Page 72 of Ramshackle
“Thank you,” I say earnestly. “For this and for healing me when they got me back.”
Cassandra’s smile falls a little. “I’m sorry I couldn’t heal everything. They told you about your knee?”
“I already knew.”
She gives a curt nod. “Well, I should get going. Call me if you need anything.” Cassandra waves to the rest of the room as Aiden escorts her to the door and closes it behind her.
“I thought she hated me,” I muse aloud. She healed me after Old Red, but she had been in such a rush that we didn’t get a chance to talk. And, well, I had assumed she still didn’t like me, so I hadn’t tried to start up a conversation.
Before the last island, we’d put up with one another, but she had seemed to resent me being around Aiden and the guys.
Kellan laughs and plops himself down on the bed across from me. “She respects you as do a lot of others here at the Guild. I wouldn’t go wandering around alone unless you’re ready to meet everyone.”
“What? Why? I don’t know anyone at the Guild other than her and Cibrina. Why would they know about me?”
Aiden sighs and moves closer to us. “Things happened behind the scenes here while you were gone. Aside from Jack, I had a few Guild members helping search for you. Now that you’re here, some of them have been waiting to meet you.” He sees a look on my face—horror? Fear? Confusion?—and continues, “Don’t worry about that now. Like Kellan said. Don’t go wandering around yet, or make sure one of us is with you.”
Right.
“Get some rest. Kell and I will be working on preparations for the first island tomorrow. Jack should be back from spying on Thorne by midnight tonight.” Aiden waves Kell after him, but he stops to kiss me. It’s not a quick kiss either, his body pressing me back into the sofa chair while he kisses me long and deep. “Kellan!” Aiden commands sharply.
Kellan grins into my lips, leaning back and shooting me a wink before he strolls after Aiden out of the room.
What the hell is he up to?
My fingers brush against my swollen lips. I’d be embarrassed if I wasn’t so confused by what his intention is. Aiden doesn’t trust or like me. Dane has only recently come to terms with us trying to be friends again. And Jack wasn’t here to try and instigate him.
“Hey,” Dane calls from the loveseat. “Do you want to watch a movie?”
“Sure.” That counts as resting, right? I don’t feel the need to take a nap from the healing, so I’m not sure what else to do while I’m restricted to this room. I am not up for meeting all of the Guild yet, so I won’t argue with having to stay here another day.
I make my way behind the sofa. The chairs are both positioned on either side of the bed, leaving only this double-seated sofa in the living area section of the room across from the television. Should I drag one of the chairs back over?
“Rae.” Dane’s expression has shifted from relaxed to serious since I walked over. “About Vera…”
“Don’t worry. I didn’t hurt her,” I jump in before he can ask.
He winces and shakes his head. “That’s what I was afraid of. Look.” Dane’s face turns upward until his eyes meet mine. “What I asked from you before was selfish. I didn’t trust you then, but I do now. So, I take it all back.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, the promise you made about not hurting Vera.”
“You want me to hurt her now?” I ask, confused.
“No, of course not.” He scrubs his hand back and forth through the hair on top of his head. “I don’t want you getting hurt, either. So, if she’s attacking you…fight back. Just…try not to kill her?” Dane drags his hand down his face. “Shit, is that still asking too much? I don’t want either of you to get hurt, but I know I can’t have both right now while she’s with them.”
He’s looking more stressed the longer he tries to explain himself. I take a seat next to him and touch his knee to stop him. “Okay. I get it.” I told them about the attack by Vera and her wanting information on the Guild. But I didn’t explain that I’d asked her how to save her. Or that shechosenot to kill me. She could have. There was plenty of time for her to finish the job before Aiden got there, but she didn’t.
Why?
That’s all I’ve been asking myself since then. I don’t want to give Dane false hope if it doesn’t mean what I hope it does. That maybe I got through to her, even just a little bit, and she’s now second-guessing her options.
I didn’t get an answer from her on what role Royce plays in all this, but I’m not giving up. If she left me alive, then there must be a reason.
His hand closes over mine. “Rae, I’m sorry—”
“It’s okay,” I interrupt. “Let’s just chill and watch a movie, okay?”
