Starside novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Rain

It rained on the far side of the orchard, hard and cold, and there was nowhere to go but a shelf of rock.

Dain pushed me under it and stood in the rain a moment longer, looking back at the burning trees.

Then he came in and sat against the wall with his coat steaming.

Tilda had gone ahead with her Warden to find a shelter of their own.

The water ran off the rock in a sheet, and beyond it the world was gray and loud.

"Take your coat off," I said.

"What?"

"The oil got your shoulder. Take it off. I'm not asking."

He didn't argue.

He unbuckled the silver coat and peeled it back, and the shirt under it was scorched through on the left shoulder.

The skin beneath was red and weeping, in a patch as wide as my palm.

I tore a strip off my own sleeve, wet it in the rain, and knelt in front of him.

The cord lay across both our knees.

"You said no touching," Dain said.

"I'm the one touching. Hold still."

I pressed the wet cloth against the burn, and he drew a sharp breath through his teeth.

I felt the muscle in his shoulder jump under my hand.

I kept my eyes on the wound.

"You've done this before," he said.

"My father had a forge. I dressed burns all my life, on everyone but me."

He was quiet.

Then he lifted his good hand and put it over mine, flat against his shoulder, and held it there.

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