Qadim frowned, worried that she had injured herself worse than he’d thought. He hadn’t seen her head hit the pavement, and so he didn’t think she had a concussion. But she was clearly unconscious, deeply so.
The reason became clear enough as he reached out to touch her shoulder and could feel the way her left arm hung at an odd angle. She must have dislocated the joint during that bad spill she’d taken. Well, he’d fixed such things in the past when his comrades in arms had been injured, and so he knew he could do the same thing for this mortal young woman. Better that she had fainted. That way, she wouldn’t feel what he was about to do.
He slid the pillows out from under her so she lay flat on the bed, her arm outstretched. Pulling slowly but firmly, he could almost see the bone moving under her flesh before it slid into place. Good. The area was already bruised and swollen, but he didn’t think she had broken anything.
What she needed was the joint immobilized. Luckily, the hotel had plenty of spare sheets, and within the next moment, Qadim had torn one to a more manageable size, then gently eased her arm into the makeshift sling and fastened it around her neck. Afterward, he plumped up the pillows and laid her against them before pulling up the covers to above her waist. She was still fully dressed and possibly would have been more comfortable in something looser-fitting, but he guessed she would not be pleased to awaken and find that he had tampered with her clothing.
Then he took one of the chairs from the sitting area on the other side of the room and set it down next to her bed. Perhaps she would also not appreciate him sitting there and watching her, but he did not think it a good idea to leave her unattended while she was still unconscious. It was probably the pain that had caused her swoon, true, and yet he would not forgive himself if her condition worsened while he was elsewhere.
Or perhaps it was only that he wanted to stay where he could gaze at her.
Apparently Hasan had been right, and this young woman was the human presence the air elemental had sensed. Would he have been any less implacable if he had known that his prey was so beautiful?
For she was very fair to look upon, with a glorious mane of wavy pale red hair and clear ivory skin. Her eyes were shut now, but he remembered how they had stared at him, wide with fear, before she had fainted. Those eyes had been a deep, warm green, like the finest jade, ringed with lashes several shades darker than her hair. High cheekbones, and a straight little nose, and her mouth —
Qadim had to force himself to stop there, for her full lips made him think of pleasures he guessed she would be quite unwilling to share. Still, he had to wonder who she was, and where she’d been hiding all this time. He thought she must be quite a resourceful young woman, for he hadn’t heard of any other mortals who had managed to survive this long after the Dying, except for the Chosen, of course, and the band of holdouts in Los Alamos.
Perhaps she would tell him, once she awoke.
* * *
G od , her shoulder ached. That was the first thing to enter her awareness — a dull, throbbing pain in her left shoulder joint. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked down to see that her arm was bound in a makeshift sling. The second thing she realized was that she lay in a large luxurious bed, her body supported by pillows.
And the third thing was that the djinn sat in a chair next to the bed, his dark eyes watching her with concern, and a sudden flicker of relief.
“So you are back with us,” he said, his voice even more deep and resonant now that he spoke quietly rather than yelling at her to stop.
“I guess so,” Madison replied, not sure what else she should say. Actually, she was mostly surprised that she was still alive. But the djinn hadn’t killed her, had actually set her shoulder and put it in a sling. At least, she assumed he must have given her his version
The reason became clear enough as he reached out to touch her shoulder and could feel the way her left arm hung at an odd angle. She must have dislocated the joint during that bad spill she’d taken. Well, he’d fixed such things in the past when his comrades in arms had been injured, and so he knew he could do the same thing for this mortal young woman. Better that she had fainted. That way, she wouldn’t feel what he was about to do.
He slid the pillows out from under her so she lay flat on the bed, her arm outstretched. Pulling slowly but firmly, he could almost see the bone moving under her flesh before it slid into place. Good. The area was already bruised and swollen, but he didn’t think she had broken anything.
What she needed was the joint immobilized. Luckily, the hotel had plenty of spare sheets, and within the next moment, Qadim had torn one to a more manageable size, then gently eased her arm into the makeshift sling and fastened it around her neck. Afterward, he plumped up the pillows and laid her against them before pulling up the covers to above her waist. She was still fully dressed and possibly would have been more comfortable in something looser-fitting, but he guessed she would not be pleased to awaken and find that he had tampered with her clothing.
Then he took one of the chairs from the sitting area on the other side of the room and set it down next to her bed. Perhaps she would also not appreciate him sitting there and watching her, but he did not think it a good idea to leave her unattended while she was still unconscious. It was probably the pain that had caused her swoon, true, and yet he would not forgive himself if her condition worsened while he was elsewhere.
Or perhaps it was only that he wanted to stay where he could gaze at her.
Apparently Hasan had been right, and this young woman was the human presence the air elemental had sensed. Would he have been any less implacable if he had known that his prey was so beautiful?
For she was very fair to look upon, with a glorious mane of wavy pale red hair and clear ivory skin. Her eyes were shut now, but he remembered how they had stared at him, wide with fear, before she had fainted. Those eyes had been a deep, warm green, like the finest jade, ringed with lashes several shades darker than her hair. High cheekbones, and a straight little nose, and her mouth —
Qadim had to force himself to stop there, for her full lips made him think of pleasures he guessed she would be quite unwilling to share. Still, he had to wonder who she was, and where she’d been hiding all this time. He thought she must be quite a resourceful young woman, for he hadn’t heard of any other mortals who had managed to survive this long after the Dying, except for the Chosen, of course, and the band of holdouts in Los Alamos.
Perhaps she would tell him, once she awoke.
* * *
G od , her shoulder ached. That was the first thing to enter her awareness — a dull, throbbing pain in her left shoulder joint. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked down to see that her arm was bound in a makeshift sling. The second thing she realized was that she lay in a large luxurious bed, her body supported by pillows.
And the third thing was that the djinn sat in a chair next to the bed, his dark eyes watching her with concern, and a sudden flicker of relief.
“So you are back with us,” he said, his voice even more deep and resonant now that he spoke quietly rather than yelling at her to stop.
“I guess so,” Madison replied, not sure what else she should say. Actually, she was mostly surprised that she was still alive. But the djinn hadn’t killed her, had actually set her shoulder and put it in a sling. At least, she assumed he must have given her his version
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