Page 77 of Hellbound

He looked at her, eyes red and bright and crazed as he put the clue in his mouth and swallowed.

Ksenia’s fever broke, sweat matting her hair to her temples, and she blearily pushed off the heavy layers of blankets. Left and right, countless beds were empty, their linens pressed and perfect.

Her breath caught in her brittle, dry throat, causing her to hack.

Danika reclined in a bed one row away, her usual pale blue garb exchanged for a plain patient’s tunic. Her dominant hand was heavily bandaged, and she winced as a nurse removed layer after layer of bandage and gauze to reveal a blistering burn, as if she had been struck by lightning, consuming her palm and most of her forearm. The edges of her skin were singed, the surface raw and roiling.

This was no ordinary burn. Ksenia fought to sit up for a better view, and the pair cut her a glance.

“You must rest. The venom is still active in your system, so staying immobile is key,” explained the nurse in a tired voice.

“As for you, you’ll need at least a few days’ rest in bed.” She fixed Danika with a knowing look. “If you strain your body too quickly, you’ll suffer long-term nerve damage.”

Danika was despondent when she said, “Yes, I’m aware. I’ll be better about it this time…”

The nurse gave her a reassuring pat before leaving Ksenia and Danika in silence.

Danika’s hair was clean and plaited, but her eyes were ringed with dark circles, and her skin was sallow.

Her sister’s gaze swung to her and she spoke softly. “You again.”

Ksenia nodded, her tongue thick and clumsy.

“Are you one of the champions?” Danika’s brown eyes assessed her quickly.

Ksenia nodded. “Aren’t I lucky?”

Danika smiled wryly. “I can’t imagine being in that death trap.”

She swallowed thickly. “Likewise, I can’t imagine what happened to lead to…that.” Her eyes flicked to Danika’s heavily bandaged arm, which was spotted with blood already.

Danika sighed. “My work is often demanding…and dangerous.”

“I’ve never seen a wound from it like that,” Ksenia muttered under her breath, which still carried in the short space between them.

Danika’s eyes narrowed. “I was reckless. Trying something new.”

Ksenia quirked a brow. She couldn’t imagine what Danika was working on that might result in this injury.

She let it go. “I never asked your name.”

“Oh, it’s Danika,” she replied with a small smile.

“Ksenia—” Her name flew out of her mouth automatically. Despite weeks of acting under her foreign identity, her true self was still there, and she found she was relieved.

Danika’s body stiffened, her hand clenching. She winced as the bandages shifted.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes…Yes. It’s just—my sister was also named Ksenia, but she…” The words tapered off as Danika’s voice grew quiet.

Minutes passed, and Ksenia’s heart hollowed as Danika’s doe-brown eyes rimmed with tears.

“She’s gone.”

“I’m…sorry to hear about her passing. You two must have been close.”

“She was my baby sister, and I should have never let her go alone that night.” Danika’s head rested back against the pillow, a tear streaming into her hairline.