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“We need to find somewhere to hide,” she said. “Can you walk?”

“No.”

“No?”

“The … the bisibra … it impaled me with its claws. I’m pretty sure I have a collapsed lung and most of my ribs are broken.”

“Shit.”

“You go,” I encouraged. “Find somewhere to hide.”

She smacked my shoulder again. “Aren’t you supposed to be ridiculously educated and smart? Is it just the blood loss that’s making you say this stupid shit? Or do you actually think I’m the type of person to abandonyou—or anyone—out in the middle of the desert to be dismembered and disemboweled by the creatures of Hell?”

I chuckled, but that only caused more agony and more blood to fill my mouth. “D-don’t … don’t make me laugh.”

“Don’t say stupid shit then. Dumb fucking bat.”

On her knees, she glanced around the darkness. “Hang on. There’s something over there. In the direction of those whinnies. It looks … it looks like a building.”

I couldn’t sit up and look. I had to take her word for it.

Without wasting anymore time, she stood up, stepped behind my head, and reached for the collar of my jacket. Then she started to pull me like I was on a litter, in the direction of this supposed building.

“What are you doing?” I asked, feeling every rock and divot in the ground as she lugged me across it.

“Baking a fucking blueberry pie.” She growled and tugged harder. “What the fuck does it look like? I’m getting us to safety with no help from you, I might add.” She growled and grunted some more but managed to tug me along until we were up against a fence that connected to a brick and mortar out-building which resembled a barn of some sort.

The whinnying volume increased and now there were more animals making the sound, along with fervent hooves smacking the ground.

“Whatever is making that noise is in this building,” I said.

“No shit.” She grunted and pushed me up to sit so I leaned against the building. “But at least we’re in the shadows and those creature’s scents will mask ours.”

That was quick and clever thinking. I didn’t even think of that.

My blood loss was clearly messing with my mind. “Why …” I swallowed and licked my lips, “Why did the bisibra let us go?”

“Because I shredded its stupid mind into a million pieces.”

My eyes went wide, but I had to shut them again almost instantly when a fresh stab of pain made me wince and groan.

“You need to feed,” she said, on her knees beside me and holding out a wrist. “Come on now. Have a little sip.” I could tell she was trying to lighten the mood with humor, but the tremor to her voice spoke of her sincere worry and fear.

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

“Why?”

I swallowed again. “Last time … you fainted.”

“I’m rolling my eyes in case you can’t tell. Do I need to order you as Your Queen again, you stubborn ass? Threaten to behead you? Because I will.”

I opened my eyes, but it was too dark to see anything but shadows across her face. Her wrist was thrust up against my mouth.

“Eat, goddamn it.”

Sucking in a sharp breath, I held her wrist steady and was about to drop my fangs and plunge them in, but she yanked it away. “Wait, isn’t it better and faster to get it from my neck?”

She didn’t even wait for me to respond before she was brushing her tight curls to the side and leaning over me, exposing her neck.