Again?

First, the blue tint to her skin giving way to pink before this, and now the paleness and the white parts of her eyes veined with red. This human was constantly changing colours on me, and it maddened me that I knew nothing of what it all meant.

Her breath was faster now, but still odd and wet. She sniffed, and it sounded as if her nose was partially blocked.

“Shoshen said that you were wailing. Did you do something to your nose?” I asked, squinting at the small protrusion. Now that I looked closer, it looked slightly red, too, and swollen, as did her lips and eyes.

Her heartbeat was a rhythm so frantic it practically fluttered at her throat. I slid one of my hands downward, palming the side of her neck, feeling the hot pulsation beneath my skin.

Maybe she is ill. The red eyes, the swelling...

“What’s wrong with you?” My hands pressed a little harder against her throat and jaw, my claws sinking into her hair.

She said something that time, her voice crackling and water-logged. Not only the breathing through her nose, but her throat is affected, too?

My thumb shifted against her chin, pressing downward with a sharp pressure until her mouth popped open. Her stillness vanished, and she began to wriggle in my grip. I held her firmly, inspecting her mouth and what I could see of her throat. Small, blunt teeth. A shiny pink tongue. Some dangly thing at the back that I was not entirely convinced was supposed to be there...

I could not see any obvious obstructions, but I also had no idea what the inside of her throat was supposed to look like, either.

This will not do. Tomorrow, I have to be strong enough to see Rúnwebbe.

“Tomorrow, you will tell me what is wrong with you,” I swore with a harsh breath. Giving her one final, penetrating look that told me absolutely nothing, I let her go. “For tonight, I will remain here. Make sure you do not die before I can interrogate you.”

I stood, then headed for the table and chairs. Gripping one chair by its back, I dragged it over to the side of her bed while she glared at me. I was about to sit, then decided at the last moment to move the chair to the other side of the bed so that I was between her and the door. The human looked horrified when I sat down and asked me a question I assumed must have been something like, “What are you doing?” or “Are you staying here all night?”

“Yes, I am staying here all night,” I informed her coolly, stretching my legs out in front of me. I leaned back, lacing my fingers together on my abdomen and resting my elbows on the arms of the chair. “Stay awake or sleep. It does not matter to me.”

She appeared to choose the former. She scooted herself until she’d reached the far side of the bed, then wiggled up against the headboard until she was in a pose that mirrored mine. Her eyes never left me.

“Suit yourself,” I muttered. I let my own eyes drift closed, a show of callous indifference.

But a show was all it was. My ears strained to catch her every breath. And though my eyes were closed, I knew I would not let sleep come.

OceanofPDF.com

OceanofPDF.com

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Torrance

Well doesn’t he just look the picture of fucking repose over there.

I glared daggers at Asha Wylfrael, stretched out and relaxed in his chair like a smug cat. What the hell is he even doing here?

I couldn’t understand why I’d graduated from being stuck in here alone to suddenly having a bedside guard. Especially after I’d been so nice and obedient today while he’d been gone. I hadn’t given Aiko or Shoshen any trouble. I’d eaten all my meals and been a good, quiet human.

So why, then?

And why the weird inspection of my open mouth?

The memory of his touch on my jaw and neck burned almost as his bright blue eyes had as he’d wrenched open my mouth like some kind of violent alien dentist.

Fuck him. I’ve never even had a cavity.

But that only reminded me I had no goddamn toothbrush here. If my teeth start falling out because they didn’t give me a toothbrush, I swear to God...

I sighed tightly, reminding myself to keep my priorities in check. Dental hygiene was lower on the list than staying the fuck alive in captivity here.

I remained upright, back against the headboard, my arms crossed over my chest. My neck started getting stiff after a while – Asha Wylfrael was at the side of the bed, so my head was turned to keep him in view. But I didn’t care about how sore I got. My head could feel like it was going to pop right off my shoulders and I still wouldn’t turn away.

I wouldn’t sleep, either. No way. Not now. Not with that silver-haired sentinel at my bedside. I doubted I could sleep even if I wanted to – the cortisol thumping through my veins would no doubt keep me alert.

At least, that’s what I’d thought. But as the minutes ticked by and turned to hours, my eyelids grew hotter and heavier. Each blink lasted longer than the one before. I pinched my forearm, the one that wasn’t bruised, until my skin was red and splotchy.

Stay awake. Stay... awake...

Suddenly, I was awake.

And it was morning. Bright light from outside made the chamber walls glow, casting a pink haze down upon the white fur bedding. Bedding that was wrapped snuggly around me where I lay. Apparently in sleep I’d completely abandoned my seated pose and had snuggled right down, all warm and happy once my brain had switched off.

Traitor, I said silently to my body as I righted myself.

Asha Wylfrael was right where I’d left him, but now his eyes were open. And he wasn’t lounging in the chair, but sitting up straight. I frowned at him, keeping the fur bedding tight around me like some soft, fluffy shield. He looks different.

He must have left the room at some point while I was sleeping, because he was dressed in fresh clothing. Similar tight black trousers that he always wore, and black boots. There was another black leather-looking vest like yesterday’s, but this one had crisscrossing straps across the bare strip of skin between the vest’s sides, fastened with shining buttons the colour of copper. Where the vest revealed skin, I could see there were fewer bandages than before. How the hell is he healing so fast?

His hair was what looked the most different. No longer long and loose, it was smooth, as if just combed, and held behind him in a simple low ponytail, tied in place with a ribbon of blue fabric that looked like silk.

If I hadn’t hated him, I would have admired the way the blue ribbon complemented the icy blaze of his eyes and the silver-sapphire glow of the lights strewn over his skin like shimmering tattoos.

But I did hate him. So fuck him and his pretty ribbon.

He rose from the chair, the movement one of perfect grace and controlled alien power. He said something, his wings shifting behind him as he gestured with an open palm towards the table on the other side of the room. Breakfast was waiting for me there. I practically cried with relief when I saw there was only one plate this time. Good. He isn’t planning to stay.

In fact, he was already on his way out the door, the soles of his boots making his footsteps crisp and loud in the space. He paused in the doorway, as if he were about to say something. His wings twitched. But he said nothing.

And then he was gone.

I wasn’t alone long. Less than a second. As soon as Asha Wylfrael left, he was replaced by Aiko. She strode into the room and stationed herself beside the tray of food on the table expectantly.