The military van rattled over uneven pavement, its shocks doing little to cushion the impact. Inside, the air was thick with exhaustion and unease.
Civilians, soldiers, and the wounded sat shoulder to shoulder, the weight of the past few days pressing down on them like a suffocating blanket.
Zara sat in the back, Leo wedged securely between her and Winter. The child had woken up an hour ago, but his fingers still curled tightly into Winter's sleeve, refusing to let go. Winter, for his part, had drifted into a half-conscious state, head tilted slightly toward Zara. His breath was steady, but the deep lines of fatigue around his eyes hadn't faded.
Zara was worried, she knew he wasn't physically injured again, she might have taken a peek while winter was out but that was besides the point.
Like he said, there was no injury there again. So why was he so exhausted? Maybe the pay off for using the healing was that the person's energy was converted into healing energy?
