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With that, he gripped my arm in a tight hold and all but yanked me through the pass-off area, into what I could only describe as hell.
Chapter Five
Wade
Watching Deacon sulk on the top floor weirded me out. The guard was normally too busy scowling to have an emotion deeper than hunger or mild annoyance.
It wasn’t hard to figure out what bothered him, of course.
I sure as hell felt it, too.
Hera was in Medical. She’d been there a few hours already, and that was bound to bother anyone, to drive them to frustration.
Dealing with someone being in danger, trying to protect them, trying to help them, those were all normal. However, knowing someone was suffering and knowing there wasn’t a damned thing to be done about it was pure agony.
I wasn’t sure if I sat beside him because I gave a damn or because he was one of the few who would understand what I felt.
He glanced over, gaze suspicious, his purple eyes as unnerving as ever.
It wasn’t due to them being purple, not exactly. It was more that Iknewthey were that color from source, as if I could see that magical, terrible power swirling inside him through his eyes. As someone who could steal that, whowantedto steal that power from most people, it beckoned to me.
Not that I could take his. I’d tried, and probably because his body never took to it right, because he’d never changed into a shade, it was like trying to gather water with my hands, except my fingers couldn’t close to create a cup.
“Any idea when she’ll be back?” I sat back on the seat beside him.
“They said nine in the morning, but who knows if that’s true?”
At least he hadn’t pretended to have no idea what I meant.
“She’s tough. She’ll be fine.”
Deacon made a soft, unhappy sound, as if I were naïve for thinking such a thing.
And maybe I was. Maybe I thought she’d be fine because that was easier on me, because it let me relax and not just rehash the horrible things she suffered through.
“You’re moving better.”
He didn’t respond to my comment.
“I remember after she got sent to solitary—no one saw you for a few days. When I did get a glimpse of you, you weren’t walking too well.”
“Is there a reason for this little trip down memory lane?”
I shrugged. “Just making conversation.”
“Well, don’t. We aren’t friends, and I don’t want to become friends with you.”
I pressed a hand to my chest. “Ouch. Do you know how much that pains me? Not all of us are emotionless cogs like you. Words hurt, Deacon.”
He didn’t rise to the barb, didn’t even roll his eyes.
Am I losing my touch?
The day I couldn’t even annoy Deacon into a reaction was the day I knew I’d started my downslide.
“I heard the Warden has been all over her ass since the incident.” When he didn’t respond, I pushed. “Just us boys here right now—no reason to act shy.”
Deacon let out a long breath, as if I tried his patience. Finally, he answered, though he kept his gaze straight forward. “Yeah. She’s kept Hera on close watch. She did before, too, but this is different.”
