Page 154 of Scavenger's Oath
Phoenix crouches next to her again, jaw locked. His fingertips flex against his thighs but he still won’t touch her. “We need to lay her down,” he says, clipped. “Carefully. If it’s an injury from—”
“Don’t say that!” Myles barks, shifting his body to guard her. “Don’t fucking say that, unless you know.”
“Idon’tknow,” Phoenix shoots back. “And neither do you.”
“Let’s get her back on the couch,” I interrupt, keeping my voice low but firm. “Come on.”
Myles and I guide her back to the battered couch while Phoenix gets a bucket in case she throws up again. Her hair brushes my arm as she collapses into the cushions, clammy skin sticking to the leather.
“Phoenix’s fireplace,” she mutters weakly, eyes closed. “That smell… it’s horrid.”
Placingthe bucket on the floor beside the couch, Phoenix’s brows knit together. “I haven’t lit a fire today.”
I don’t know what she’s talking about, but it’s not a good sign.
Lifting my nose, I inhale but there’s only a faint smell of woodsmoke and ash. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Myles tucks the blanket around her, thumb rubbing circles on her hand. Phoenix hovers behind the couch, scanning her like he’s cataloguing every twitch. I kneel on the floor by her head, wet towel in hand, blood thundering in my ears.
I force my voice steady. “It’s not internal bleeding,” I tell them quietly, trying to sound calm but I don’t feel calm. “She wouldn’t be lucid like this. She wouldn’t be able to talk.”
“She just threw up twice,” Myles hisses. “How is that not fucking serious?”
“It is serious,” I snap. “But if it were organ damage, she’d be in more pain. She wouldn’t just be nauseous… there’d be fever. Blood. Seizures. And it’s been two weeks since they came for her. This isn’t that.”
“Then what is it?” His eyes are wet, wild.
I don’t want to say it. Not yet. The possibility sits heavy in my chest like a loaded weapon.
Her pallor, sudden nausea at smells, fuller breasts.Shit.
She’s been here two months and only bled once. It’s early, but she’s been through hell, her body may not be following the rules.
Could be stress, could be something worse. But the signs… I’ve seen them before. Sasha didn’t survive it. If I’m right, then Ivy… My stomach lurches at the thought.
Fuck! Did I do this to her?
It’s safe to say none of us have been thinking straight since we met her. But has one of us signed her death warrant?
I think I knew the second her hand went to her mouth like that, the way her eyes darted around the room like she was confused, frightened by her own body.
Glancing at Phoenix, his jaw is set, but his eyes flick to Ivy’s flat stomach, then back to mine. He’s thinking the same thing.
Myles looks like he’s ready to kill someone just to make her breathe steady again.
My throat closes around the words. I don’t want to be the one to say it aloud.
Because I know I’m about to detonate something none of us are ready for.
Say it. Just say it.
“She might be…” I force the word out. “…pregnant.”
Chapter 50
Phoenix
Groaning, I roll in bed again, sheets twisting around my legs like restraints I can’t shake off.
