Page 131 of The Lost Guardian

“Because I wanted you.” Her answer came in an instant. “And I wanted to keep being me with you. I didn’t want you to look at me the way you have since you found out what I do to survive. I didn’t want to face your judgment. Even if I deserve it.”

“I don’t know how to believe you.” Santiago shook his head. “And I don’t know that anything would change if I did.”

“That’s okay.” Ali’s shoulders sagged a little lower. “You don’t owe me anything. You don’t have to believe me, and I certainly don’t expect you to forgive me. I just…I wanted you to know.”

Her steps got heavier, and Santiago allowed Ali to fall slightly behind him as he contemplated her words. That is, until he heard her stumble again, this time followed by a crash.

Santiago whirled around to find her lying in a heap of fallen leaves.

“Ali!” he cried out, dropping to his knees beside her.

Santiago brushed her hair from her face and frowned when her skin burned his hand. Panting, Ali pushed herself to sitting.

“You have a fever.” His voice shook. “The infection is worse than I thought.”

“I’m sorry,” she gasped, but Santiago shook his head.

“Shhh,” he responded, still incapable of speaking words of forgiveness, even if she was only apologizing for being ill.

“I’m letting you down again,” she murmured. “We need to get to the tomb…”

“We will.” He peeled back her bandage and winced at what he found.

Not good.

The once-pink skin around her cut was an angry red, its edges tinged sickly yellow. The surrounding area had swollen, too, and there was a light odor emanating from within.

“Damn it,” Santiago said, fishing out the dwindling first aid kit.

It was useless. He could clean and bandage the injury again and hand Ali some painkillers, but it was clear the infection was spreading fast. She needed antibiotics and real medical attention, none of which they had out there.

He went through the motions anyway, if only to give her a reason to rest. When he was finished, though, Ali looked even worse than before. It was as if her body had abandoned the pretense of being okay.

“You need to go on without me.” She spoke through gritted teeth.

Santiago shook his head. “I am not leaving you here.”

“You have to,” Ali insisted.

“No.”

It was unthinkable. She was injured. Torres’s men were out there somewhere. She’d told Santiago that they were no longer her allies, and he was making the incredibly foolish decision to believe her.

He couldn’t abandon her.

“I’m not going to be able to make it.” Her voice was steady, but a tear slid under her lenses and down her cheek. She batted at it. “I’ll only slow you down.”

Santiago’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“You have to go,” she said, pushing at his chest. “You need to get your grandfather to Atahualpa and stop the curse before it’s too late.”

“Come on,” Santiago said, ignoring her completely. He slung his arm under hers and hauled her to standing. She groaned pitifully but didn’t resist him. She finally stood, only for her knees to buckle. He caught her before she fell again.

“I can’t leave you like this,” Santiago said desperately.

“You have to,” she urged him. “There are more important people than me at stake.”

She’s not more important than you. Santiago bit his tongue. Now wasn’t the time to convince Ali to start putting herself first.