Ican’tlet her suffer through my torture.
Taking a deep breath, I swallow hard and look up into the man’s cold plum-coloured eyes,ready to take the deal.I open my mouth and –
Projectile vomit all over his tunic.
Oh my gods.I held eye contact!
Nine
A good brownie nevervomits on someone.
And they never ever do it twice!- Arienna
I want to tell him sorry.I want to tell him to move out of the way because once I get started, itisvery hard for me to stop.The smell.The acid burn.They both work to upheave my stomach.Still staring him in the eye, I vomit again.
“For Hel’s sake!”the manshouts, hiswasp-like wingsfluttering behind him as he jumpsback.
Sagging against the bars, I moan.I’m never drinking again,I vow.Never ever again.
“You need to move us far enough away, she can’t smell it,” Fabiasays.“Otherwise, she’s just going to vomit until she dies and then whatever –”
I heave, coughing and gagging as I struggle to keep what remainsin my stomach down.
“– deal your king wanted to makewillbeover.”
“Do you think I’m stupid?You’ll try to escape as soon as I let you out.”
“Oh, no, what’s wrong, big man?Muscles only for show?Can’t handle two freaking women?Twobrownieswho’ve never known combat?”
He glaresat her.She scowlsback.
My eyes water.AsI groan, “Sorry,” hestepsfarther back.
Smart man.Last night’s dinner misseshim completely this time.
“Fine.Get her off the bars.”
Pulling a wand from the pouch hanging at his side, he wavesit in front of us.I stumble forward as the bars disappear.A sharp tug on my armkeepsme from face-planting in my own vomit.Forever grateful, Itryto turn around to tell Fabia thanks.
“Don’t face me!”she snaps.
Moaning, I close my eyes.I just want to go back to sleep and then wake up in my own bed.With Hyatt curled against my side, along with all my other babies.
“Hyatt...” I rasp,so sad that he left me without so much as a goodbye.The ungrateful turd.
“She needs water and some air,”Fabiasaysas she walksme around the edge, “and you need to get changed so she can’t smell you anymore.”
“Prisoners don’t give orders.”
“I’m not a prisoner, remember?EnteringRazaisn’t aseriouscrime.”
“But helping a fugitive escape is.”
She snorts.“Does she look like she’s going to run anywhere?”
I lift my head and smile reassuringly.Hedoesnot look pleased.
“Follow me.”Turning on his heels, he leadsus down thewhite,cell-lined hall.It’s wide enough for us all to walk side by side, but he marches ahead whileFabia half-carries, half-dragsme behind him.The farther away we get from the smellthough, the better I start to feel.When we make it to the bottom of the stairway,the walls narrow so only one person can fit at a time.Fabia mutters acurse as she squeezes us through.I lift my headto tell her I can probably walk, but the words die in my throat.The rest of me freezes too.As does she.
