Slowly, I nod. “Enough for me to live?”
At my caustic words, something resembling amusement fills his eyes, warring with the concern I can still see. “For now. This will be an interesting journey.”
My breathing speeds up. He’s so close. And I can’t… I can’tmove. Can’t get away.
Callan studies my expression. His jaw tightens before he yanks himself back, almost hitting the wall opposite as he puts more distance between us. His voice lowers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He’s taken all of my air with him. I stay where I am, my back pressed against the wall and trying to pull words from around the lump in my dry throat.
Callan watches me a few moments longer, waiting for my breathing to steady before he rocks back, shoving his hands intohis pockets. “Come on up to the deck. Esme will be furious that we’ve left them to get on with it.”
He switches seamlessly from protective to careless, but it only throws me more off balance. Callan turns, heading up the narrow corridor. A low, whistled tune filters back to me.
“Why did Leo ask if you’d weighed me?” I call the words out to him, but he doesn’t turn around.
“No idea.” There’s laughter beneath his words, and it irritates me that I can’t tell whether or not it’s genuine. Which version is therealversion. “You look to be in excellent proportion to me.”
I blink.
And then I throw the tray at his head.
Chapter twelve
Callan
Ican feel eyes of starlight boring into the side of my face.
Sighing, I prop my arm behind my head, not bothering to open my eyes as I lounge back in the hammock. “Glowering at me won’t get those floors oiled any faster, Selene.”
She mutters something uncomplimentary under her breath.
Cracking my eyes open, I watch her as she stalks after Esme, gripping the stained cloth in her hand as if it’s my neck beneath her fingers. The ridiculous outfit she’s wearing— dirt-edged scraps of pale blue silk and not much else—is already stained with oil. We’ll have to get her something else to wear.
Sol shakes his head as he walks up, giving Selene a wide berth. “I stand by what I said. She’s going to kill us.”
Humming in something that could pass for agreement, I let my eyes open fully. “She thinks I’m lazing around and letting all of you do the work.”
Sol grins, his back to the others. “Aren’t you?”
He dodges my kick easily. “How are you doing?”
The laugh building in my chest vanishes. “I’m fine. Perfectly capable of working.”
“You are working,” he points out. “Harder than any of us.”
The heaviness in my skull agrees, even if the rest of me doesn’t.
I grimace as he stares at my face. “Stop that. I’m fine.”
As I say it, I notice the tell-tale warm trickle from my nose. “Damn.”
Ripping the cloth from my pocket, I press it against the blood. “Don’t tell Merrick.”
“Callan.” Sol frowns as I pull the cloth away. The scarlet patch vanishes as I crumple it in my hand. “Take a break. Let the water pull the weight.”
Slowly, I shake my head. “We’re too close to the Never. If I don’t get it together in time, I won’t be able to lift us.”
“So you’re going to push yourself to breaking point instead.” Sol sighs. “Matthias is going to kill me. And then you. Probably all of us.”
