Page 15

Nirrn

The sharp scent of medicinal herbs and antiseptic stung Nirrn’s nostrils as consciousness crept back.

Pain radiated through his torso where the Jorvlen soldiers had struck him, each breath sending daggers through his ribcage.

His orange-scaled tail coiled instinctively as he tried to orient himself in the unfamiliar room.

“Islae?” His voice came out as a rasp. The silence that answered made his stomach drop.

“Easy there, big guy.” Joseph’s voice came from somewhere to his left. “You took quite a beating.”

Nirrn’s eyes snapped open, his upper body leaning forward despite the protest of his injuries. “Where is she?” The words came out as a growl, his protective instincts flaring hot and fierce.

Joseph stepped back, his hands raised. “I don’t know. When the raid hit, everyone scattered. I found you unconscious in a pool of your own blood in the cavern. Brought you straight to the healer’s house here in Haven.”

Nirrn’s fingers clenched the thin blanket covering him, his scales bristling with barely contained rage. The memory of Islae’s eyes filled with fear flashed in his mind. He had failed her.

“You’re lucky to be alive,” Joseph continued, watching him carefully. “Must be fighting for something pretty important.”

“Someone,” Nirrn corrected, his voice hard with determination. His tail shifted as he pushed himself up straighter, ignoring the throbbing pain across his torso and in his head. “Islae. She is my mate, and I will tear apart every building in Jorvla until I find her.”

The conviction in Nirrn’s voice made Joseph step back again. This wasn’t the calm and collected healer he had known from days before. Nirrn’s golden eyes blazed with a predatory intensity, his massive frame coiled with lethal purpose despite his injuries.

“They will regret taking her from me,” Nirrn said, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “Every single one of them.”

Nirrn’s tail coiled restlessly as the human healer came into the room and changed his bandages. The antiseptic stung, but he barely noticed through his growing agitation. Every second spent in this bed was another second Islae remained in danger.

“The head wound is healing nicely,” the healer murmured, “but you lost too much blood. You need rest.”

Nirrn’s scales bristled at the healer’s orders. “I need to find her.”

“You’ll be no good to anyone if you collapse in the street,” Joseph said from his position by the door. “Besides, the Jorvlens think you’re dead. Use that to your advantage.”

A low growl rumbled in Nirrn’s chest. “They took my mate.”

“And they’ll kill you both if you go charging in there now.” Joseph crossed his arms. “Look, once you’re stronger, you should just leave Jorvla. Get somewhere safe before they realize—”

“No.” Nirrn’s tail whipped out, knocking over a tray of medical supplies. The crash echoed through the small room. “I am not leaving without Islae.”

The healer stepped back. “Sir, please—”

“You don’t understand.” Nirrn’s eyes fixed on Joseph.

“I spent years searching for her. Every day examining surrogates, feeling nothing, until I saw her in that alley. She is mine to protect, and I failed her.” His scaled shoulders tensed as he pushed himself up straighter.

“I will tear this city apart stone by stone until I find her.”

Joseph’s face softened. “You really love her. Don’t you?”

“She is everything.” The words came out rough, raw with emotion. “And if they’ve harmed her…” His tail coiled tighter, his muscles rippling beneath his orange scales.

“At least give yourself today,” Joseph pleaded. “Regain your strength. Then we’ll help you find her.”

Nirrn’s hands gripped the bed, fighting against the weakness in his body. Every instinct screamed at him to move, to search, and to destroy anything between him and Islae. But Joseph was right. He needed his full strength to save her.

“One day,” he conceded, his voice hard. “No more.”

Nirrn shifted restlessly on the narrow bed, his orange-scaled tail coiling and uncoiling with agitation.

The healer’s house smelled of herbs and antiseptic, reminding him of countless hours spent tending to others.

But now, as he closed his eyes, all he could hear was Islae’s voice echoing through his mind.

“I love you!” Her desperate scream had torn through the chaos of the raid as he was losing consciousness. The memory made his muscles tense, a low growl rumbling in his chest.

He pressed his palm against his chest where the scales transitioned to smooth skin, feeling the steady beat of his heart. The mate bond pulsed there, a constant reminder of what they’d taken from him.

“Sir, you need to stay still,” the human healer muttered, attempting to check his bandages.

Nirrn’s tail whipped out in frustration, knocking over another tray. “Do not touch me.”

The healer backed away, his eyes wide. “Your wounds—”

“Mean nothing.” His eyes fixed on the ceiling, his voice lowering to a dangerous level. “I have lived my life by the healer’s oath. Always gentle. Always careful.” His hands clenched into fists. “And where has it gotten me? They took her. They took my mate.”

The rage building inside of him felt foreign, yet right. His shoulders tensed as he pushed himself upright. All these years he had believed his path lay in healing, in gentle touches and careful words. But now…

“I chose healing because I thought it was my nature,” he said, more to himself than the frightened healer. “But they have awakened something else in me. Something that demands blood.”

His tail moved with deadly precision, coiling around the bedpost. The wood groaned under the pressure until it snapped clean through.

“If they want a warrior,” he growled, “I will show them one. I will become what they fear most.” His golden eyes narrowed. “And they will gravely regret ever touching what is mine.”

The healer pressed himself against the wall. “You’re different than before.”

“Yes.” Nirrn’s massive frame straightened, ignoring the pain that shot through him. “I am becoming what I need to be. For her.”

The door suddenly burst open, sending a gust of stale air through the healer’s house. Nirrn’s scales rippled as Joseph and a human scout rushed in, their boots scuffing against the stone floor.

“We found her,” the scout said, his breath coming in quick gasps.

Nirrn surged upward, his tail uncoiling from beneath him. The room spun violently, forcing him back down onto the bed. His orange scales rippled with frustration as he steadied himself.

“Where?” The word came out as a dangerous growl.

Joseph stepped forward. “The Jorvlen stronghold near the government district. It’s heavily guarded, but—”

“Then we go now.” Nirrn’s eyes narrowed, his hands gripping the edge of the bed until his knuckles whitened.

“Listen,” the scout cut in, “I know some people who can get us detailed maps of the compound. Give me a few hours to track them down. We’ll need a solid plan to get her out alive.”

Nirrn’s tail lashed out, cracking against the wall. “Every moment we wait is another moment they have her.”

“And rushing in there half-dead will get you both killed,” Joseph countered. “You can barely sit up straight.”

A low hiss escaped Nirrn’s throat, but he couldn’t deny the truth of it. His muscles trembled from the simple act of staying upright, and the room still tilted at odd angles when he moved too quickly.

“I will give you three hours,” he said, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. “No more.”

The scout nodded. “I’ll be back with those maps before then.”

As the humans left, Nirrn’s tail coiled tightly around himself. The mate bond throbbed in his chest like an open wound. He could feel Islae’s fear, her anger, and her determination not to break. His hands clenched into fists.

“Hold on,” he murmured into the empty room. “I’m coming to save you.”

His shoulders tensed as he forced himself to stay still, to conserve his strength. The warrior rising within him demanded action, violence, and retribution. But the healer in him knew they needed strategy. He could not risk Islae’s safety with impatience.

Still, his tail moved restlessly, leaving scratch marks in the stone. Three hours. Three hours to regain his strength. Three hours until he could begin hunting those who dared touch what was his.

Three hours later, Nirrn’s massive frame coiled with restless energy as Joseph and the scout spread the stolen blueprints across his bed.

His eyes narrowed, scanning each detail of the Jorvlen stronghold’s layout.

The mate bond pulsed in his chest, drawing his attention to a section marked “Medical Wing.”

“This medical wing.” His finger tapped against the indicated area. “What exactly do they keep there?”

The scout leaned forward, pointing to specific sections. “Everything from basic medical equipment to experimental drugs. Worth a fortune on the black market.”

Nirrn’s orange scales rippled as an idea formed. “And there are humans who would risk their lives for such supplies?”

“The rogues in the outer district,” Joseph said, understanding dawning on his face. “They’ve been trying to get their hands on Jorvlen medical tech for months.”

“Then we give them what they want.” Nirrn growled low. “In exchange for their help breaking into the compound.”

His tail coiled tightly around the bedpost as he pushed himself upright.

The weakness from before had faded, replaced by a surge of strength that seemed to flow directly from the mate bond.

Every scale tingled with renewed energy, his muscles responding with fluid grace as he rose to his full height.

“Sir, you shouldn’t be—” the healer started to protest.

Nirrn silenced him with a look. “I am fine.” His large frame towered over the humans as he gathered the maps. “The medicine has done its work. And Islae…” His hand pressed against his chest where the bond pulsed strongest. “She gives me strength.”

“The rogues won’t be easy to find,” the scout warned. “They don’t trust outsiders.”

“Then we will make them trust us.” Nirrn’s tail moved with deadly precision as he collected his belongings. “Take me to their territory.”

Joseph stepped forward. “You seem different now. The healer I met would never—”

“The healer you met died when they took my mate.” Nirrn’s golden eyes flashed. “I am becoming what I must be to get her back.”

His scaled shoulders rolled as he moved toward the door. The mate bond burned in his chest like molten metal, driving him forward. Somewhere in that stronghold, Islae waited for him. And he would tear down anyone who stood between them.

“Let’s go,” he commanded, not bothering to look back to see if the scout followed. “We have rogues to find.”