Page 63 of These Fractured Bonds

“Before you get angry,” he said pointedly, “I gave you plenty of time already, and while your healing skills are commendable, I must take care of my patient, which—if I may remind you—requires me to be present in the room.”

Yareli stifled her groan. They didn’t have time to waste on diagnostics right now; August was leaving, and finding any time alone with him was almost an impossible task. She needed a way to force him to be near her—something he seemed to avoid unless necessary. An idea formulated in her head. A way to get August alone, to learn more about her magic, to acquirepower.

“Erick’s right.” Leo’s voice came from the dark doorway.

Yareli’s heart skipped a beat—from guilt or excitement, she didn’t know. Admittedly, she hadn’t thought about him since waking, having been too preoccupied with the more minute details of her situation, but knowing that she had been in a private room with August—Augrys, she corrected herself—made her feel unreasonably guilty. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She and Leo didn’t have any sort of understanding. But it didn’t stop her nerves from jumping when Leo stepped into the room, his gray eyes locked on hers.

There you are, they seemed to say.

Here I am, she thought, but she still didn’t have an answer for him.

Chapter 23

Thetemperatureintheroom plummeted, plunging them into the icy depths of the tumultuous tension between Augrys and Leo. Yareli glanced between them, confused at their animosity. They were childhood friends working together against the Watchers, but this was bigger than an argument. This felt hostile.

Augrys shifted, effectively blocking Leo from vision.

“Let Erick take a look at her,” Leo repeated.

Augrys shifted, allowing Erick to walk past him.

Erick scurried over to Yareli, and once his back was turned to the two of them, he rolled his eyes so only she could see.

“What’s going on?” she whispered to him.

He mouthed,later, and said, “Do you feel any discomfort?”

She shook her head. “None. August, I mean Augrys, took care of it.”

“You’ve learned his real name?” Leo’s head popped into view from behind Augrys, his expression surprised.

“I did.”

“About time,” he grumbled.

Yareli shrugged off his comment; she knew everyone was keeping information from her for her own good, but she’d rather not be reminded of it. It stung. If she wasn’t careful, the feeling could take on a more sinister edge, where she was the odd one out. The room went quiet again.

“Augrys,” Bri’s voice pierced the ice in the room. “We need to finalize the plans before you depart. The generals are waiting for you.”

Augrys said nothing for a long moment before sighing and nodding. “I suppose I cannot delay it any longer. Erick, take care of Yareli.”

“On it, boss.”

Panic set in; the situation was slipping out of her control. As Augrys walked away, she blurted out, “A meeting? Can I go?”

“No, you need to rest,” Leo replied immediately.

“Leo’s right. I have a couple of remedies I want you to drink; one of which will make you drowsy, but it’ll speed up your blood regeneration,” Erick said.

Augrys turned around, watching her curiously, but he didn’t say anything. Realizing they weren’t going to let her out of bed that day, Yareli had no choice but to execute her plan.

“Fine. Then, let me go to the council with Augrys.”

The change in the room was instantaneous—multiple voices spoke at once, creating a discordant noise. But Yareli was only interested in the one voice who hadn’t said a word—Augrys. He had raised an eyebrow in question to which she raised her chin as an answer.

“Stop,” she told the rest of them, and they quieted. “Why can’t I go?”

“You’re wounded,” Erick chided her.