I gave up trying to figure it out and just kept inching forward, although I didn’t know why.Was I stalking someone, because I seemed like the sort who would stalk someone, only there was no one there.Just me and the rocks and some brittle twigs underfoot—that weren’t twigs, were they?
I was walking over bones and trying not to think about it, but it was a little hard when they keptcrunch-crunch-crunchingunder my feet, like autumn leaves.Only leaves didn’t make me want to nose around in there, drawn by the musty, meaty, pungent smell of half-decayed meat.Just in case there was some marrow I could find to suck out and—
And okay.
Time to wake up now.
Sunlight was shining through the hotel’s sheers when I blinked my eyes open again.It was a beautiful day, one already partly over, judging by the angle of the light, and I was alone.But people were nearby; I could hear whispers coming from what I finally identified as the corridor outside.
The bedroom was separate from the main living area of the suite, but the door was open, and the whispers wereloud.And from the snippets I caught, the conversation mainly focused on whether I should be woken up to deal with whatever was going on.I debated the question myself.
And then rolled over to test the waters and—
Sucked in a breath through my teeth.
Goddamn.
Just goddamn.
Everything hurt.
I’d been running on adrenaline and anger last night, not to mention panic over danger to the kids.But that seemed to have worn off, along with the happy, dappy joy juice the healer had given me, which had blunted most of the pain.It was not blunting shit right now.
After a moment, I managed to sit up enough to check myself out, and yeah.It looked like the healer, who had not been happy with my repeated assurances that I was fine, had gotten to me while I was out.And run amok.
I was covered in bandages under the robe that somebody had put me back in, presumably Cyrus.Not that I needed it.I looked like a mummy, with barely any skin showing.
“Don’t you dare!”Sophie said, in a normal voice, before slipping back into a vicious whisper again.The door had opened and then closed just as quickly, as if someone had slammed it from the outside, so I assumed she was keeping people out.Which would have been great except Sophie had a temper and an in-your-face attitude that did not play well with Weres.
Especially ones as keyed up as those around here.
I stood up.
And immediately plopped my butt back down again when the room went swimmy.I lay down before I passed out, falling backwards onto the bed.And watched the ceiling spin leisurely around and around while my stomach tried to decide between nausea and hunger.
Nausea won, although there was nothing to come up since we’d never gotten around to eating any of the expensive food in that other ballroom.And I’d been so wiped by the time I got back from arguing with the Corps that I hadn’t even wanted anything.So I just lay there, miserable, while the fight escalated outside.
“Lia!”Somebody yelled, but I didn’t know who.Couldn’t tell.
A shouting match started up, with what sounded like half a dozen voices.I tried to eavesdrop, but it didn’t work.My ears had gotten an upgrade along with my other senses after the Change, but I guessed that strength was needed elsewhere, because I wasn’t parsing one word in ten.
Gah, I thought, and sat up again.
The room stayed steady that time, if sullenly so, as if daring me to stand.So I did, because I like a challenge.And then promptly stumbled into a side table and barked my shin, in one of the few places that wasn’t already bandaged.
Motherf—
I hopped around for a minute, biting my lip, because Lupas were serene and in control and did not swear inventively at pieces of furniture.Instead, I limped around the bed, crossed the living room, and threw open the door to the hall.“What?”
And got a dozen pairs of horrified eyes back because I hadn’t bothered to get dressed, and my robe was sagging open, showcasing the mile or so of bandages.
Some of which had started to leak.
“Lia!”Sophie said, looking horrified.“What happened?”
“Nothing, it’s okay.”I pulled my robe shut and knotted it, not that that seemed to help.“Just haven’t had my shower yet.”
“Lia!”she said again, like it was the only word she knew.
