Page 80 of The False Prince (Ascendance 1)

“It’s just the one cut.”

“Which looks awful. But you’re covered with bruises too.” She lightly traced a finger across my back.

“Your hand is cold,” I mumbled.

“Your skin is hot.” She unknotted and loosened the bandage, then said, “The wound has sealed, which is good, but I’ve still got to use the alcohol.”

I groaned and buried my face in my pillow. She applied alcohol to a towel and pressed it against my back, apologizing the entire time. When she finished, I focused on steadying my breathing while she reknotted the bandage.

“The servants say you did this for some little rock,” she said. “They had us search everywhere, but nobody can find it. Where’d you put it?”

“What’s your reward if I answer that?”

Imogen drew back, offended. I apologized, but the damage was done. “I’m no spy. It was just a question.”

“If you knew, maybe they’d try to get the answer from you too.”

“You’re the only one in the entire world — Conner included — who truly gives a devil’s inch about that rock.”

“Gold.”

“Whatever it was, you’re crazy to defy Conner that way.”

“Only one week more. Then everything will change.”

“Didn’t you learn anything in the dungeon? Nothing will change as long as you’re living under Conner’s rules. You’ve got to find a way to get out of here.”

“If he chooses me this week, I could get you away from here too.”

She hesitated, then said, “You’re delirious with exhaustion.”

“I’m not.”

“You are,” she insisted. “Sage, you are, trust me on that.”

“If I were the prince —”

“Whatever title they give you, you’ll always be a servant to Conner. You’ll always belong to him in some way, which means you’re in no position to make that offer. Now enough of this; you have to eat something. Can you sit up?”

With Imogen’s help, I got to a sitting position. She offered to feed me, but I said I’d rather do it.

“After becoming prince, I could trick Conner,” I said after I’d taken a few sips of a warm vegetable broth. “Free myself of his influence. Then you could —”

We were interrupted by Tobias and Roden returning to the room. They stopped in the doorway and stared awkwardly at me.

“Thought you’d never see me again?” I asked.

“It’s like looking at the dead,” Roden said.

“We didn’t think Conner would bring you back here,” Tobias said. “Not after what you did.”

“It’s okay for him to steal from me, but not for me to take it back?”

They didn’t answer and stared at Imogen as if they wanted her to leave before anything more was said. I finished the rest of my soup and handed it to Imogen. She shook her head stiffly at me, then gathered up any items not needed and quickly left the room.

“It’s irrelevant for you now anyway,” Tobias said, sitting at the desk. “You’ve missed so much of the lessons, there’s no way you can catch up, not even to Roden. Conner will choose me.”

“How do you know that?” I asked.