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"Violence isn't a plan," Liam pointed out.
Shaw shrugged. "Agree to disagree."
"They won't let me back there," I said. "It's outside visiting hours."
"I'll create a disturbance," Liam offered.
A few minutes later, there was chaos in the halls. I heard two nurses shouting to each other about an enormous 'dog' someone had let loose in the hospital. I couldn't help but grin to myself as Shaw watched the door and I slipped to Rose's side.
That smile died when I saw how small Rose looked in the hospital bed. I’d comforted both of us with the thought that she was just a child when she told our mother about my escape plans. But right now, she really looked like a child, framed by white pillows.
I took her sharp chin in my hand and tilted some of the potion into her mouth. It trickled between her cracked lips and a drop ran down the side of her chin, leaving a faint bluish trail across her skin.
Anxiety haunted me, making me question if I’d made a terrible mistake when I trusted the witch. What if this poisoned my little sister?
But then, Rose began coughing and sputtering. With my heart racing as if I were in a fight, but nothing to do, I had to stand by and watch. I took her limp hand as her eyes fluttered open.
"Amelia?" Her voice was a rasp.
I was crying so hard I couldn't even nod. I threw my arms around my sister, and she hugged me back. Her embrace felt fragile, but still, relief flooded me.
She stared at me as if she was confused. "Amelia... don't cry."
"I'm just happy you're awake.” I blinked hard, tears blurring my vision of her face. "We were so worried."
"It was horrible,” she admitted. "I could see and hear everything, and when I slept, I had the worst dreams..."
The mention of dreams rocked me, but before I could ask her for specifics, Shaw swung the door open.
A giant shaggy wolf--Liam--walked into the room. Shaw drew the curtain that divided the room and threw Liam his pants.
"Let's go," I told Rose. "The doctors are not going to understand this whole I-was-in-a-magical-coma-but-I'm-better-now situation. Let’s just leave."
We made it out of the hospital without being stopped by anyone. Rose shivered as Shaw helped her into the backseat, and he peeled off his sweatshirt and gave it to her without any hesitation. Aiden hovered uncertainly until I yanked him into the car.
I couldn’t shake the feeling this was too easy. That we were being watched.
I stopped at the passenger door, studying the parking lot. The hair prickled at the back of my neck, but I didn’t see anyone. I didn’t even scent anyone.
“Amelia?” Shaw asked.
I got into the car, as if he had brought me back to life. But even when he shot me a worried gaze, I couldn’t even attempt a smile or a soothing word.
The cloudy sky overhead felt dark and ominous, as if we were about to be swallowed up.
CHAPTER20
Amelia
Rose still seemedexhausted from her ordeal. We put some distance between us and the cursed city where we’d been stalked and harassed, driving back toward King territory.
I felt better now that we were with both Liam and Shaw, but dread knotted in my stomach at the thought of seeing Stone again.
“You two need to have a conversation,” Shaw said when I told him that. We were driving, the moon rising over the highway. Everyone else in the car had fallen asleep. Rose had her head on Liam’s shoulder, as if he were her brother. Aiden’s knee bounced, full of tension that I couldn’t dispell whatever I said.
Shaw’s hands were long-fingered and deft on the steering wheel, an artist’s hands, but calloused across the knuckles. He’d had to become a fighter. “Stone doesn’t have a witch to use on your memories, but even if he did, I don’t think he’d go down that road. Not when he knows you’d do anything to avoid it.”
“The fact that I’d doanything to avoid itis exactly what I imagine Stone finds so suspicious,” I said. “I ran, Shaw. How is he ever going to trust me now?”
