Page 154 of The Girl Who Inherits the Dead

“Well, that’s not coming back,” Gurlien says, still keeping a grip on Chloe, but the far wall grows nearer, impossibly so. “Good instinct.”

Delina nods, and her breath comes out in huffs, like she just ran a few miles.

“Almost there,” Chloe mumbles, and her head blooms with pain with each stone fall. “Almost there, then we can relax.”

“We can absolutely not relax,” Gurlien corrects. “We can do something marginally less difficult.”

Maison adjusts himself so her back is tucked against his chest, and his hands tremble, the fingertips aching. Like the entire weight of the shield had been just on the pads of his fingers.

Delina squeezes her eyes shut, as the platform shudders and drops again, before it clicks into place, socketing against the far wall.

Chloe finally crawls fully back onto the platform, shaking like a leaf, before peeling the wall open to another corridor with white light and polished walls.

“Get in,” she croaks, her voice hoarse, and Delina hauls Maison up to standing, stumbling into the hallway.

His knee twists, painful, before the weight on it crumples him, staggering against Delina.

“I got you,” Delina murmurs at his hiss of pain, and Chloe and Gurlien follow them behind, before Chloe waves her hand and seals it off.

Closing off the giant maw, all sounds of machinery cutting off, leaving them just in the stillness and bright lights.

44

Almost as soon as the door closes, Chloe lets her legs go out from underneath her and sits down, hard, on the shining white tile.

“Yup, understandable,” Gurlien says, grabbing her backpack from her and pulling out one of the 5 Hour Energy shots and a protein bar. “Eat this.”

Carefully, Delina nods at Maison, then helps him sit next to her, his knee throbbing.

“It’s not broken,” Maison says, before she can even say anything. “I’ll be okay.”

“You’ll be slow,” Gurlien replies, but he gives Maison one of the protein bars as well, before he eyes Delina. “Do you need something?”

“Give me some of the chocolate,” Delina says, then locks eyes with Maison. “I’m gonna touch your knee.”

“Is it safe to stop here?” Maison asks, but his voice is raw. “Should we move?”

“Chloe needs to eat first,” Gurlien interrupts him, strict. “I don’t think you realize how incredible that was.”

“Thanks,” Chloe mumbles around a mouthful of food.

“No, I think I get it,” Maison says, and his face is a bit pale.

Delina takes the distraction to put both her hands on each side of his knee, and he cuts his words off short.

And she lets herself think.

The kneecap isn’t quite in place, slipped out of its socket, spearing the nerves on either side of it. It’s not broken, there are no tears in the cartilage, just…it’s out of place.

“It’s dislocated, you need a hospital and a splint,” Delina says, and looks to Chloe, who’s palely chomping on her food. “Is there anything in the backpack?”

“Ace bandage,” Gurlien replies for her, already pulling it out, but his face is grim. “Can you walk?”

“Yes,” Maison interrupts, grimacing. “I can walk, I’ll be fine.”

“I can put it back,” Delina says, and he pales further. “I’ll put it back and we’ll wrap it. This is gonna suck, when will the next rotation of guards be in earshot?”

Gurlien looks up and around, at the blank white walls and hallway that stretches onwards, down and away from them. “It’s the stasis ward, they don’t need guards, just the occasional patrol.”

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