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Emma nodded again, but the playful gleam in her eyes told me all she really cared about was sassing her Trainee boyfriend.
“Whatever,” he said, trying his hardest to look indifferent.
It snapped me out it, and I laughed, mimicking him. “Whatever. ”
The moment had passed, but it left me unsettled. Ronan once warned how taking too much of the blood made someone volatile—what happened when a girl drank directly from the source? Because I knew a little bit of Carden slipped into that kiss he gave me.
I changed the subject, making a conscious effort to pull out of this moodiness. “Hey, you should thank me. This island was getting boring, and here I am spicing things up a bit. ”
“We’re still waiting to hear where you went,” said Yasuo.
“And what you did,” Emma added.
“Mysterious, exciting things,” I said, trying to sound aloof, and added with a tease in my voice, “But I bet nothing even happened here. ”
They exchanged a meaningful glance, and it lurched me back into reality. I knew that look.
I took a deep breath. “What?” When neither answered me, I demanded again, “What?”
Yas gave Emma a pleading look. “If you don’t tell her, I will. ”
“I’m telling, I’m telling. ” She met my eyes with a disturbingly sympathetic expression. “It’s Josh. ”
Gooseflesh rippled my skin, and the chill reached deep inside. Had Josh been forced to pay the price for siding with me? I sank my head in my hand. “Oh God. ”
“Don’t worry,” Emma said quickly. “He’s okay. ”
“What do you mean he’s okay? Okay from what? What happened?”
Yas nodded toward the front door. “He can tell you himself. ”
Josh was limping our way, and relief rushed like a hot wave through me, so strong it gave me a little shudder.
But when he got closer, I saw how he was covered in cuts. Covered.
That easygoing, seemingly ever-tanned face was riddled with scabs in angry shades of red and brown and pink. They reached all the way to the neckline of his sweater, and I knew with chilling clarity that what I saw represented only the tiniest fraction of his injuries.
“The fabled Drew, back among us. I’d say gidday, but I don’t think my body could handle another hit. ” He gave me a smile, which the thick gash on his upper lip twisted. He eased into the seat across from me, obviously in pain.
“What the hell happened?” My voice came out breathier than I’d intended.
“Good to see you, too. ” His smile wavered, and he held my eyes for a long moment before morphing into cool-boy once more. “I thought Yas here should get a turn at being the pretty one. ”
It made me laugh and frown at the same time. “Seriously. Who did this?”
“Random people. ” He shrugged, and pain made a muscle in his cheek twitch. “Someone decided I’d make a prime demo dummy for Draug-staking techniques. ”
“They practiced on you? The Guidons?” I sat up straight, scanning the room. “Which ones? I’ll kill them. ”
He reached across the table, putting a hand on my arm. “Stand down, D. ”
Yasuo tossed his sandwich down, pushing away his tray with a decisive shove. “Don’t worry about my man Josh. He’ll be the last one standing. ”
The last one standing. It was a long-term game we were playing here on Eyja næturinnar—like one extended Directorate Challenge. The realization gave me a chill. “Stand down? How can I stand down? This is my fault. Oh my God, I am so sorry. ”
“Not,” Josh said in a sharp tone. “So not your fault, so don’t even go there. It’s just the order of things. ”
“As much as I appreciate the brave act”—I leaned closer, lowering my voice—“you know things would’ve been ordered differently if you hadn’t inserted yourself between me and Masha’s hazing. ”
