Instantly, his shadows released me, but his cold expression never changed.
I swallowed a shaky breath, hoping he didn’t notice the relief in my drooped shoulders or the extra second I shut my eyes.
I wasn’t sure if comparing him to Michael would do any good, but at least now I knew there was a shred of something more inside him.
Pity? Maybe. Or something else entirely.
“Are you working for?—”
“Why would I ever be working for a queen who wants to torture and kill me to use my powers to get out of her cage? Why would I ever be part of something that harms other females? Why, oh-so-smart General, would I want to work for someone who forced Aspen to take me against my will? I thought you were more intelligent than this, being in the position you’re in,GeneralRonen.”
He had no comeback to that. Of course he didn’t.
Why did he have such a problem with me? It really hurt my chances of helping Aspen escape Lilith, especially since he seemed to detest us both. I saw how the black had thickened in his eyes atAspen’s name, and how his shadows had wreathed his neck, curling down his body—like when he first met Oliver.
The general gave me one last penetrating stare, then stalked away.
“Oh, and Ronen,” I said, forgoing respect.
He jolted to a stop, as if hearing his name shocked him.
“Please, stay the hell out of my head.”
He stood there a moment before striding through the doors. They shut with a resounding bang.
“Lucy one, General zero.”
I whipped over to find Oliver smirking.
“Have you been faking sleep this entire time?”
His smirk widened.
I shook my head and sagged into the cot. “I can’t believe you.”
“I woke up halfway through your argument and let the conversation roll. Happy I did. You gave him a tongue-lashing. Never knew you had it in you.”
“Me either,” I said, rubbing my face. “So what happened? How did we end up here?”
“Well, you so kindly passed out. My legs were no longer functioning after freezing my ass off in soaking clothing for who knows how long, and Rune saved the day by carting us to the healers’ wing.”
“And?”
“And you and your friend are lucky,” a male interrupted.
He had curly chestnut hair and a freckled complexion. I’d say he looked boyish and cute if it weren’t for the sternness in his expression or his tall, authoritative stance.
He wore a loose-fitting charcoal shirt and pants. His clothes matched those around him—others who walked between the line of beds and curtains.
“He almost lost his toes. It took several sessions to heal his flesh and a couple more to stabilize his body temperature,” he said, confirming my assumption. “And you.” He jabbed a finger at me, drawing attention to a yellow crystal the size of a baby’s fist dangling from a chain wrapped around his knuckles. Similar crystals graced the necks of the other personnel, but in different colors.
“Divine Wasting is serious. You almost drained yourself dry. If you don’t know how to use your powers safely, don’t use them—or find a teacher.”
“I only used them for ten minutes. If that.” I didn’t think such a short time would cause me to pass out.
He gave me another scalding look. “Your powers come from your soul’s energy. The same energy you exercise with. You exhausted yourself during your run, barely leaving anything to tap into your powers. Luscelering should’ve been the last thing you did.”
“So what?” I shot back, feeling the edge of my frustration rise. “Should we have just continued running in our wet clothes and died of hypothermia instead?”
