Page 82 of A Token of Blood and Betrayal

“She told me to!”Thad yelled.

I frowned.Realized a conversation was going on where I was the subject but not a participant.

“She’s barely conscious.”That was Joash.“You ignore her and you get help.”

“Then go get help,” Thad snapped.

I draped forward, resting more of my weight on the counter.Either Thad realized what I was trying to do, or he’d heard my previous request.He flicked the faucet on.

I shoved my arm into the water flow, squeezing my eyes shut against a mind-scrambling pain.“Hotter.”

“It’s already hot,” Thad said, but he complied.“What happened?”

“Nothing.”I watched my diluted blood swirl at the bottom of the sink, then disappear into the drain.My face felt prickly, like I was dehydrated and overheated.Both probably.Steam rose into the air.

“Joash is getting Sullens,” Thad said.

“No.Don’t tell anyone.Don’t let anyone in.”I don’t know why I felt the need to hide the injury or why I even thought I could.The pain, the panic, the shallow breathing, all of it was making me lightheaded and delusional.

“You need help,” Thad said.

“I don’t need anything.Just go.Please.And keep everyone out.”

I’m pretty sure I heard him grind his teeth, but slowly he removed his arm from around my waist.Willpower kept me on my feet.I had to clean the wound, had to make sure I burned away all the wolf’s saliva or magic or whatever the hell it was that turned a human into one of them.Would this be enough to save me?I leaned forward more, my upper torso bent over the sink so that I could reach the soap dispenser.

Footsteps scuffed to a stop to my left.Without looking, I knew it was Garion.

“Kennedy,” he said, his voice a shocked whisper.

“It’s fine,” I said.“You don’t have to worry.Canyon didn’t approach me.I was careful.I promise.”

“What?”His tone turned sharp.“I don’t care about the fey.Let me see your arm.”He reached for my wrist—

Then drew back and cursed.“It’s scalding hot!”

“That’s why there’s steam,” I said, all logic and reason.

He snatched my hand out of the water, then aggressively turned off the faucet, grabbed a dishtowel, and wrapped it around my arm.“Hold that there.”

It hurt, so I didn’t do as he said.I just let the towel rest over my forearm.It was best if I didn’t look too closely at the injury.Better if no one took a close look.

Garion returned with a pack of frozen peas.

Hey.Frozen.I’d accomplished something today.

I giggled.

He looked at me like I was crazy.

“Power is on,” I said.“And you selected the traditional human ice pack.”

He shook his head, peeled back the towel, then stared, pea pack still held in his hand.

Pea pack.I snort-laughed.Garion didn’t seem to notice it this time.“That’s a wolf bite.”He said the words without moving, without adding any inflection.

My anxiety spiked back to max.I yanked my arm away.“It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine.”Fury radiated from him.“You’re injured.You’ve lost so much blood you can’t think.I don’t know how you’re standing.”