Page 76 of The Cursed Kingdom

These tight bandages are going to hurt to take off. I just know it.

That’s probably why Mason’s still standing above me, insisting on watching. I hope his abdomen hurts. I hope his wound festers and rots.

My back is sore from the hard, uneven ground, and I take a moment to stretch it out before unwrapping my left knee. It’s the worst of the two, and my leg begins to shake as I catch sight of the torn skin.

I’ve never been a big fan of gore, especially my own.

Thankfully, it’s not bleeding anymore, but the skin is split open. It needs stitches, and I’m incredibly annoyed that so many were used on Mason but not one could be spared for me.

I hate this place.

Mason extends his arm. A rag dangles from his thumb and forefinger, and he makes eye contact with me as he drops it onto my lap.

“Where’s Kie?” I ask.

I’m more comfortable with the faerie around, and this is the first time he’s left.

Maybe Mason convinced Kie to let him kill me. Maybe the faerie left so he doesn’t have to witness it. Kie doesn’t seem particularly fearful of death, but perhaps he feels guilty when the target is a defenseless, human woman.

I doubt Mason would be making me clean my knees if he were planning to kill me, though. That would be a waste of resources.

Mason doesn’t answer my question, which isn’t surprising. He’s an asshole.

I shift my focus back to my knees. Mason continues standing over me, intently watching my every move. Ignoring him takes a lot of internal strength, but I do my best.

I don’t get why he hates me so much. Even before I made the mistake of asking about delysum, he was cold. I understand I shouldn’t have been in the forest, but it doesn’t explain this level of hostility. He acts like I murdered his firstborn son or something.

My stomach grows queasy as I wipe the skin surrounding my knee, careful not to touch the thin, barely visible scabs just beginning to form in the corners. Mason fucked them up with his rough scrubbing yesterday, and I’m not eager to experience that again.

The skin needs to be left alone.

The rag is tinted red by the time I finish, and the edges of my wounds are bleeding, but it isn’t too bad. Mason makes quiet, disappointed grunts with just about every movement I make, openly judging my ability to clean myself. It’s grating.

I take my time bandaging my knees, hoping Kie will return soon. Maybe he abandoned us while we were resting—left to meet with Zaha himself. I wouldn’t blame him. I’m slow, and Mason is useless when he’s injured. He could barely stand yesterday, let alone walk.

Birds chirp around us, the sound a comfort. The wildlife grows quiet when the shifters are near, the tiny critters probably running away from what they perceive to be larger predators. I wonder why they don’t run from Mason, but it’s perhaps because he’s in his human-looking form.

I finish wrapping my knees before attempting to stand. My wraps aren’t nearly as tight or secure as Mason’s were, but they’ll do. I’m just relieved I got to do it myself. I don’t want Mason touching me.

I press my palms against a tree as I struggle to my feet, holding it for stability as I shift my weight between my legs. I’m angry Kie and Mason cut my leggings after knocking me out, leaving the skin below my mid-thighs exposed.

The sleeping items Kie and Mason share are already packed away, and both their bags are leaning against a tree a few feet away. I hope it’s a good sign that Kie’s things are still here. If he were going to abandon us, I imagine he’d take his backpack with him.

Mason is still standing uncomfortably close to me, and I clear my throat before attempting to walk around him. I want to stretch my legs, but more than that, I want to put space between us.

If I had my way, I’d put an entirerealmof space between us.

Mason darts forward. He moves too quickly, wrapping a gloved hand around my bicep before I have time to react. His grip is painfully tight, his fingers digging into the muscles inside my arm.

I grow rigid.

“Tell me what you know,” he orders.

I knew this was coming, knew he wouldn’t drop the topic, but I was hoping the questioning would wait until Kie was present.

I swallow past the lump in my throat. “I don’t know anything.”

“Liar.” Mason lets out a humorless laugh. “What do you know about delysum? And why are you looking for it?”

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