately. The longer she stayed asleep, the lower the chance of her shouting for help and drawing the Paladins to him.

He circled around to the woods, away from the Paladin sentries, and guided Changa to the side of the inn. Warm light shone from beneath the door.

He hesitated, grimacing as he looked down at the woman. He didn’t know when he would get another chance like this if he left her here now. He was throwing away what might be the key to their freedom from the Paladins.

He tried to convince himself again to ride right back out of the village and bring her to the others, as planned. She would probably get better in a few days. Maybe.

She shifted slightly against him as she dozed. She was wheezing even in her sleep.

Setting his jaw, he climbed down from Changa and carefully pulled the woman after him. She didn’t fully wake, just fluttered her eyelids a few times as he carried her to the porch and laid her down.

“This is embarrassing,” he muttered to Changa. She ignored him, already having busied herself with chewing the grass beside the porch. “What kind of kidnapper un-kidnaps his own hostage?”

Changa gave a small chortle.

He gave the woman one last glare before knocking hard on the door, then turned to leave.

“Wait,” came a soft voice.

He stopped, startled. The woman’s eyes had opened and she was looking up at him.