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I hold my hand up for him to stay put.
“If you want Skylenna to survive a Fun House Night, if you want to keep your head from being chopped off by the Mazonist Brothers, then you’ll make sure she survives this!”
His smile falls away. “My brother would never let her die.”
“Maybe not. But he certainly would die trying to keep her alive. Then you have one of their bodies on your hands before they can be of any use to this country.”
I feel Warrose’s heavy presence at my back. But I don’t break my furious gaze from Kaspias. From his unfeeling expression.
He gives me a once-over look, then cracks his neck. “Wait here.”
I turn to Warrose after Kaspias heads into the kitchen. He looks down at me with confusion, waiting for an explanation.
“Dessin was right,” I say with a shrug. “He doesn’t care about any of us, but he does care about himself. And he would be in trouble if Skylenna doesn’t survive tonight.”
Without a word, Warrose pulls me against his chest, wrapping his arms around my exposed body. He’s so warm. So strong. I fight the urge to melt into him.
“That was clever, kid.”
“You’re not mad?”
“I definitely was at first, but the fact that you proved Dessin wrong feels like Christmas Day,” he rasps against my hair.
I smile.
~
Skylenna
My arm screams in pain as if I’m being skinned alive.
“Hold her still.”
“She’s so wiggly.”
“It’s okay, Skylenna. We’re just cleaning your wounds,” Marilynn grumbles near me.
I squint through the watery blur coating my eyes. Two heads hover around me, moving, bickering, and messing with my limbs.
“Ow!” I hiss, trying to yank my feet away from a glowing golden head.
“They’re trying to keep your wounds from getting infected, baby.” I’m still snuggled in Dessin’s arms. Held tight against his chest.
The sting subsides, replaced by cold water cleaning my skin.
My vision clears, and I look right at Niles wrapping up my feet.
“Nurse Niles at your service!” He grins, placing a kiss on top of my foot. “See? Boo-boo all better.”
I roll my eyes, smiling against the swelling in my cheeks.
“Drink this,” Marilynn says, passing a cup of water to Dessin. He holds it to my lips, tipping it upward for me to drink.
The sensation running down my throat is a blast of endorphins tingling through my bloodstream. Cold water soothing my dry mouth, my tight esophagus. I moan at the relief.
“You think that’s erotic? Just wait until I rub this pain-relieving ointment on you!” Niles chirps, waving a jar of brown cream in my face.
“Niles,” Dessin grunts.
