He swallowed and nodded. "They're on their way to a ranch in Montana. Well, except for Eight. Jasper won't let her out of his sight,and Diego insisted she stay with them. They've got this weird two men and a baby thing going on… Except, you know… She's like nine."
He paused and chewed on his bottom lip, and irritation flared in my chest. "Don't bite your lip."That's my job, I thought, but didn't say it out loud.
Lorenzo sighed. "You're in shock."
"No." I started to shake my head but immediately regretted it. "I drew that eagle away from you and the kids on purpose, Lorenzo. I knew this might be the outcome. This, or worse."
His expression hardened. "You almost died."
"But I didn't." The words came out slowly, steadily, and a little slurred from the pain medication that was still wearing off. "God could have taken me in that moment. He didn't. That means there's still work to do."
Lorenzo opened his mouth like he wanted to argue, then closed it again. His thumb traced small circles on the back of my hand, and I let him have the contact. He needed it more than I did right now.
My bladder chose that moment to make itself known. Three days unconscious meant three days of IV fluids, and my body was ready to complain about it.
"I need to piss," I said.
Lorenzo blinked, and some of the tension bled out of his shoulders. "Right. Yeah. Let me help you up."
"I can manage."
"Rafael."
I tried to push myself up on my elbows. My arms shook, and I made it about three inches before my strength gave out. I collapsed back against the pillows, breathing hard.
"Okay," I admitted. "Maybe I need some help."
Lorenzo slid an arm under my shoulders and helped me sit up slowly. The room tilted, and I had to close my eye and breathe throughthe wave of dizziness. When I opened it again, the world had mostly stopped spinning.
"Easy," Lorenzo murmured. He moved around to my side and got me standing, taking most of my weight. My legs were about as useful as wet communion wafers.
The bathroom was only ten feet away, but it might as well have been a mile. Every step was a negotiation between my body and my will, and my body was losing. By the time we made it to the doorway, I was sweating and my breath came in short gasps.
"I've got it from here," I said when we reached the toilet.
"You sure?"
"I can piss by myself, Lorenzo."
He hesitated, then stepped back. "I'll be right outside."
I managed that part on my own, at least. Small mercies. When I was done, I gripped the sink and stared at the faucet, gathering my strength for the next challenge.
Looking into the mirror.
I lifted my head slowly and took in my reflection.
The bandages covered the entire left side of my face, wrapped around my head in layers of white gauze. Rust-colored stains had seeped through in places. A line of stitches ran down my right cheek where Augustus's talon had caught me, and my right eye was bloodshot and bruised underneath.
I looked like I'd gone three rounds with death and barely came out standing.
The bandages would come off, eventually. The stitches would heal. But underneath all that gauze, there was just an empty socket and scar tissue.
I studied my reflection, turning my head slightly to see the full extent of the damage. The movement sent a spike of pain through my temple, but I ignored it.
"Rafael?" Lorenzo's voice came through the door. "You okay?"
"Fine," I called back. "Just looking."
