Page 49 of Malice
“We’ll go prepare a room for him,” Grim added, which seemed to bolster her willingness to leave the rest of us behind.
“Put him in the teal room. It’s already made up.” It took everything I had to look away from Merri as I approached thegenerator. We’d survive without it, but things would be infinitely more comfortable if I could get it up and running.
All I had to do was switch it on, and the house illuminated. That means Christian had been struck almost instantly when he got out here. How long had he been out there waiting for us to find him?
I winced, feeling uncharacteristically guilty. I wasn’t used to being responsible for the well-being of others. It was sort of the diametrical opposite of my existence, actually. The realization immediately comforted me. I could hardly be blamed for any shortcomings or mistakes I made. It was all new to me. Besides, this was clearly an act of God. Well, perhaps not God directly, but the elements. And that wasn’t something that could be easily planned for.
“All set?” I asked, checking on Chaos and Sin’s progress.
They had Christian hoisted between them, his limp form and waxy pallor telling a very compelling story. He very well may not survive this injury.
“Follow me. The closest path to the teal room is up the servant’s staircase.”
Merri and Grim were ready for us, the bedding pulled down and the pillows carefully arranged. There was also a spare bathrobe laid out on the bottom of the four-poster. That level of thoughtfulness had Merri written all over it. Grim would never care for such details. Not unless it was for her benefit.
“Merri, turn around. We need to get him out of his wet clothes,” I said.
“Allow me,” Grim offered, sending his shadows out to cloak Sin and Chaos as they stripped Christian and reclothed him in the robe.
In moments, Christian was settled in the bed, his clammy, pale skin reminiscent of many a plague I’d caused.
“Will he be okay?” Merri whispered, wringing her hands at the side of the bed. I could tell that she wanted to do something so she could feel like she was helping aid his recovery.
“Only time will tell,” I answered. “With an injury such as this, a comfortable place to sleep is all we can provide. He’s got to do the rest on his own. None of us can heal him, and there isn’t a functional hospital anywhere near.”
She stood over him, watching as he drew labored breaths.
“I hate that I can’t do anything for him.”
“We found him. Getting him inside and in bed is the best thing we can do.”
Merri shivered, her teeth chattering even though it wasn’t cold in the room. Fear that she was going into shock twisted inside me.
“Get yourself changed and into something warm, hellcat.”
“I’ll make us all something to drink and get a fire going in the morning room,” Chaos offered.
She nodded, walking numbly out of the bedroom and toward her own.
Once we were alone, Chaos asked the question I was sure each of us contemplated. “Foul play?”
Grim shook his head. “Not as far as I can ascertain. Seems to be a legitimate accident.”
Chaos frowned at the news.
“And that upsets you why, exactly?” Sin asked.
“Because it feels convenient and too much like a coincidence.”
“It’s just Christian,” Sin said.
“And it could have just as easily been Merri,” Chaos snapped.
That shut Sin up, and the four of us wandered wordlessly back down to the morning room.
Merri joined us a few minutes later, her hair still wet but now braided over her shoulder, body covered in a soft robe, feet covered in fluffy slippers.
“I checked on him. He’s still sleeping, but his breathing is better.”
