Dawn of a New Age: A Sons of Satrina Novel Read Free

around the room to the bed. He was shattered and needed to lie down. Trying to make it look like he wasn’t in too much pain, Jackson eased himself down onto the bed. The show he was putting on didn’t succeed as they were watching him like hawks and didn’t miss the flinch of pain as he settled into a laying position.
    “Do you want us to leave?” Trey asked.
    “No, it’s fine. Make yourselves comfortable. I’m just going to close my eyes for a moment…” Exhaustion over took him quickly. He didn’t even hear if they responded as his eyes began to close all of their own accord and sleep took him away from the pain and the stress of the night.
     
    Aisline woke up a short while later. She felt drained, but much more alert this time. Her eyes opened and stayed open after she blinked away the sand that scratched at her eyes. Her thoughts were finally clear and, although her body ached, the pain was now at least manageable.
    The only problem was that with a clear mind came clear memories. It all came rushing back to her with such clarity that a violent shudder ran through her. Her skin broke out in goose-bumps and clammy sweat fogged her brow.
    So much had happened to her in such a short space of time. Even with her mind free from the drugged out haze, it was difficult for her to process all that had happened to her. Ash already knew that she would never be able to talk about and share the full extent of what had happened to her at the hands of the Mortuorum. No one. It was way too personal. She knew that warrior Kelton would ask her for a full report as soon as she was fit and able, but how much would she be able to tell him? How far would she be willing to go?
    Ash could clearly remember every single pain ridden detail of the humiliating ride that the enemy had taken her on. Beaten black and blue, taunted and tormented. Abused and treated like a worthless piece of trash. The death by fire had only been an after-thought when the Mortuorum realised that the Sons of Satrina warriors had found their location. They had planned for something much more up close and personal for her, dragging out her pain and degradation for as long as they could. Death by flames would have been a blessing if the Sons hadn’t been able to get her out of there.
    Thinking ‘what it’ was pointless. More to the point, it was too scary to contemplate. So many things could have happened to her. After all that she had been through, you would have thought that would have been the worst of it, but seeing how their minds worked, Aisline knew that she would have been subjected to so much more than she could have ever feared. They were animals. They were her worst nightmare.
    As she turned to find a more comfortable position in the ridiculously hard hospital bed, there was a sudden commotion outside her door.
    “I don’t care! It’s not like I’m going in there to disturb her. I’m just checking on her. There’s no crime in that.” Jackson said harshly as he opened the door, one of the nurses bustling and scowling behind him.
    “It’s okay. I’m awake.” Ash said as soon as they clocked her.
    “Hey.” Jackson said quietly as his eyes flicked over her, checking for any signs of pain or anguish. She looked relatively normal to him. Well, that was if you could ignore the assortment of cuts and bruises she was decorating her pale skin. At least she was looking better than when they had first brought her back in.
    “You have two minutes.” The nurse said sternly.
    Jackson rolled his eyes. “How are you feeling now?”
    “I’m here. I’m alive.” Ash quipped.
    “That’s all we can ask for.” Jackson grinned.
    “How are you feeling?” she asked awkwardly, knowing any injuries he had sustained was because of her. None of them had come away from the mission unscathed. Ash had heard the nurses talking when they thought she was sleeping, saying that they were rushed off their feet dealing with an assortment of cuts, bruises and burns