Page 84 of Phoenix's Fire

"Hey, Zasen said there was a bear," I explained, crossing the room to pass her the glass. "I brought you a pill to make your body hurt less."

She lifted her hands, and took the glass in one and the pill in the other. When I nodded encouragingly, she popped the pill in her mouth, then chased it with a gulp of water. After swallowing that, she took another long drink, then looked on both sides of her, clearly trying to figure out what to do with the glass.

"I got it," I promised, taking it just to set it on the bedside table that was out of her reach. "How are you doing, Ayla? They said the bear got you."

She twisted to show me the back of her shoulder. "It isn't bad. We surprised it, and Zasen told me to run, but it chased me instead of him." She paused to rub at one eye. "So he chased it and stung it. When it chased him, I shot it."

"Can I...." I pointed to the edge of the bed.

She nodded. "And we pulled it back. I saw a dog."

"And it sounds like you didn't get a lot of sleep," I said. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

She glanced up and gave me one of those amazingly sweet smiles she was so good at. "Zasen saved me."

"Zasen got you into that," I reminded her. "He should've known better."

But she shook her head. "No, it was hiding. I could see he was looking forsomething, but it was just there, and he could've run the other way. He tried, but when it went after me, he helped." She closed her eyes and hummed, proving she wasn't all the way awake. "But I got paid."

"Lie back down," I encouraged. "You can sleep some more, Ayla. I just didn't want you to wake up hurting."

"Okay," she said, easing herself back down on her pillows. "It won't get infected, right?"

"No, it shouldn't. And if it does, Naomi has medicines for that."

Ayla nodded her head against the pillow, letting her eyes close. "Okay. I don't want to get infected. I'm going to get krael too."

"What?" I asked, not sure I'd heard that last bit correctly.

"Zasen said I'm rich. He said I could buy a house, but I like it here. I mean, unless I need a house?"

"No, you have a home here," I told her.

Her lips curled into another smile. "So I'm going to buy weapons and dresses. I'm going to pay you back too. I don't know how much money I have, but I killed a bear, so I can make more."

"You don't have to pay us back," I whispered, reaching up to smooth her hair back. "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

She turned, rolling onto her side to face me. "I'm happy. I'm finally strong. I killed a bear."

"Yes, you did," I breathed, caressing her hair back one more time. "You're now the strongest woman I know."

Her lips curled again, proving she heard me, but I was already easing myself off the bed. Ayla didn't even stir, but I felt so much better after seeing she truly was okay. She was in one piece. She'd survived. She also deserved to be very proud of herself.

Because if she could kill a bear, I was pretty sure the Moles wouldn't stand a chance. Ayla didn't know how dangerous those things were. I'd seen entire groups of hunters killed by a single animal - who survived the ordeal! For her and Zasen to kill one with just the two of them?

I hadn't exaggerated at all. Ayla had just become the strongest woman I knew - by a long shot. And somehow, she made it look easy.

Twenty-Six

Tobias

Ididn't get to see Callah every day. As a new hunter, I was expected to spend my time training, catching up on all the things I didn't know. Mr. Worthington had given me a list of things I had to know - and fast. It seemed I'd be sent out on the next excursion in eleven days.

But as we practiced disassembling our weapons and reassembling them in the muted light of the compound, the other men talked. One, Malcus, pointed out that he'd seen me talking to Callah. I nodded, not trying to hide it, so the man leaned in to give me a little advice about women.

It seemed spending too much time with them was discouraged. Women could get the wrong idea, thinking they had control over a man if we sought them out too much. I also shouldn't be too eager to entertain her. She should be the one entertaining me.

Then there was the most important thing he said I should know: Robey thought it would be funny to steal her away.