Page 112

“Thank you.”

The healer left, muttering something about not needing to heal prisoners if the interrogations weren’t so violent, but Fox ignored him, kneeling at Sofia’s side with gritted teeth.

She was still unconscious and a part of him recognized he should be thankful for this. The healer hadn’t given her anything for pain, so it would return once she opened her eyes again.

He hated himself for caring. Caring hurt. It made his chest ache and his eyes burn. It made him want to grab her and run. To take them both far into the mountains and away from anything that might hurt her again.

“Fox?” His name was a prayer on her lips. She was lying on the ground, arranged on her stomach so the worst of the damaged body was off the ground. She tried to sit up.

“Don’t,” he said, stepping around her so she could look at him directly without jarring her wounds.

She didn’t move again, but her eyes roamed around the part of the room she could see. As her eyes fell on the fire, she jerked back, as if burned.

“Stop!” he snapped as she pushed back and let out a guttural groan. She kept flailing, like a fish on dry land, attempting to escape despite the impossibility of it. “Stop,” he said, voice more earnest.

“You’re okay. You’re okay,” he said. It was a desperate lie.You’re okay for now. “Breathe.” The word was as much a mantra to him as it was to her. Her moss green eyes met his, and he realized she was afraid. No, not afraid. Terrified.

He grabbed her hand, the only part of her seemingly uninjured, and squeezed.

“The chief commander wants to talk to you himself. Just give up what he wants. Answer his questions with half-truths. Whatever you need to do to make him happy.Please.”

His words seemed to rouse her and she moved, just barely, to turn her face up to meet his.

“Fuck you. I won’t give him what he wants. You can tell him that yourself.”

She pulled her hand away and closed her eyes. Fox was left sitting beside her, helpless and disgusted at himself for his own inability to act.

* * *

Fox heardthe snap of the chief commander’s boots down the hall long before he entered the chamber, giving him time to step away from Sofia and lean himself against the wall as if he’d been waiting for him there the entire time. He was surprised to see the chief commander shut the door behind himself. There were no others with him.

“Sir,” Fox said, giving a salute. “I had the healer do enough to make sure she was alive and conscious for your questioning.”

The chief commander patted Fox’s shoulder and smiled. His eyes were focused only on Sofia. She was sitting up, at least as best as she could with the damage to her back and body. She was sneering, but Fox saw the hitch in her breathing. It was taking everything to keep herself upright.

“Sofia, Sofia,” the chief commander spoke at last and she went rigid at the sound of her name. “You thought I’d forget about you? I always regretted how you died—well, then again, I guess your death didn’t take, anyway.”

“Sir,” Fox said, still pressed against the wall. “Should I leave, sir?”

“Stay, Junior Major,” he said, turning to him with something akin to pride. “From what I hear, this is the one that kidnapped you, yes?”

Fox bit his tongue, willing his face not to give anything away. “Yes, sir.”

“Is she a leader among them?”

“I don’t think so, just the bait.”

“Pretty bait, at that. I do hope you didn’t get distracted.”

Fox’s stomach churned. “Not by that, sir.”

“Tell me, Sofia,” he said, leaning over her. “What are the resistance’s plans?”

She looked feral, baring her teeth at the man. He reached out as if to touch her and she snapped at him. He didn’t react, only dropping his hand.

“Were you responsible for the dragon my men saw out there?” Harlow asked.

Fox was glad the man’s back was turned because his mask slipped for the briefest moment.