Warrior (Relentless #4)(139)

“What did you see?” she asked him.

He moved closer to the bed. “We unlocked the door, but before Nikolas and I could get to you, you sent out enough energy to throw us across the room. You and Nate were inside some kind of energy sphere that glowed so brightly it was impossible to look at directly. We couldn’t get within five feet of it without it pushing us back. I’ve seen many things in my life, but nothing like that.”

Her mouth dropped open, an indication she hadn’t been aware of everything she’d done in the cell.

“You didn’t actually see what I did to Nate?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “You were like that for a minute, and then the sphere disappeared and you both fell to the floor. Whatever it was, it melted the irons on Nate’s arms and legs without leaving a mark on him.”

“A minute?” she echoed in disbelief. “It felt like it was a lot longer than that.”

“Yes, it did,” I agreed gruffly, remembering how helpless I’d felt not being able to get to her.

Roland smiled. “You learned some new tricks since the last time we saw you.”

“This makes what she did to you look like nothing,” Peter quipped.

“No kidding.”

Sara laughed, and everyone in the room smiled. It felt like it had been forever since I’d heard that sound.

Roland thought so too. “It’s good to hear that again.”

“It feels good,” she said happily. She looked at Nate. “You’re staying here until they get the Master, right?”

Tristan had already offered Nate a home here, and it hadn’t taken much convincing to get him to stay after his ordeal. He wasn’t sure he could ever live in his old apartment again.

“I guess I can write as well here as I can anywhere else,” Nate told her. “Of course, I’ll need to get my computer and things from home.”

“And don’t forget Daisy and –” A look of horror entered her eyes. “Nate, where are Daisy and Oscar? You didn’t…?”

“No!” he exclaimed, aghast. “They ran away as soon as I went home after I was attacked.”

Peter jumped in. “They’re fine. Dad and Uncle Brendan went to check out your place and they saw Oscar outside. He wouldn’t come near them so Aunt Judith put out some food for him.”

“And Mom took Daisy to our place,” Roland reassured her.

“Thanks,” Sara said hoarsely.

“Why don’t we let Sara and Nate have some time alone together?” Tristan said. “I’m sure they have a lot to talk about.”

Sara held out a hand. “Wait. What about Ben? Is he okay?”

Tristan smiled. “Ben is fine, although he is a bit put out about being taken down so easily. He understands you were very distraught and not thinking straight.”

“I’ll apologize to him as soon as I see him,” she said.

“I think Ben would rather you not bring it up again,” I said lightly. The young warrior had taken plenty of ribbing the last two days for letting a new trainee get the better of him.

“Maybe I should be the one to apologize to him for helping you hone that particular skill in the first place.”

Tristan gave the two of us a mild scolding look. “Perhaps I should learn exactly what goes on in your training sessions. But right now, Sara needs to rest and talk to Nate. We’ll discuss her training in a few days.”

I didn’t respond. Sara’s training was my responsibility, and I’d remind Tristan of that when we talked.

Plus, I was proud of Sara. She shouldn’t have used her power against another Mohiri, but she’d also demonstrated how strong and controlled she’d become in such a short time. I could only imagine what she’d be able to do in six months or a year.

Sara leaned forward. “Can I go back to my room? We’d be a lot more comfortable there.”

“You should stay here, close to the healers, for a few more hours,” I said.

“Okay, but only for a few hours. Then I need to get out of this ward. I’ve spent way too much time here the last month.”

“I’ve given Nate the apartment next to mine,” Tristan said. “It has two large bedrooms, so you can move in with him if you want to.”

I knew she was going to decline his offer before she spoke. She’d objected to Tristan talking about her love life. There was no way she was going to live with Nate next door to Tristan.

And if I had my way, the next person she lived with would be me.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to stay with the other trainees,” she said to Nate. “We’ll see each other all the time anyway.”

Everyone left until it was just Sara, Nate, and me. I knew they needed time alone, but it wasn’t easy to leave her so soon after she’d finally awakened.

“I’ll be close if you need anything.” I leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Later, you and I are going to talk about what will happen if you ever pull something like that again.”





Chapter 26





“Maybe you’ll get home faster if you ditch the bike and run.”

Chris’s chuckle came through the speaker of my helmet, and I smiled in return. Maybe I was going a little fast, but I was looking forward to getting some alone time at last with Sara tonight. She’d been with either Nate or Roland and Peter since she woke up yesterday, and I hadn’t wanted to intrude on their reunion.