Page 133 of Lana Pecherczyk
She moaned and nodded. “Two feet and a heartbeat.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “You’ve said that a few times.”
“Dad used to say it.” Her eyes opened, fixing on the ceiling. “After Mum died.”
“You miss your family.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry.”
Her eyes snapped to his, widening. “You just gave me a debt. Right?”
“Maybe.” His eyes crinkled at the corners.
Something shifted in her expression, shadows darkening her gaze. “You said I’m a liability.”
Fuck, he was a bastard. “I’m sorry about that, too.”
“You said it wasn’t healthy to want to be with one person too much.”
“It’s not. But you’re mated to a crow. We’re all unhinged like that. I guess.” He paused, guilt churning in his stomach. “I fucked up, Blake.” He twirled a strand of her hair, hunting for the last of her rainbow before it faded beneath river silt. “I do that a lot.”
“You were right,” she whispered. “I am a liability.”
“You just saved a child’s life.”
“And almost killed you in the process.” She sighed, gaze drifting back to the ceiling. “But he’s alive.”
His vision blurred at the edges, wounds demanding attention. He needed to shift soon or risk passing out.
“When we get out of here,” he mumbled, “remind me to thank Trix for that weapon upgrade.”
“When we get out of here,” Blake countered, “remind me to thank the Order for teaching you to swim.”
“Guardian training.” He snorted. Then paused. “Or possibly further back when my idiot friend and I jumped off a cliff without wings.”
“Cloud?”
“Yeah.”
The name hung between them, laden with unspoken history—Cloud, who’d saved River from drowning that first time. Cloud, who’d taught him to throw a dagger properly because Talo was too much of a pacifist. Cloud, who’d been there for every stupid adventure until…
Guilt twisted through River as he recalled his nightmare this morning. Had he ever been there when Cloud needed him? Or had he turned away, too caught up in easy distractions?
“You two were super close, huh?” Blake’s question pulled him back from the edge of memory.
He nodded, grateful she didn’t push further.
“River, you’re bleeding!” Blake pushed herself upright. She peeled back torn leather at his ribs. “A lot.”
He winced. “Might have taken a few hits from the rocks.”
“That’s not from rocks.” Her face paled. “These slashes—I can see bone.”
“Oh yeah. That.” He tried to smile but failed. “Kiss the boo-boo?”
“River, it looks bad.”
