Rui hurried after her. “Surin!”
The Captain halted.
“Has he been okay?”
“Zizi?” Surin gave her a look. “Why don’t you ask him yourself? I don’t know what’s going on with you two, but I know he’s happy to see you. I thought you’d be happy to see him.”
“I’m glad I can be of service to the Guild,” Rui said, keeping her expression blank.
She marched back into the darkened infirmary. Zizi was still standing by the window.
“Your hands.”
Resolutely keeping them in his pockets, Zizi said, “What about them?”
Rui grabbed his wrist. She pushed his sleeve back and sucked in a sharp breath.
The black markings raced up his forearm, reminiscent of veins or tattoos. If this went on, they’d be full sleeves soon.
“It’s gotten worse,” she said.
Zizi snatched his hand back.
“Did your grandmother figure out what’s wrong?”
“Haven’t spoken to her.”
“Why not?”
“Been busy. Lots of Revenants and their buddies running around these days, in case you haven’t heard.”
Rui glimpsed a shadow of his teasing smile, and she was struck by how much she missed his annoying face.
“Besides, I defected. I can’t face her,” Zizi said, dark brows meeting again in an angry line.
Giving up all pretense of a civil conversation, Rui backed him against the wall until there were only inches between them.
“Why are you helping the Guild? You hate them.”
“It’s part of the deal, remember?” he said, sounding tired. His clothes seemed to hang looser on his frame.
“Nobody told you to make any deal,” she said. “No one made you confess that day; no one asked you to protect them.”
“No onewants your opinion.” Zizi was still refusing to look at her.
“You’ve been using too much of your spiritual energy, haven’t you?” Rui said. “It’s making those things on your hands worse. They’re working you too hard; they’re exploiting you. I’m going to talk to Ash about this.”
She turned to go, but Zizi caught her arm and whirled her around.
“Do I have to spell everything out? It’s because ofyou.”
He was facing her now, eyes blazing. Rui didn’t understand the look on his face.
Because of you.
He was mad at her for putting him in this position. By working with the Guild, he was going against his principles, betraying his friends. He was right to be mad. Itwasbecause of her. Rui was too cowardly to reveal she’d lost her magic. Instead, she forced everyone to lie for her. She had put other people at risk: first Yiran, then Zizi when she took the chance to kill Aloysius. She’d gambled with their lives, weighed them less worthy than her own desires.
She backed away from him. “I know it’s my fault. This all started because I cast the separation spell on myself. I shouldn’t have dragged you down with me.”
