AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They both knew it was a lie.
Marli would have fought like hell no matter what, but in the end, it would have been a losing battle.
Kymri squeezed Marli’s hand. “He and Goliath have been taking turns guarding your door. The whole corridor is off limits.
“Guarding my door? Goliath? The big guy?”
Kymri nodded toward the door. “He’s out there now.”
“I should thank him.” Marli studied Kymri’s face, her expression somber. “You should have let me tell Aeleftheria that Clive and Merwin were a problem as soon as I got here.”
Kymri stiffened. “We couldn’t have predicted that they would escape.”
“There’s too much turmoil in this mountain to honestly believe that it wasn’t a possibility.”
Kymri sighed, dropping her head into her hands. “It’s like a fucking powder keg in here. There’s too much resentment about how things happened.”
“We should go back. When you meet up with Kolina, go back with her. We can do more good by shoring up our defenses.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“I know you don’t. But you can’t change centuries of ingrained beliefs overnight.”
“Not overnight. Jori’s got a strong foothold. This is it, Marli. If Jori can’t do this, it’ll never happen.”
“Just be careful out there, Kym. I still really don’t think you should go. Especially if they’re recruiting.” Marli swallowed. “And I should be with you.”
Kymri grabbed Marli’s hand. “Don’t worry, Elora’s working her magic and calling on old friends. We’ll be fine. I’m more worried about dealing with my mother than anything else out there right now.”
Marli squeezed her hand back.
Kymri stood to leave.
Marli pulled the blanket back and eased her feet over the side, swatting Kymri’s hand away. “I’m not so injured that I need a pregnant woman to help me up.”
Kymri shrugged and stepped aside. “You should rest more.” She reached for the neatly folded t-shirt and sweats stacked on the dresser, handing them to Marli.
“You sound like my mother.” She grumbled as she pulled the clothing on.
Kymri snorted and rolled her eyes. “Better than mine. She’d have gotten you out of bed yesterday and told you to get back to your duties.”
Marli laughed until pain streaked up her side, stealing her breath away. Her shoulder and hip throbbed in time with her heartbeat. Swaying on her feet, she held up her hand and resigned to move more carefully, making her way to the door. “Don’t say it.”
When she opened the door, her eyes landed on the big guy leaning against the opposite wall, arms over his chest and legs crossed at the ankles. He was so tall, the shock of red hair nearly brushed the ceiling when he straightened to his full height. She met his blue gaze.
“Good morning.”
Even his greeting was a grumble.
She nodded. “Thank you for helping me get out of that… jam.”
He nodded back. “You shouldn’t be here.”
His words struck her chest, and she sucked in a breath.
“None of you should be. But you are, and that shouldn’t have happened. That sort of thing should never happen, so I understand now why you are. Here.”
Marli blinked at him. She turned to Kymri, who moved into the door frame beside her.
