Page 57 of Ruled By Magic

Hex’s frown deepened. “But what do you think of what I’ve just said? Aren’t you happy?”

Concern laced Hex’s voice, but also something else, a wariness that lanced me in the gut. I didn’t want her to hate me. I didn’t want to betray Leo. Whatever I did, I’d hurt someone I cared about. I needed to talk to Leo, but who knew when he’d wake up? And fuck it all, I was tired. All I wanted was to be back in Leo’s bedroom, drifting off to sleep in rumpled sheets with his arm flung over me.

“Don’t push her, Hex. Can’t you see she’s exhausted?” Peter’s voice. “She’s had a massive day. We can talk about everything tomorrow.”

Hex’s face softened. “Of course. Sorry, I’m just excited. We’ll start planning tomorrow, get some rest now.”

Total certainty. So sure I’d accept. And why wouldn’t she be? It made sense in every way, except one.

“Okay. Sorry, I’m exhausted.” I stood, and Hex followed suit. We hugged.

I managed a weak smile and slipped into the washing facilities. A single light lit the small space. The water came in a couple of degrees above icy, but it still felt good. I rinsed all over before switching off the tap. Damn. No towel. Shivering, I stamped my feet, trying to shake off the excess drops.

Behind me, the door opened. “I brought you a towel, here you—” Hex broke off.

I turned, grabbed the towel out of Hex’s hands, and wrapped myself in it. “Thanks.”

Why did Hex look so spooked? We lived together in a tiny flat for years, we’d seen each other undressed plenty of times. I frowned. “What?”

“You’re covered in bruises.” An accusation.

Realization dawned. My tongue froze to the roof of my mouth. There was no way to explain this. It was impossible. Even if I opened up to Hex about my relationship with Leo, I couldn’t explain how I’d come by the marks. Hex wouldn’t believe any of it.

“I’ll kill him.” Her face set into hard, furious lines. “I’m going to slit his fucking throat, right now. Fuck the pardons.”

“No. Look, let’s sort everything out in the morning. I want to go to bed, please.”

Her face crumpled into sympathy. “Okay. Fuck. If you need me, if he wakes up early, just shout. I’m next door.” Hex squeezed my shoulders. “Right?”

“Right.”

I headed to my tent.

Someone had left a stash of water, meal bars, and a toothbrush and paste in the corner. Thoughtful. This group seemed kind and accepting, not how I’d imagined criminals at all. But then, I was a criminal too, wasn’t I?

I curled in next to Leo and checked his breathing again. No change. I pulled his arm over me, the dead weight a poor facsimile of our usual sleeping position, but better than nothing. A deep breath in, one out, and my eyelids grew heavy. I’d have to be honest with Hex tomorrow. I was a coward. But it could wait until morning. Sleep drew me into its velvet embrace.

I awoke to the weak, hazy light of predawn seeping into the tent. For a moment I couldn’t place my location, then the events of the previous day crashed in. I examined Leo. He looked peaceful but exhausted, face pale and eyes ringed with shadows. “Leo?”

His eyelids flickered. I tensed. It was the first sign of movement I’d seen from him. “Leo?”

His eyes struggled open. He scanned the tent, expression clouded with confusion, then settled on me, blinking. “Liv?” he croaked.

Relief spun through me. A tight knot in my chest relaxed, and I took a gasping breath. I hadn’t acknowledged how afraid I’d been. Hadn’t wanted to admit the possibility he might not recover. “You’re okay!” Smiling, I pressed against him, and his arm came weakly around my back.

“Okay might be pushing it.” He stroked my hair. “Water?”

I grabbed a bottle. Of course he’d be dehydrated. I helped him to sit, unscrewed the lid, and he took it with trembling fingers. He drank two full bottles and worked his way through three of the meal bars, eating with focused intensity. Magic depletion caused intense hunger; I’d read that somewhere.

A few minutes later, Leo’s hands no longer shook. He lay back down and held out his arm. I curled into him, our faces inches apart.

“I’m not dead.” His voice sounded stronger already. “How did you manage that?”

I explained. Leo raised his eyebrows at the mention of the pardons. “Assuming this group is made up of the escaped inmates, I’ve read their profiles. They smuggle illegal magical weapons. They might be useful to me.”

“I didn’t know what else to do—”

“I understand. And they’ve treated you well?”

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