Page 95 of Fae Exile

“What is it? By dragonfire, what is it?” I moved to get off her.

But even as she thrashed around me, pinching her lips closed as her moans became those of agony, she slapped her hands to my ass and kept me right where I was.

I didn’t dare move.

Instead I waited, studying every movement, searching for any hint of what might be going on. Any way to help, to ease her inexplicable pain.

Finally, her head slumped back onto the pillow, and she wheezed a ragged, relieved exhale.

“Tell me you’re all right,” I whisper-shouted.

Before she could assure me of any such thing, from the center of her chest, in the precise location where I’d stabbed her, a crimson glow bloomed.

Slowly, like blood seeping across dry cloth, it unfurled across her chest, igniting my handprint before continuing?—

Across her stomach and down her legs. Along her collarbones and arms. Weaving up her neck.

Illuminating dozens of winding rivers along her body.

They all shone the color of blood.

“By the Ethers,” I breathed.

Eyes closed as if it still pained her to open them, she rasped, “What is it?”

“I think ... fuck, I think it might be a map.”

Her eyes popped open. “A map to fucking what?” Her eyeballs were as red as the lines that etched across her skin.

“Maybe it’s a fool’s hope, but it might be a way to take down the queen.”

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