Page 75 of Vipers and Vendettas

‘I’m glad,’ I say.

‘Me too.’

He sits next to me with a sigh. ‘We know you need to tell the others all this stuff, right?’

I nod.

‘And no more running?’

‘No more running,’ I agree.

He looks relieved. ‘There’s something I wanted to ask you.’

‘Okay,’ I say.

‘Could you … could you take down your conjure for me?’

I stiffen. ‘Why?’

‘Because I noticed something downstairs, but the light was pretty low, and I want to be sure of what I think I saw. Would you show me, please?’

‘All right,’ I murmur, taking the conjure down.

I look at the floor.

‘If I could kill them for what they did to you, I would,’ he says.

‘Don’t worry,’ I say. ‘If I ever get the chance, I’ll do it myself.’

I stand up and take off my shirt. ‘I assume you want to see them properly.’

‘If you don’t mind.’

I snort. ‘Nothing you haven’t already seen.’

I stand in front of him in just my underwear, staring into space while he looks his fill. I hated it the first time he saw them, but now I find I don’t mind it so much. It’s not worse than it was before, after all.’

He’s quiet for a few minutes.

‘I think they’re fading, Jules,’ he says.

I turn to look at him. ‘Fading?’

He nods. ‘I thought they looked different downstairs, but up here, it’s obvious. They’re nowhere near as prominent as they were three months ago.’

I look down at the ones I can see with a frown. The ‘T’ on my chest is as glaring as always, but as I survey the other marks, I wonder if maybe he’s right. They don’t look as noticeable as Tamadrielle’s mark, and I’m sure they used to.

‘Maybe,’ I say. ‘But I don’t look at them if I can help it.’

When my eyes find him standing in front of me.

He steps closer and lifts my arm. He kisses the nearest one on my bicep, and I rear back with a sound of distress.

He meets my eyes, his open and trusting, silently asking me for the same in return.

I stand still as he steps close to me again. He kisses the next one on my shoulder, and I shudder.

‘Why?’ I ask, close to tears.