White Lion's Lady by Lara Adrian

Author:Lara Adrian [Adrian, Lara]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Lara Adrian, LLC
Published: 2012-05-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 20

Isabel remained asleep--mercifully unconscious--for the time it took Griffin to find them feasible shelter so he could look after her wound. The only asylum to be had was in the woods outside Derbyshire, a deep cavern notched between two massive slabs of lichen-covered granite. Adequate at best, but well hidden. Griff dismounted to make a quick check of the place, then, satisfied with its state of total vacancy, he went back to his waiting mount to fetch Isabel.

Carrying her in his arms, his horse's lead in one hand, Griff ventured into the cave. A flat expanse of dry rock would have to serve as Isabel's pallet as he tended her. Griff set her down as gently as he could, positioning her where there was the best light. This far back in the cavern, sunlight was a meager, fleeting thing. It squeezed in through the cave's narrow mouth, stretching in like a hag's finger, a milky nimbus that would be all but vanished in a matter of an hour.

Griff made haste to use his time to best advantage, bringing together what few tools he had to work with and returning to kneel at Isabel's side.

Even in the dim light of the cavern, he could see the grim evidence of the bolt's damage. Isabel's blood stained the deep blue wool of her mantle where the torn fabric pressed against her injured arm, a thickening patch of wet blackness that set a knot of fear in Griffin's throat. With care not to disturb her, he lifted the edge of the cloak away, then grasped the sleeve of Isabel's gown as gingerly as he could and rent it at the shoulder seams.

His breath hissed out of him when he saw the ravaged patch of skin laid bare.

It seemed such a heinous violation, so incongruous, that terrible, ragged ugliness marring the pale perfection of her skin. At least the arrow had only grazed her. Had she leaped any farther into its path, the bolt would have impaled her upper arm, a grim thought Griff refused to ponder for long. Steeling himself to what must be done, he reached over to retrieve his saddle pack from the floor beside him.

He pulled a wineskin from within the pouch, cursing when he realized it could contain no more than a couple of swallows. Better than none at all, he decided, but he still needed a length of cloth with which to bind her arm once it was cleaned. He grabbed up the hem of her rumpled mantle then threw it aside in frustration. Wool would only breed festering; the best bandage would be of breathable fabric.

Griff's gaze slid back to the fine silk gown Isabel wore. The voluminous skirts were soiled and torn from her fall, but beneath the mantle clasped together at her throat, the bodice of the dress was still a pristine white. It would have to suffice. Griff knelt down and untied the laces that bound the garment's neckline together above Isabel's breasts, then paused.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.