Of course, it didn’t help that I’d left her out of my plan to infiltrate Arcuro’s compound.I was trying to make up for that, trying to earn her trust.
I held her gaze.We were inside the Null where her werewolf magic wasn’t active—I didn’t feel an oppressive hand pushing my head forward in submission—but Nora was used to people deferring to her, bowing, scraping, soaking up whatever attention she’d give them.
Never give ground to a werewolf, Kennedy.They’ll grab a leash and measure you for a collar.
Advice I usually lived by.
Shutting down the instinctive defiance tightening my muscles, I lowered my gaze to the floor.
Seconds ticked by.Nora didn’t move.Didn’t speak.She had to know this was difficult for me.She was drawing the moment out, seeing how long I’d last without snapping.
My hands wanted to curl into fists.She had five more seconds.Any longer than that and I’d—
“Fine,” she said.
I immediately lifted my head and glared.She responded with a haughty sniff, then reached down to pick up Deagan.
And nearly fell over.
I resisted laughing out loud.Barely.“Sucks having human strength, doesn’t it?”
“Did you want help or not?”she demanded.
Someone needed to grow a sense of humor.“Take his left arm.I’ll get his right.”
Nora clenched her teeth so hard I was worried about the structural integrity of her molars.That concern vanished the second we heaved Deagan upright between us.A sharp bolt of pain shot down my shoulder and into my lower back.Damn it.I needed to spend more time outside the Null with one of Astrid’s poultices…
Except I couldn’t now.Not until I found a way out of my bargain with Canyon.
I wasn’t sure which was heavier—Deagan or my inadvertent betrayal of Garion.Both made me nauseous, but there was no time to dwell.Nora and I started down the hall.My body protested our clumsy two-person carry, especially with the way Nora kept shifting Deagan’s weight higher on her shoulder.By the time we reached the lobby, sweat dampened my hairline and I was cursing Jared for leaving his friend in the hall instead of depositing him straight into a room.It probably hadn’t even occurred to his majesty that Deagan would be difficult to move.
“Are you even helping?”Nora snapped.
“Yes!”
“Then how is he so heavy?”
I clenched my teeth.“You’re carrying him like a rolled-up carpet.”
“Lift your half.”
“You’re pulling him off-center.”
“Because I’m the only one doing any real work.”
I glared at her.She glared back.Then, by unspoken agreement, we lowered Deagan to the ground.
I used the break to scan the lobby, my gaze drawn as usual to the enormous central fireplace.Its stone chimney rose up through the vaulted ceiling and roof.Sullens stood near the raised hearth.Thad was next to him, shifting his weight from foot to foot with a nervous energy most werewolves would never display, and Shaelin, a staff member who floated from job to job, sat on the arm of a leather chair.She was the one leading the conversation until both Sullens and Thad noted our presence.
I did my best to regulate my breathing, trying to disguise just how out of breath I was even though it wasn’t necessary—every employee knew I’d been injured a few days ago.I should ask for their help.Maybe I would have if Nora wasn’t standing next to me.She would never swallow her pride and admit weakness.And if I did that now?I’d lose yet another sliver of her tenuous respect.
My gaze moved past the trio to the bar and restaurant.We didn’t have guests at the moment, so the tables were empty.They hadn’t been earlier.I’d found Garion putting away bottles and wiping down the bar.Shaelin had been collecting glasses to take back to the kitchen, and Sullens and Thad had both been absent.
I chewed on my bottom lip.Had Garion gone to the Barn?Was he packing his things to leave?He had to know I wouldn’t let him walk away.We needed to finish our conversation.We could fix this.We just had to come up with a plan.
We would.Right after we lugged Deagan to a room.
I took up Deagan’s arm again and waited for Nora to do the same.Instead, she crossed her arms.“You vanished upstairs.Why?”
