Page 21 of Halfblood Deceived

It was he who had shaken her awake.

Aella avoided his accusing brown eyes, looking around the infirmary’s white room and realizing they weren’t alone.

Father Israel, Eli, and Isaiah were there, too.

The priest looked suspicious, as usual.

Eli’s perpetual sneering smile had a leering edge that made it even more disturbing, something Aella didn’t think was possible. Only Isaiah looked concerned. He was still wearing the elegant clothes he had during Aella’s disaster of a mission, minus the jacket.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

Aella gulped, trying to coax some wetness to her throat, but that seemed impossible. “Like I almost died in an explosion.” God, her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper.

Isaiah stood, bringing a bottle of water to her. He opened it, and Aella took it with shaky hands, downing two gulps and coughing.

Isaiah gently patted her back. “Easy.”

Micah growled at Isaiah. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Isaiah pinned him with a glare. “What you should be doing.”

“Get your hands off her,” Micah ordered, through clenched teeth.

Isaiah did no such thing, helping Aella sit straighter in the bed instead.

Micah lifted his hand and Aella flinched away from him, realizing too late that he wasn’t going to hit her but force Isaiah to let her go.

Isaiah batted Micah’s hand away. “Are you insane?”

Micah growled. “How dare you—?”

“Enough,” Father Israel ordered in his calmest tone. “Both of you give her some room.”

Micah huffed, but took two steps back.

Isaiah gave Aella an inquisitive look that she pretended not to see by sipping the water carefully. He eventually leaned against the wall, arms crossed and expression murderous, as he fixed his dark eyes on Micah.

“Why didn’t you draw the vampire to the agreed location?” Father Israel asked.

“You ruined the mission, you useless idiot,” Micah spat.

Part of Aella shrunk at the accusing tone, but fiery anger burned in her core.

“I tried, but he saw right through me,” Aella said, voice firmer than she thought. “And the reason he did was that you didn’t prepare me for that situation. You sent me like a sacrificial lamb, used me like a pawn, and now you’re trying to blame me for failing? How dare you?”

Micah’s eyes widened like saucers.

Isaiah blinked, but there was something like satisfaction on his face.

Eli laughed, the sound repugnant. “That little thing is getting mouthy, Micah. Seems like you’ll have to teach her a lesson.”

The half-full bottle of water flew right toward Eli’s head at astounding speed. It hit his forehead and then fell to the floor, spilling liquid everywhere.

Aella stared down at her hands, not quite believing what she’d done. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t fantasized about throwing nearly anything she could lift at Eli’s head before, but that had been stupid, so stupid. She would pay for it tenfold.

Gulping, she warily lifted her gaze.

Father Israel’s eyes widened minutely. Something calculative crossed his expression.

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