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‘Wait,’ I croak, turning onto my back and clutching at my chest as the ache worsens. ‘Wait.’
* * *
‘Leave her,’ I mutter as Kallum turns back. ‘She’s being dramatic.’ I chuckle. ‘She’ll soon follow once we get far enough, I promise you that.’
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t argue.
‘Glad that last world was a quick one,’ Grey says, squinting at the blue sky and bright sunshine in this one, as well as the distinctive lack of monsters.
‘Aye,’ I agree. ‘There were dozens of those things trying to get through the shield. I doubt it would have held for very long.
The street isn’t cobbled, but at least it’s dry as we walk up the main thoroughfare.
‘It looks like afternoon,’ Kallum says, and I nod, glancing up to note the position of the sun and then regretting it when my eyes sting.
I feel a small pull from the conjure and turn back. She’s still on the ground in front of the Gate. ‘It’ll hurt more the further we get from you,’ I call. ‘You might want to get up and come with us.’
But she doesn’t move.
I swear loudly. ‘You two go on ahead. I’ll bring the obstinate female.’
Kallum looks like he’s going to volunteer to go in my stead for a moment, but the suspicious look I give him makes him shrug and turn away.
‘Suit yourself.’
I stalk back to the Gate and lean over her. ‘Come on,’ I order, nudging her with my boot.
But she doesn’t move. Her eyes are closed.
‘If this is a trick, you’re going to regret it, Harbinger,’ I hiss with a scowl, but as I kneel down, her eyes roll back in her head, and her back arches off the ground. Her arms and legs, even her fingers, go taut. Her small body quakes violently. Her every muscle seems to vibrate.
‘What’s wrong with her?’ Kallum asks, and I realize he’s right behind me.
I shake my head as I glance at the guard hut, but thankfully, there’s no one there at the moment.
Her body relaxes just as suddenly as it seized, and she lays limp on the ground, eyes closed. There’s blood coming from her nose. I gather her up in my arms, trying not to let my sudden concern show on my face.
She’s my enemy. She’s a traitor. I shouldn’t care. We only need her to go home.
‘Get us a room,’ I order quietly. ‘Somewhere away from the main square.’
He nods, looking as alarmed as I feel, and going ahead quickly as I carry her like a babe up the quiet street.
Grey, who’s been scouting the next road, sees me carrying her and comes toward me.
‘What’s going on? What’s wrong with her?’
‘I don’t know,’ I mutter, looking down at her pale face.
She’s such a danger, and yet, in my arms, she’s so small and light. So vulnerable. I frown at my thoughts, not liking where they’re going. She’s a killer, I remind myself, steeling my mind. I grip her tighter.
‘I found us a place,’ I hear Kal saying.
I let him lead us down an alley and up some steps. He opens the door at the top, and we find ourselves in a large room with a bed. I don’t notice anything else as I put her down gently on top of the coverlet.
She doesn’t make a sound and we all peer down at her, none of us sure how to take care of a sick human.
Her skin is covered in a sheen of sweat, and when I touch her skin, she’s hot. But her teeth are chattering, and her body is shivering.
