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I realize Kallum is speaking to me slowly, and I frown at him. He’s back, and the body of the huge mercenary is gone. There’s just an indent in the mud where he fell. Kallum is still talking, and I try to focus on him above the roaring in my ears.
‘Do you hear me, Lia? You need to go back inside to the others.’
I look slowly at the door he’s pointing at, nodding finally, and he looks relieved.
‘If anyone asks where he is, you tell them that he said he was going to a brothel.’
I stare at him, taking in his concerned expression.
‘Tell me you understand.’
‘I understand,’ I say, my own voice sounding muffled to my ears.
Kal pushes me gently towards the door, and I go toward it. It’s loud inside the inn, and I don’t want to go, but when I falter, he urges me forward.
‘I’m sorry,’ he whispers. ‘I didn’t mean for him to have time to …’ His eyes flick down, but I don’t follow his gaze.
‘I’ll come to you later if I can,’ he promises, and I can’t help my confused expression.
Why would I want to see him? He sold me for a piece of silver.
He opens the door for me, and I walk into the kitchen, but when I turn around, he’s gone, and the door behind me is closed.
There are two figures by the hearth who are busy going about their duties, but they don’t look at me as I slowly walk across the floor and to the next door that will put me back in the main room where Dane and Gray are.
I stare at it until I realize one of the figures is behind me, holding a bowl of something and looking impatient.
I get out of the way as they push open the door and step into the room. I follow, feeling disoriented and dizzy, looking at a sea of faces who are staring at me with amusement and hunger.
I’m vaguely aware that I’m beginning to panic, and I can’t stop it.
I know this feeling. I have to calm down.
I feel a hand at my elbow and jump as it tightens, but when I look over, it’s Grey.
His expression is hard as he leads me to the steps up to our rooms.
‘Oi! Where’s Fallow?’ a deep voice growls.
Grey looks down at me.
‘Going to a brothel, he said,’ I mutter, remembering what Kallum told me to say.
There’s a shout or two when we begin to ascend the stairs, but I can’t make out the words.
I hear Grey say something to them about another night, and I realize more of them want a piece of the human slave, too, but Grey is telling them no.
He takes me to Dane’s room and knocks.
Dane lets me in, and Grey comes too.
I stand in silence, looking at the floor.
‘Clean yourself up,’ Dane orders, his voice sharp.
I shuffle across the room to where the divider stands without a sound. I go behind it, trying to break out of this haze I’m in. I throw some cold water on my face and scrub my hands and the other places where there’s dirt, the places I can still feel his touch. I find blood on my arm and get rid of that, too, because Kallum didn’t seem to want anyone to know that he killed the demon he sold me to.
I hear Dane and Grey arguing in hushed voices, but I can’t hear what they’re saying. They go quiet when I emerge from behind the screen, still not looking at them.
