Seamus emptied the bucket he’d been using to wash his hands and refilled it. He deposited it in front of Cameron. “Wash your hands,” he said, his voice gruff. He carefully avoided eye contact and turned away as Cameron looked up. The former pilot’s expression was bleak, pain clearly visible in his eyes.
I reached down and squeezed his shoulder, suppressing a sigh. “Listen to him,” I said quietly. “Staring at the blood isn’t going to make anything better.”
Cameron winced and nodded, plunging his hands into the bucket. Neve made eye contact with me and mouthed a silent thank you. I nodded slightly and crossed my arms, chewing the inside of my lower lip and trying to think.
“We’re sure it was just one?” I asked finally, looking at Phelan. “There aren’t going to be any more?”
“I was mildly surprised there was this one,” he answered. “I wish I had a definitive answer to the question, but I’m hoping we won’t have to deal with that again—and I’m hoping the one we just killed didn’t have any offspring because otherwise I’d have start worrying.”
“We’d all have to start worrying,” Thom said, sliding an arm around my shoulders. “Matt, Marin, Sif, and I all had pieces of that kill, too.”
Phelan grimaced and nodded. “Right on that. Either way, we’ll have to hope that another one’s not coming. I can’t imagine there would be. Lindworms, in my experience, are fairly rare.”
Seamus snorted. “I believe fairly is an understatement.”
“Incredibly rare is probably more accurate,” Neve said, looking up at Thom and I. “We’ll probably be fine. Probably never have to face one again.”
“It’s a lot of probably going on there,” Cameron said, staring at the water. “How about something we’re sure about?”
“We’re still riding out in a few days,” Thom said. “How’s that?”
Cameron jerked upright. “Who says?”
“I do,” Thom said. “You guys were right. We need allies and to build a trade network with other settlements if we can. As long as the weather holds, we’ll ride out. We can’t afford to wait.”
I looked up at him. “Are you sure?”
He nodded. “I’m sure. The only question mark now is who’s going to come with us and who’s going to stay here and make sure you’re safe.”
I smiled wryly. “Because we’re wholly incapable of taking care of ourselves.” I kissed his cheek. “Your protective streak is adorable.”
“Remember that the next time we’re having a shouting match because I want you safe,” Thom said, smiling fondly back at me. His thumb brushed against my cheek. “Because at the end of the day, that’s the only thing I want.”
“I know,” I whispered before I kissed him again.
all together now: DAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!! seriously tho, those feels….the feels…..