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“Yes. Thank you for coming and um… for your help,” she said softly as her eyes hesitantly met mine.
I ignored how that made me feel, how she looked at me without hatred. “You should bathe. Wash the blood off. Put on fresh clothes. We can redress your bandages afterward.”
Her hand pressed hard into the side of the sofa, her fingernails embedding into the leather. Her body shook with effort as she tried and failed to stand. I was immediately there, catching her from the fall.
“I can get help,” I said, “or I can call for a female servant to help you bathe.”
“No,” she snapped. “Just give me a minute and then… I just need help walking to the bathing room. I can do the rest myself.”
We stayed there for a moment, unmoving. My hand still rested on the small of her back. The other was pressed flat against her stomach, holding her up. I gently set her back down on the sofa.
“You lost a lot of blood. You really shouldn’t bathe by yourself. You could pass out in the water,” Peter added.
“No,” she interjected quickly.
“I don’t feel like having you drown on us tonight,” Peter deadpanned, trying to convince her otherwise.
“I think I can manage to wash alone, thank you very much,” she glared daggers Peter’s way, “I’m not going to die from a bath tub.” He held his hands up in the air as if giving up.
“Fine, you can bathe alone, but we’re staying here while you do. Just call out if you need us or a female’s assistance. You will be staying here tonight so that I know you will be safe,” I said.
“I’m fine—” she started to protest.
“Scottie, you were seriously injured and almost murdered. You aren’t leaving my side. Not when I know for sure that someone in this castle wants you dead.”
“Kole said he didn’t want me dead, not yet anyway,” she admitted. I glanced at Peter who shared the same panicked expression as I felt. “But didn’t you already know that?” she pressed. “That someone wanted me dead? And besides, you caught Kole, and he is in the dungeons, so I’m fine. I will be fine.”
I bent over the sofa and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me. “I didn’t know for sure someone wanted you dead. It was only a guess, and one I hoped wasn’t true. But Kole isn’t the one behind this.”
“What do you mean?” she whispered. She tried to jerk her head out of my grasp, but I tightened my grip. Not enough to hurt her, but enough for her to meet my stare. I needed her to know how dangerous this was for her. How this changes everything. How seeing her like that… it couldn’t happen again.
“Kole is from your school, and as much as he may not like you, his hatred for you and anyone without abilities is not enough to drive someone to murder. I believe he is working for someone. There will be more attempts on your life. It won’t stop with Kole. And I’m not leaving you alone, especially when you’re injured. So you are going to be staying here from now on, where I can watch you.”
“I feel safer alone. I don’t need someone watching over me.”
“Yes, you do,” I said sternly.
“And look at how that turned out. The person who was watching me tried to kill me in my sleep, so please forgive me if I don’t trust you.” This time she managed to pull her face free of my hand. Blood marks from my fingers were left on her chin from where I’d cupped it. Slowly, painfully, she pulled away from me and rose from the sofa. Her entire body shook with effort as she awkwardly limped alone to the bathing room.
“Scottie, please,” my voice was so hoarse that she stopped in her tracks. “I know you don’t trust anyone now, and that’s good. You shouldn’t. And I know you have no reason to trust me, but please just this once trust me. I don’t want you to be alone.”
“Peter,” she said, whirling around to him. “I trust Peter. If you don’t want me alone, I’ll stay with him.”
I winced at her words, the meaning behind them.
As much as I hated the thought of Peter spending his nights with her, it was better than nothing. He was probably the only one I could trust with her, besides myself. He cared for her as much as I did. And after the night with Alec, I knew I would never get her trust back. I knew I didn’t deserve it, so I nodded my head.
Protect her with your life,I said into Peter’s mind.I’ll keep our pathways open. Alert me immediately if anything happens.
I briefly looked at her before settling my gaze on Peter. “You two can stay here for the rest of the night while her room is being repaired and cleaned. Very few in the castle are aware of what happened tonight, and I want to keep it that way. Make sure she bathes, rests, and eats. I’ll be back later. Let me know if anything happens.” I didn’t bother to wait for him to respond. I knew he would do as I asked. I didn’t look at Scottie again as I left them alone in my room.
Once the door shut behind me, I heard her say to Peter, “I’m sorry to make you stay with me. I just don’t want to be alone with him, not yet.”
Her voice broke, then I heard her soft sobs. Then footsteps.
“Come here,” Peter said. “Don’t apologize, Scottie. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
I left, not able to stomach anymore. Not bothering about the dried blood still caked on my hands, my bare chest, my pants, I headed for the dungeons again.
