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I inhale and exhale, gathering myself as hastily as I can amid the continuing ache. The men wait, crouched on either side of me like sentinels.
As soon as I think I can do it without falling over again, I push myself into a sitting position. Alek moves his hand to my shoulder in case he needs to steady me.
“Hey,” he says gently. So much worry shines in his bright eyes that I have to fight the urge to lean into his support, as frustrated as I am that he’s witnessed this fit at all.
This isn’t time for weakness. I’m inches away from being discovered.
One small misstep, and that worry will transform into revulsion.
“I’m sorry I troubled you,” I say, my voice only a little rough. “Apparently there are some lingering effects from whatever happened last time—but it wasn’t as bad as before.”
Alek peers at me doubtfully. “Itlookedworse.”
It was definitely worse, Ivy,Julita breaks in with her internal perspective.You have to tell them the truth.
That’s the last thing I can do.
I manage a crooked smile. “I got a good workout with Stavros’s students this morning. It must just be that I was more tired in general.”
Benedikt slips his fingers under my chin to tilt my face toward him. “As much as I admire a woman who can fend for herself, whatever magic’s been cast on you, it’s doing real harm. Alek’s right. You need a medic to look you over.”
I shake my head emphatically. “No. I told you, that’ll only make me more of a target.”
“Not if we can stop the perpetrator.”
“We don’t even know who that was. I swear, I’ve been through worse before I came here.”
“Ivy.” Alek’s forehead has furrowed when I look at him. “Is it— With Julita in—”
Before he can finish the sentence, anger flares nearly as scorching as the previous pain. “She’s fine too,” I interrupt sharply.
Why wouldn’t he be thinking about her even now? He wouldn’t want the handy body that’s ended up hosting her to conk out.
I rein in my temper. “Look, I just need some time to rest and think through what could have led to this. We have a meeting later this afternoon. We can all hash it out then.”
Alek opens his mouth, closes it, and hesitates before finally speaking. “I don’t want to leave you alone after you just went through… whatever that was.”
And you shouldn’t be alone,Julita pipes up.
I ignore her. “I won’t be alone for long. Stavros was going over some extra material with a few students, and then he’ll come back. You two shouldn’t be seen hanging around me or his quarters anyway, right?”
Benedikt sucks a breath through his teeth, his expression conflicted.
I give him a shove toward the door. “See, I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself again. I’ve got all my knives too. I’ll survive the next ten minutes. Don’t you dare jeopardize our entire investigation over this.”
The vehemence in my voice seems to persuade them, albeit reluctantly. Alek exchanges a glance with Benedikt. “Can you come up with an excuse to stop by Stavros’s classroom, give him a sign that he needs to wrap things up fast?”
Benedikt nods. “If I can’t find him, I’ll come back myself.” He wags a finger at me. “Don’t go any farther than that sofa.”
The moment they’ve stepped out the door, I sag against said sofa, my head tipping back on the cushion.
Why are you pushing them away so hard?Julita demands.You need their help. Something’s wrong, and—
Her insistent voice snaps me back to the moment when my body moved of its own accord.
Or notitsaccord. Because right beforehand, I got dizzy like I did after Julita first moved into my head.
I cut her off, my hands clenching at my sides. “You took over. Youmademe open the door. You promised you wouldn’t try again.”
