Why could I only destroy with my magic? My abilities should have bloomed to life and saved me during my fall. That’s how it worked in the movies. But this wasn’t a movie. I didn’t know what it was anymore.
The stairs had crumbled under me, and I’d gone down. My shoulder screamed the loudest. Bruises and road rash covered my left side. Fresh blood welled out of a cut on my thigh, though I couldn’t see it. A standard-issue pink cloak, much too big to be mine, wrapped around my body like a straitjacket.
Erick’s heavy footsteps reached the top of the stairs and slowed. “First your clothing, now you,” he said. “I’ve come up with my first way for you to pay me back. Stay off the couch.”
I didn’t respond or move to show I’d heard him. I didn’t give two shits about anything right now. I hurt.
He kicked the couch, jarring my injuries, and I let out a whimper. “Why are you lying there?”
“Leave me alone,” I croaked. “It won’t be a regular thing.”
My roommate snorted. “Promising me something won’t be ‘a regular thing’ seems to be your regular thing.”
A knock sounded on our door. I still didn’t open my eyes, and Erick’s footsteps padded down the stairs.
“Is Quinn available?” Brody’s voice drifted up.
I didn’t know if I wanted to cry or scream. My stalker was the last person I wanted to deal with right now. A tear ran down my cheek.
“You again,” Erick responded. “Quinn’s busy.”
“You said that last time,” Brody said. “Quinn’s my friend, and he’s late for technology placement. I’m making sure he’s not lost.”
“Well,” Erick said, popping his lips. “I’m Quinn’s gatekeeper now. And he didn’t do his chores for the day. He can skip his technology placement. Piss off.”
The door slammed shut, and Erick sprang up the steps two at a time to loom over my still form. I didn’t want to move. The less I moved, the less it hurt. Erick hummed before reaching down and pushing the hood off my face. He sucked in a breath and brushed my blood-crusted cheek with his fingers.
“Shit.” Erick sat hard, almost impaling himself on the unlit cone in the middle of our room. “You’re a woman.”
He reached forward, pulling on the cloak and freeing various blood and dirt-covered body parts. “What the fuck happened?”
“I fell.” I almost laughed at the understatement and the honesty, but the pain in my ribs kept me still.
Erick narrowed his eyes and shook his head. “Right, so you’re a woman pretending to be a man who happened to fall. Was that a dirty bra I touched?”
I focused on breathing.
Erick grunted and ran a hand through his bright-coral curls. “Do you have a brother I should call?”
“I don’t,” I whimpered. “Just let me sleep it off.”
“I don’t think this is one you can sleep off.” He looked me over.
The truth of his words made my tears flow faster. “I don’t have money. I can’t afford a medic.”
Erick narrowed his eyes as if gauging the truth of my statement. “Where’s your TB?”
“I lost it,” I lied, not wanting to start down that path.
Erick frowned and pulled his out. “You have a choice. I can either summon my medic, and you can spend the rest of your introduction to the Architect’s family paying me back, or you can tell me the name of someone who can help you.”
I blinked at him. “You’re giving me a choice?”
Erick’s face hardened. “In getting help, no.” He tsked. “You’re seeing a medic immediately, one way or another. But who that medic is, is up to you. This one time. You still owe me for everything else.” He narrowed his eyes. “I’ve spent the day hearing rumors about you. You’re either a fool or a genius.”
“Or just crazy.” I let out a pain-filled wheeze.
Erick raised an eyebrow. “Are you a mentalist?”
