My words failed me at the sound of that.
Before I could think of something to say, Deidre spoke again, her blue brows knitted together in a deep frown.“Surely the healers won’t refuse you if you order them to heal her?”
Karim sighed.“When it comes to the humans, my power is limited to the gardens; Mesia made sure of that.Even getting Jasmine out of there was overstepping it.”
“Curses.”Deidre threw her hands up.“So you carrying Jasmine in the streets might be what makes the Queen’s patience with you run out.Congratulations–you’ll get executed over a flower!Which, just so you know, I will not be watering in your memory.”
“That wasn’t funny,” Tisvali mumbled close by.
“I know.”Deidre looked away, her expression grim.
Silence fell.
That, in combination with the pain from my injuries,somehow made me think more clearly.And I suddenly remembered something.
“What if you carry me over your shoulder, sack-of-potatoes style?”My excited tone got everyone’s attention.“That’s the way several other human women and I were brought inside the Kingdom weeks ago.Surely that won’t look so suspicious?”
Deidre’s face lit up.“She has a point.She’ll have to be unconscious, as per the scouts’ protocol, and all those dangling limbs might hurt her injuries, but–”
“I will not cause her pain!”
I jumped at Karim’s sharp tone, even though he hadn’t raised his voice.
“Pardon me,” Tisvali butted in hesitantly, “but aren’t you already doing that by prolonging our stay out here with all this arguing?”
“See, Karim?”Deidre exclaimed.“And if you don’t want to be the cause of further pain for her, you can always letmecarry her over my shoulder.Problem solved.”
I felt Karim’s body tense like a spring ready to snap.“No.”
Why wouldn’t he see reason?He would put his life on the line just because he didn’t want me in pain?No, I couldn’t let him do this.If his friends couldn’t persuade him, I wouldn’t stand a chance, but I was going to try, anyway.
“Karim, it’s okay,” I said, hoping I sounded confident.Which I wasn’t.“I can do this.What’s a little bit more pain, if we both get to live afterward?”
His nostrils flared again.“You would do this?”
I nodded, though my pulse was galloping at just the thought.
He stared into my eyes for a moment, as if trying to see all the way down into my soul.“All right,” he said softly.
“Thank Jesus!”
“Holy Gods of the Underground, yes!”
I felt relieved, but now that this matter was settled, I alsofelt lightheaded.Whatever adrenaline had kept me going must have finally run out.I realized my head was lolling to the side toward Karim’sshoulder.
“Come on, give her to me,” I heard Deidre say but for some reason she sounded far away.
Was I imagining things, or did Karim really growl low in his throat?I was sure that his arms tightened around me.“Do not touch her.No one else but me will carry her.”
“Fine, fine.”Deidre sounded even further away now.“I’ll only help with the switch in positions.Just like a sack of potatoes, right, Curly-Q?”
“Mhm,” I replied.Or tried to, before I blacked out again.
– 10 –
Don’t Let Go
Iwas in heaven.The sun was shining on my face; my body felt as light as a leaf and free of any aches or pains.And I was perfectly safe with the man of my dreams by my side.
