To her shock, Darice did so without complaint. He offered Bastien his shoulder and together, they headed for the door.
Dancer paused to check on Thia. “You okay, kisa?”
Her arms folded over her chest, she had a strange look in her eyes as she swept her gaze around the building. “Do you know where my mother died?”
Dancer winced at her question. “Don’t, baby.”
Tears welled in her eyes as she glanced up at him. “Kiara won’t ever talk about it. My father, either. I just want to know if she suffered much.”
Pulling her into his arms, Dancer cradled her head with his hand. “No, baby, she didn’t.” He hated to lie to her, but the truth would serve no purpose other than to make her feel worse. He placed a kiss to her forehead. “Aksel owns enough of your soul. Don’t let him take any more from you. He’s not worth one molecule of your tears.”
She hugged him then. “Thank you. For everything.”
He nodded. “Love you, Thee.”
“You, too.” She kissed his cheek before she followed after Darice and Bastien.
Sumi moved to help Dancer. “You look like you’re about to fall over.”
Draping his arm over her shoulders, he gave a light squeeze as they walked toward the door. “I’m fine.”
She didn’t believe it for a minute. “Your eyes are still as red as they can be.”
He said nothing as they left the building. The kids and Bastien were at the airbees. There were four of them, but only three had enough fuel in them to go very far. And that was only after Bastien siphoned the tank on one of them to add to it.
Dancer handed Bastien a bag of additional weapons. “Did you get your things?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.” Dancer pulled out a small handheld control then pressed it. An instant later, the entire building blew apart.
Bastien gaped indignantly. “My porn! You Andarion bastard! You didn’t tell me you were going to blow my shit up.”
Dancer cut a dry stare toward him. “Be glad I let you get out first.”
Sighing, Bastien rolled his eyes. “You are Fain’s brother. Just like him… bastard. All right, so what are we doing?”
“I’m taking the four of you to the Point then coming back for Illyse. I’ll be on the move until the others get here.” He handed Bastien one of the trackers that was set to his TD. “Give this to Thia’s father and they’ll find me.”
Sumi moved to stand in front of him. “I’m not leaving you. You’re wounded.”
“Let’s argue about this later. We need to get out of here in case some of the Boldorians are around to see the explosion.”
She wanted to argue, but knew he was right.
Sumi took the first airbee. Thia climbed on the back of hers. Bastien pulled himself on another and Hauk took the third. Darice went to sit behind his uncle. When he wrapped his arms around Dancer’s waist, she noted the softening of Dancer’s features. He patted Darice’s arms then took off.
They followed him to a small oasis at the base of Mount Grenalyn. In spite of the desert climate, it was strangely lush and green, with a rapid stream that ran through it.
Dancer parked and helped Darice off as they joined him.
When he started to leave them, Sumi caught his arm and held him in place. “You are hurt and bleeding. If you think for one second that I’m going to stand here and watch you leave without those wounds being tended, you’re… even more insane than I think you are. And I will follow you.”
Laying his hand against her cheek, he stroked her chin with his thumb. “I refuse to endanger you.”
“You know, Dancer. Heroic is one thing. Moronic is quite another.” She turned his airbee off. “Now get your ass over there, soldier, and sit!” She pointed to where Thia was unpacking their things. “And let me see how bad you’re hurt. Then we’ll revisit this whole death quest you seem to have.”
He shook his head at her. “You are so bossy. I’d eat anyone else who talked to me like this.”
“Promises, promises. Now move!”
Hauk wanted to argue, but honestly, he couldn’t muster the energy or drive. So he obeyed her orders, even though it wasn’t in his nature to do such. Sighing, he slung his leg over the airbee and allowed her to lead him to a softer area near the water.
In the back of his mind, he knew Darice was watching and making mental notes for Dariana. Yet he no longer cared. Darice already thought him the lowest of the low. He’d tried over the years to salvage his nephew’s opinion of him, and it was time to realize that he couldn’t. Darice would think what he would. There was nothing Hauk could do about it.
Lying down, he stared up at the side of the mountain where he’d once dangled helplessly and almost fallen to his death. Come to think of it, Keris had landed just a few feet from where he currently lay.
But he didn’t want to think about the past. It was too brutal a place to dwell.
Sumi sat down next to him and opened his shirt. She gasped at the sight of the wound across his ribs that stung like Tondarion fire scorpions. “Dancer!”
He didn’t speak as she cleaned it and continued fussing at him over it. Sick as it sounded, he enjoyed her anger over his injuries. Rather he dragged his knuckle along her jaw and watched her with hooded eyes. She was so incredibly beautiful and even more so while wearing the painted pattern of his family on her face.
All he wanted was to go back to this morning and make love to her again. To taste her lips and nibble every inch of her body.
Strange, he knew he was in pain, but with her so close, he didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was keeping her safe and protected. Making sure that no one ever hurt her.
His gaze fell to her arm and again, he felt the adrenaline surge that begged him to go back and slap the corpses of every assassin who had endangered her life.
Taking her hand, he kissed her knuckles.
Sumi tried not to let his actions soften her. But it was too late. Especially while he looked at her with that adoring expression.
It made her ache to kiss him.
Most of all, she wanted to choke him over the amount of damage he’d taken for them. Yet, it was hard to be angry at him when he looked at her like he was already tasting her. Hard to stay angry when he touched her with such gentleness.
Still red, those eyes followed every move she made.
She sat back and frowned at how many wounds lined his torso and arms. “You really need an MT, Dancer.”
He squeezed her hand comfortingly. “I’ll be all right.”
She shook her head. “You’re not invincible.”
“Damn near.”
She rolled her eyes at his arrogance. Though to be honest, it wasn’t. He really could stand stronger and take more damage than anyone she’d ever heard of. Was it an Andarion thing? Or was he just that strong?
Her stomach tightened at all the injuries on him. “Didn’t at least one of them miss when they shot at you?”
He laughed then grimaced. “Yeah, I always wanted to be that hero in a movie where no one can shoot straight except me. Never happens. I seem to always walk into the school of award-winning sharpshooters.” He dropped his hand to the injury she had on her biceps. “You okay?”
“Told you. Flesh wound. Throbs, but I can handle it.”
He smiled. “My tough mia.”
Tears filled her eyes as she bandaged his ribs. Without thinking, she lay her head on his chest and carefully held him. He wrapped his arms around her and for several minutes neither of them moved as she listened to the strong beating of his heart underneath her cheek.
Sumi lifted her head as she realized he was sound asleep. She pulled her poncho out and made a pillow for him before she finished cleaning and dressing his wounds. Only then did she remember that they weren’t alone.