I sneeze, angling my face away from his and rubbing my nose. “Are you losing control of your powers or did you just give me a bug?”
“It’s my powers.” His jaw clenches and he brushes my hair back from my face. “I’m pissed that he touched you. You belong tome.”
“I’m your Anchor,” I agree.
“No. You don’t get it. You. Belong. To. Me.”
I shiver, because I’ve never seen him so possessive. How is he like this when he's supposed to be apathy? Did something happen? Did I miss a switch being flipped somewhere? My nose itches, the sign of another sneeze about to break its way through. I put my hand to my face, scrunching in the hopes of avoiding another sneeze, and he takes a step back.
“I am losing control. The angrier I get, the more my powers flare.”
“We don’t want that,” I say quickly, rubbing a finger under my nostrils to chase the tickle away. “I’m worried we’ve been dragging plague along with us as we travel. You don’t think that’s the case, do you?”
But Kalos doesn’t answer. He’s moving towards the door, listening to the other side. His hand rests on the heavy wood for a moment, and he grimaces. “I need to touch them.”
“Touch them for what?” I ask.
He moves to Dingle’s side, all action, and slides his collar and lead over his neck. “Hurry up and vomit. We don’t have much time.”
“Time forwhat?” I demand, clutching the bowl to my chest. “You had time to kiss me. You can take the time to tell me what the fuck is going on!”
He doesn't explain, though. His expression turns grim and he leans closer to me. “Hurry, Elsie. We have one chance at this. If they catch us before we’re gone, they’ll kill you and take me out of contention. As Seth said, if we are not with them, they have no interest in letting us survive.”
I want to ask how we’re going to fight our way out, but I have a sneaking suspicion. He killed the fisherman before, when he tried to harm me. Plagued him instantly and the man died. I’m guessing more of the same is about to happen.
Am I okay with this?
If we stay, we’re going to be working with Seth and Margo, and there’s going to be a lot of bad things happening. Leaving will probably result in some deaths, but staying will probably end up with mine. And Kalos’s. And Dingle’s.
And, well, shit. I’m going to be selfish.
I clutch the bowl against my chest, willing my food to come up. When it doesn’t happen quickly, I give Kalos a panicked look. “Can you make me just sick enough?—”
He touches my cheek, and dinner flies out of my throat and spews into the bowl before I have a chance to think about it. I vomit pathetically, hunched double, even as he brushes the hair back from my face and murmurs reassuring words.
When my stomach is emptied, I wipe my mouth, whimpering. “That was the worst.”
“But it is done. Now we must go, unless you’ve decided you want to work with the god of chaos.”
Hard pass on that.
I scrub at my face one last time and get up, dizzy. Kalos grabs my hand and hands me Dingle’s lead. “Do not let go of me.”
“I won’t.”
“Do not slow down. Do not stop. I will not let them take you from me again.” His eyes are hard and glittering. For a moment, he doesn’t look like the Kalos I know. He’s not the tired, erudite, beautiful man who finds it difficult to smile. This is a hard, dangerous stranger.
I swallow and nod.
He wraps a cloak around my shoulders, tugs the hood over my head like I’m a child, and takes my free hand. “Remember.”
“Don’t stop for anything,” I agree.
He leans in to kiss me once more but I flinch back. “I have vomit mouth!”
“You would still be the best thing I’ve tasted.” He doesn’tsmile, but I feel caressed by the affection in his eyes as he devours me with his gaze once more. Then he grips my hand tightly and opens the door.
The guards turn to look at us, confused. “My lord?—”
