“Go ask your lackey Cosmo. I’ve nothing more to say to you.” Maya turned, causing the pain to grow worse. She could feel her vision start to narrow as the pain grew, and she was able to see less of the world around her.
“Your body is going into shock. Without intervention, it could end up killing you.” Apollo’s words were low, but when sheturned to yell at him, Maya realized he was still kneeling on the ground, watching her.
As much as she wanted to do something hurtful to him, Maya felt a twinge of pity. The shifter seemed to be genuinely suffering because he was being forced to watch someone endure pain without being able to do anything about it. It was not at all the same look that most people gave her when they wanted to do something to get a favor from her.
His expression spoke to a feeling she could understand because she had felt that way several times in her life.
Swallowing, Maya wasn’t yet ready to trust him, but she decided to give him one more chance. “Why do you act like my pain is yours?”
He looked at her, the glow of the sun making his eyes look golden. “I can’t stand to see people hurting. And while I may not always be successful in my efforts, I can always do something to bring comfort and alleviate some of the pain.”
“But why do you care? You have made it clear how you feel about me. That I’m cruel and vicious. It doesn’t sound like I have any redeeming qualities, so why worry yourself about me?”
He shook his head slowly. “I was trying to—your words cause her a lot of pain. I was upbraiding you, thinking you were indifferent to her pain. I was clearly wrong. There is something else at play here that I don’t know about, and so you have my deepest apologies.” He bowed his head.
Maya watched him for a moment, thinking she had found his angle. “So you were trying to stick up for Naomi? And you thought that being a complete ass to me was the way to go about it? Not learning more about the situation?”
His shoulders sagged a little. “You are right, and I was very much in the wrong. The situation is not nearly as straightforward as I thought. I just wanted to help Naomi.”
Maya paused, momentarily considering telling him that Cosmo was also interested in Naomi.No, he doesn’t deserve that bit of information. Of the two of them, Cosmo isn’t the one to lash out and treat people horribly because of his assumptions. Ironic as that may be.
Shaking her head, Maya said, “I’ll be just fine, Mr. Blond.” He looked up at her, a strange look on his face, and Maya turned away. “I don’t care about what you did because it’s far from the worst judgment I’ve dealt with. However, I have no desire to associate with you any further. You are free to leave and seek out Naomi knowing that no serious harm will come to me.”
“I know you can’t heal yourself, Maya.”
Her face snapped around and she looked at him. “I’ve been dealing with this condition for a couple of decades, so I can manage it well enough.”
“It will only get worse without proper healing.”
“And you were not the one to either inflict or exacerbate it, so you can step away knowing you did no harm.”
He watched her. “That’s not good enough for me.”
“Then it’s a damn good thing this isn’t about you, Mr. Blond. It’s about me. And I’m telling you that I refuse your assistance. That’s it. The end.” She watched him, but it quickly became evident that he was not going to let up. Annoyance flared up in her, momentarily consuming her thoughts over everything else. “To quote Section 45692, Statute 99, ‘If a person refuses aid, you are not allowed to act unless they then lose consciousness.’ And I can assure you that I am refusing your aid, and I am not going to lose consciousness now.”
“The pain must be intense. So intense that no one could endure it for long.”
“I’m perfectly fine with you thinking of me as no one. It can only be an improvement from your opinion of me,” she quickly shot back. Pressing her thumb and forefinger intothe corners of her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose while trying to alleviate some of the stress, Maya said, “Look, I understand you feel guilty. Don’t. I’ve been looking for a way out of this hellhole, so the interactions with you had very little to do with my current situation and pain.” She released her fingers and looked at him. “Now, if you would please, kindly fuck off. Go take care of Naomi. Go find your own escape. Just leave me be.”
His eyes searched hers. “Would you be willing to accept treatment from Cosmo?”
“Hell no!” Her voice echoed around them, an instinctive response that came from the very depths of her soul. “If I don’t see that fool again, I will be much better for it. After all, he was the one who told meyouwere a kind and caring person. I have nothing positive to say about his assessments or his abilities.”
“What if I ask for a favor in return?”
Maya’s eyes narrowed. “Proving that I was right about you?”
“I want to get out of here too, but I don’t possess the right kind of magic or abilities to do it. Clearly you do. What I can offer is treatment that will allow you to shift without pain. In exchange, you can help me leave this place.”
Maya watched him, considering the different angles he could be trying to manipulate. There was one glaring reason for his strong desire to leave. “Your daughter.”
He stared at her, his golden eyes indicating a war within him. Finally, he nodded.
Her legs shook a little, so Maya allowed herself to flop down on the ground. “Once I get you out of here, you’ll leave me alone?”
“Only after the treatment is done.”
“How long will that take?”
