Now rumors were spreading that another group of Hoskali hunters were closing in on the camp. Olyva had slept through it all, and part of Lexi couldn’t help but envy her. At least Olyva wasn’t worrying herself sick the way Lexi was tempted to do.Lexi wouldn’t want to be caught unaware in another raid; that was exactly how she had been captured by their current tribe. It was not a happy memory for her. And it didn’t help that the women in Tiberius’ harem were so noticeably agitated. Lexi hadn’t been happy about Tiberius inheriting wives, but the women had understood her position as Ti’s lover. They had given the couple space and taken care of many of the domestic duties Lexi knew she would have been miserable performing. Now she realized they were all at risk, and if the camp was overrun by raiders, she and Tiberius could be separated.Lexi paced back and forth, waiting for Tiberius to return. She didn’t like being tied to someone who obviously didn’t seem concerned enough to keep her informed about what was going on. It was one of the many reasons she didn’t like being in love. In Avondale, she kept her distance from everyone. She knew people, and was known by some, but she wasn’t close to anyone. If she had to cut ties and leave to protect herself, she could, and she had no regrets about that. In fact, when Tiberius had been banished, she had done exactly that, leaving the city to be with him. Now, however, she couldn’t just escape. She felt like a prime target, which bothered her as well. She was different from the other women in the camp. She dressed differently, acted differently; in the chaos of an attack, she would stand out. Her first instinct was to find a more secure place to wait and see what would happen. She hated being in the camp. The light from the fires all around her limited her vision, but made her along with everyone else in the camp easy to see.She checked to make sure her Wangorian dagger was ready for use in her belt. The curved blade, with its intricate markings which showed the incredible craftsmanship of the weapon, was razor sharp. It was only as long as her hand from palm to fingertip, but she had used it to take the lives of two men the night she had stolen it. She felt better when she gripped the leather wrapped handle. If she had to fight, she thought to herself, she would be ready.Tiberius finally returned, but he didn’t look good. She could see from a distance that he seemed pale and shaky. He also looked concerned, all of which triggered her knee-jerk reaction to flee before things got messy. She forced herself to stay and as she waited for him to join her near the fire that was burning in front of the Swanee’s shelter, she heard his other wives gathering close behind her. They were whispering, and snatches of their conversations carried to her. They were all afraid, all hoping that Tiberius would use his magic to protect them, but the way he looked to Lexi, she doubted he could even help himself.“What’s wrong?”
