Free Lady of the Star Wind by Veronica Scott Page A

me.”
    “Why are they kneeling to us?”
    “I’ll ask.” Mark found translation duty tiresome. He hoped she was good with languages and learned fast.  
    The woman he’d rescued spoke first, before he could get a word out. Her tone was proud and regal, her voice low and musical. “I am Princess Tia, daughter of the last King of Nakhtiaar. My thanks to the Lady of the Star Wind and her consort for choosing to intervene in this humble matter of our lives.”
    Mark bowed to the woman. “My lady’s name is Alessandra. I’m Mark.”
    “Your magic has been mighty, to bring us forth from death and into the safety of this place.” Tia glanced around. “Surely there’s more to your dwelling, Exalted Ones?”
    “We’ll take you to the living quarters,” Mark said. “Your officer needs medical attention.”
    Tears trickled through the dust on Tia’s cheeks “You don’t intend to send us into the afterlife?” She pushed her black hair away from her wan face.
    “Into the—no, quite the opposite. We want to help,” Mark said. He gave the impatient Sandy a quick synopsis.
    She grinned. “Lady of the Star Wind, hmm? Has a nice ring to it. What do they call you, then?”  
    Mark could feel his face reddening. Glad the lighting in the garage wasn’t too bright, he said, “Your warrior. Concepts don’t translate word for word.”
    “We need to get this man upstairs where I can treat these wounds.” Sandy smoothed the strap of her medical bag where it dug into her shoulder. “The sooner, the better.”
    “This is Rothan.” The woman gestured at the unconscious officer. “He’s more dear to me than life itself. These men are his personal guard, what’s left of them.” She indicated the man who’d taken command after the officer was stricken. Although short, the man had well-developed arm and shoulder muscles. “Djed, chief archer of the Western Border.”
    The archer bowed. “I’m yours to command, Exalted One.”
    Mark wanted to get the locals to stop referring to him in such lofty terms but needed to have a better grasp of the situation before he corrected anyone’s assumptions. He and Sandy could have made a huge mistake by intervening in local politics on the side of the refugees now standing in their garage.
    “All right, Djed, I need your men to carry your captain farther into our dwelling, so the—the Lady of the Star Wind may continue her healing. Then we’ll need to get the horses rubbed down. We can bring them some water and fodder later.”
    “Excellent.” Rising to his feet, released from obeisance by the receipt of orders from one plainly used to giving them, the chief archer examined his surroundings, brow furrowed. “I see no exit, my lord, no water or grazing for the horses.”
    “This is a place of magic, exactly as you said.” Mark gestured at Sandy. “She’ll make it all plain to you.” Then, in Outlier, he said to the princess, “Go ahead and open the portal to the dwelling, okay? We’ll carry the wounded guy into the bedroom, and I’ve told Djed to get food and water for the horses from the oasis, once you let him out there.”
    “Just tell me what you need me to do. I have to get to my patient before he loses any more blood.”
    Mark touched her satchel. “How much in the way of medical supplies do you have?”
    She frowned as she walked toward the portal. “Not as much as I’d like, but enough to take care of these people. I packed it practically to bursting when I left Outlier, because I wasn’t ever going back. There must be local medicines I can learn to use or adapt, as my stock is exhausted.” Flashing the lavender crystal key at the wall, she opened the way for them to proceed into the dwelling.
    “The locals apparently believe you’re some kind of a goddess or magical being. I think we need to be careful not to dispel such a useful impression right now,” Mark said as he gestured for the awed refugees to follow Sandy through the portal.
    After Sandy