Page 260 of Halfblood Deceived

Whatever. She was stronger now.

And a few broken bones were absolutely worth saving her sister.

Taking a bracing breath, Aella climbed up to the window’s ledge.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to the floor.

Aella sent her elbow back with all the strength she could muster.

Her assailant grunted.

Aella stepped on their foot, but they were wearing boots, and she hurt her heel.

“Ow!” she complained, but didn’t let that deter her. She sent her head back, hearing a satisfying thunk, and whirled to find…

Evan.

“What the bloody blazes do you think you’re doing?” he asked, squeezing the bridge of his nose. “Ouch. You are fucking strong. That hurt.”

“Sorry!” Aella cried.

Evan blinked pain-induced tears from his eyes and wiped blood from under his nose. “What were you trying to do, Aella?” His brow furrowed. “Were you trying to hurt yourself?”

Aella frowned. “What? Of course not. That’s by far not a high enough fall to kill myself. I know that from experience.”

Evan blinked. “That is not a comforting answer, little madam.”

Aella leaned against the wall. She was truly dizzy now and a bit nauseated. “You’re like two inches taller than me.”

“Four,” Evan corrected, wiping the blood from his nose and hand with a handkerchief.

Aella cringed. “I’m so sorry I hit you. I thought you were… I don’t know.”

Evan chuckled. “It’s okay. I’m glad your training is paying off. But what were you trying to do? Were you escaping?”

Aylana came inside the room, looking from Evan to Aella, askance. “What’s going on?”

“Aella here assaulted me for stopping her from jumping out the window,” Evan answered.

“What? Why?” Aylana asked.

“I’m not telling you because you’ll stop me,” Aella blurted, placing her hand on her mouth.

Evan sniffed. “You smell like a narcotic. I think it’s making you chatty.”

“The nurse gave me pain medication,” she murmured against her hand.

Oh, no.

This wasn’t good. She would end up blurting the truth of her stupid-on-purpose plans to them and they wouldn’t let her be bait. Her vision blurred. She blinked hard and held onto the wall. What godsforsaken medication had that nurse given her? It wasn’t morphine. Morphine made her dizzy but not like this.

Aylana approached her. “Aella, honey. What is it you think we’ll try to stop you from doing?”

“If I tell you, you’ll rat me out to Kamilla and Zeydan,” Aella said. “Ugh, shut up! Don’t tell them.” She groaned. “Oh, gods. Stop talking, you idiot!”

Evan and Aylana looked at her as if she’d lost her marbles. Maybe she had.

“What the Hells did they give her?” Evan asked, dark blond brows furrowed and nose moving as he sniffed Aella.

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