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Was she suggesting he’dprotectedher? It felt too wishful when it came to Ebony. “He didn’t hate you, Prey, but he didn’t like you.”
“No, he didn’t.” She smiled, elbowing me and returning her gaze to Havoc and Kai. “Butyoudid.”
They stayed for a little longer, providing a welcome distraction—even if it did include one tense incident, in which Havoc almost choked on a raisin (Kai had been half way to heimlich’s and Drake had his finger on the call bell before she’d spat it up like a cat).
Afterwards, Havoc finished making Vexthreefriendship bracelets with different combinations of colours (just in case), and placed one gently on her wrist. With my approval (and to Ebony’s utter horror), she scent-marked itandgot Prey to as well.
Then she added two silver charms: a waffle for her, and a falcon for Prey—for her famous movie,Hunting Falcons.
“Nice seeing you, Love, Drake.” Prey nodded to us as they gathered their stuff to leave at last. “Ebony.” She served him a particularly warm smile that, for Prey, was loaded.
TWENTY-EIGHT
VEX
I woke to clinical lights and a dull, aching pain in my abdomen and a splitting headache.
Warm arms surrounded me. I blinked sleep away, trying to ground myself.
Blackcurrant wine and vanilla winter were in here. Twilight grass and… Something was wrong.
Where was he?
I caught it, the scent of caramel brandy was there, but faint.
Too faint.
That low wounded groan… it was from me.
“Vex!” That was Drake at my side in a hospital bed, arms around me.
“Where…?” I croaked, my throat dry and sore. “Where…?”
“Just in the next room. He’s okay. He’s resting.”
The next room?
“I…” Fuck. “What happened?”
“He was being an idiot, staying in there that long,” Love growled.
Images rushed back. Rook, weak and bloody on the floor… His aura was unstable, blood and sweat glistened on his cheeks…
He could have died.
Healmostdied.
More than anything though, it was what I’d seen in his eyes as he’d looked at me through those bars.
He was alone.
“I…” I need him.
My voice wasn’t working.
My chin quivered pathetically, and then I was scrambling from the bed. I got barely a step before I buckled, a whine of agony rising in my chest. Love caught me, but I struggled from him. Finally, I found my voice.“I need to see him!”
The world was spinning, but I didn’t care, a deeper instinct driving me on.
