Iowyn walks beside me. Silent. Her breathing is faster than normal. Her hands still clasped. She's processing too.
She heard me say I watch her sleep. She heard me say she's the only quiet thing. She heard all of it and she's still walking beside me.
Why is she still walking beside me?
We reach the chambers. The door closes. Locks.
I stand there. Blood drying on my hands. Unable to move.
"You should wash." Her voice. Quiet. Steady.
I look at her.
She's looking at my hands. The blood. His blood.
"You're covered in it."
"I know."
Silence.
She moves. Crosses to the basin in the corner. Dips a cloth in water. Comes back.
My whole body goes still.
She takes my hand. Turns it over. Starts cleaning the blood from my fingers.
The cloth is warm. Her grip is gentle. She's washing a dead man's blood off my hands and her pulse is jumping in her wrist. I can see it. Feel it. Right there under her skin and—
"You told him you watch me sleep." Her voice doesn't shake.
"Yes."
"You told him I'm the only quiet thing."
"Yes."
"Is that true."
"I can’t lie."
Her hands pause on my knuckles. Just for a second. Then keep moving.
"That should scare me." Almost to herself.
"It should."
She looks up, piercing me with her gaze. "It doesn't."
She's on my palm now. Working the blood out of the creases. Her head is bent. I can see the part in her hair.
I could bite there. Right now. Could bend down and sink my teeth into her throat and taste her heartbeat.
My free hand moves. Finds her jaw. Tilts her face up.
She doesn't flinch. Doesn't pull away. Just looks at me while her hands keep cleaning my blood-soaked fingers.
"Why aren't you running." It comes out rough. Wrong.
