My aim was true.

Blood spurted out and he dropped like a stone but another one had me.

For a second.

Then I heard a ferocious growl I’d never heard before in my life and I was suddenly free.

This was because my sweet, little tigress cub came out of nowhere and jumped him. Surprised by the attack, he stumbled to the side and her not-quite-so-baby-anymore tiger teeth went right for his jugular.

I had no time to watch, I was again captured from behind and this one came smart. The blade was nearing my throat before I tossed my dagger up, caught its handle and again thrust back, finding flesh.

At the same time, I jerked my head back and it collided with his chin. He went back and I again moved the dagger in my hand, whirled and slashed out, opening skin at his chest.

I felt the presence of more bodies in the cham, heard the clash of steel and the sound of men’s grunts and my guess was Zahnin and/or Bain had entered the tent. I didn’t look as I slashed another slice through my attacker’s chest. On my third go, he caught my wrist and twisted it, pain shot up my arm so strong, it took me to my knees. His other arm came back to my throat with the knife but I

moved quickly. Dropping the candleholder, I grasped his wrist, jerked it with all my might and leaned forward, using the only weapon I had at my command. My teeth.

I bit hard, so hard blood spurted into my mouth and he yelped.

Then he let me go, I turned swiftly on my knees and plunged my blade into his belly, my other hand going to cover the one on the hilt, I jerked it up, slicing him open, blood spurting out and flowing down.

He stumbled back then fell to his knees.

I gained my feet, lifted one and kicked him as hard as I could across his face. As he fell to the side, I was shoved out of the way and then I watched Bain heave his sword in an arc, separating head from body, blood spraying out as his body dropped to the rugs and his head flew away, fell and rolled behind the bed.

Bain’s arm hooked me at the waist and he pulled my back tight to his front as he shouted, “Lock down the Daxshee! Every warrior on alert! Search parties sent out to see if there are more Maroo!”

My eyes lifted to the tent flaps and I saw a warrior I didn’t know nod then exit immediately.

Then my eyes moved round the tent, searching for new threats and automatically counting the bodies on the ground, bodies (or, disgustingly, body parts) that seemed to fill all the available space.

One, two, three, four, five… I got up to what might amount (if put back together) to ten, taking in the blood that was splattered throughout Lahn and my cham before I froze.

Zahnin was at the back of the tent, his body heaving with the deep breaths mine was sucking in and I felt Bain’s pulling in against me.

Zahnin held his bloody sword in one hand, pointed down, an equally bloody knife held in the other. Ghost was sitting at his feet, jaws bloody, tongue lolling, blinking like she was bored and ready for a nap.

And I also saw a jagged slash of opened flesh scored down Zahnin’s chest and through his abs.

“No,” I whispered as I watched the blood drip down his hides.

“No! ” I shrieked and Bain’s hold tightened around me.

“It is fine, he is fine, my golden queen, it is a flesh wound,” Bain whispered.

These fucking savage brute warrior guys.

A flesh wound!

His blood was dripping down his hides.

With a heave I tore from Bain’s hold and ran across the cham on a direct route to my protector. That was to say, I ran over the bed.

Ghost jumped to all fours and crept back, clearly reading her Loolah’s mood and wanting nothing to do with it.

When I got to him, I put a gentle hand on him and tilted my head way back to look at him.

“We need to get you down. We need to cleanse this. We need –”

He cut in to grunt, “Queen Circe, I am fine.”

I stepped back and screeched, “You are not fine!” Then I turned to the tent flaps and screamed, “Jacanda! Get in here! ”

“My golden –” Zahnin started but I whipped my head back to him, raised the point of my own bloody dagger toward his face and his mouth snapped shut as his eyes went to my weapon.

“Quiet, Zahnin, you will allow me to see to your wound. Your queen commands it!” I ordered.

His gaze moved from my blade to my face, his lips twitched and then his eyes slid to Bain.

“Our king told us of this,” he remarked drily.

“Indeed, our queen gets something in her head…” Bain trailed off, sounding amused… yes, amused... as he agreed with his brother from behind me.

I turned to glare with narrowed eyes at Bain then I swung my glare back to Zahnin and I snapped, “No more banter. You! ” I jabbed my dagger at Zahnin. “Lie down.” I swung the blade to the bed. “I’m seeing to your wound.”

“As you wish, warrior queen,” he muttered, also sounding amused, deeply, my narrowed gaze got squinty and Jacanda scurried in, face pale, eyes wide, fear visible on every inch of her frame.

I turned to her. “Boil water. I need soap, clean cloths and cleaner bandages. I’ll need a needle and thread uh…” I stopped because I didn’t know the Korwahk word for “sterilized” then said,

“Cleaned.” When she looked confused, I explained, “Boil those too… for a long time. ” She nodded though now she looked less afraid and more perplexed. I ignored it and kept going. “Bring the healer to me. And send someone to get some zakah. A lot of zakah.”

“I could use some zakah,” Zahnin muttered and I whirled to him.

“You’re not going to drink it. I’m going to use it to clean your wound.”

He stared at me with unconcealed surprise.

“Don’t question me,” I ordered. “They do it in my land. It’s a good thing to do.”

“It’s a waste of good zakah,” Bain commented under his breath from across the tent but I caught it and I turned to him.

“Don’t you have a Daxshee to lock down or possible enemies to round up or something? ” I prompted.

He pressed his lips together I knew to suppress a twitch and I squinted at him.

“Yes, my true golden queen,” he muttered, his amused eyes slid through Zahnin then he left the tent and I noticed Jacanda was still standing there.

“Go, sweetheart, now, ” I urged, she nodded and shot off.