“I thought you were dead,” I say, my voice ragged as I clutch him to me.
Gentle knuckles brush my cheek. “It’s good to see you, my starling.”
Sands, my fucking heart. “I—”
Roshan’s lips find mine, and I sigh into them, the tender pliancy of his mouth transporting me out of the horror of this moment. My lashes flutter shut as tears sting my eyelids at the softness of his lips. As if sensing my rioting emotions, his hand winds around my neck, holding me close as he settles me with his kiss. As he tells me we’re in this together... and that he’s going nowhere. It grounds me, takes away my fears, until there’s only him.
Onlyus. No Scavs, no Dustlands, no Jade.
“Where’re my clothes?” he rasps against my lips, breaking the kiss. Oh, right. He’s naked. It’s a decent signal of my fear that I hadn’t even noticed, though my eyes make quick work of that lapse in attention when I reluctantly disentangle myself from his embrace. I search the room to where his belongings are strewn carelessly in a corner. “Here.”
His face tightens. “The big Scav, did you see him?”
“Big, ugly brute with a slash across his throat?” I ask, and he nods. “It’s under control,” I say, waving my hands with a wry smile. “If you hadn’t noticed, this gift has a tendency to defend itself when necessary.”
“Where’s Aran?”
“He’s fine. He’s good,” I say in a rush. “They’re in the other room. We need to get out of here.”
Roshan stands and sways on his feet as he pulls up his trousers. “Help me with this, will you?” He gestures at the metal enclosures on the waistband. “My fingers feel like jelly.”
“Sure.” With a calmness I don’t feel, I close the distance between us and pull on the strap, cinching it tightly around his trim waist. Upon closer inspection, I notice the faint outlines of old scars crisscrossing his skin. My fingers trail over the faded marks, and his body goes still at my touch. “What are these?”
Shuttered brown eyes meet mine. “Overzealous sparring with Javed. He refused to use wooden weapons. Even as a child, he was fond of inflicting pain.”
Inexplicable rage fills me. “I hope you returned it in kind,” I grit out.
“I, unfortunately, was required to spar with a wooden sword,” he says as I hook in the closures. “Using a real weapon against the heir apparent would constitute treason, and I was constantly reminded of the fact that I was nothing but a bastard spare.”
“He’s the bastard, not you,” I spit.
Roshan shrugs, then goes to fasten a pair of forearm cuffs. “It was a long time ago, Suraya, and those wounds have long been forgotten. Plus, I was forced to learn to be quicker on my feet to avoid being slashed, and as a result, I am a far better swordsman than Javed could ever hope to be.”
Swallowing the spike of anger on his behalf, I wait until he’s finished dressing. “Who is the Scav leader? Is there one?” I ask. “We might need someone in power to guarantee safe passage.”
“General Vogon, I believe. He’s ruthless.”
“Shocker,” I say. “You’ve met Slash Throat. He’s quite the charmer.”
Roshan’s lip twitches at my dry tone. “Then let’s start with him.”
We make our way back to Aran, who seems much more alert now, eyes locked on the prisoners. Slash Throat hasn’t moved from his position leaning against the wall of the cell. The thin gash of his mouth is the only indication of displeasure. “I see you found him alive,” he says as Roshan appears behind me. “Pity. I always find the most spirited ones taste better.”
“You’re disgusting,” I say coldly.
The Scav leader smirks at us as if he has a secret, and the almost exultant expression makes me uneasy. “It might be worth your while to go into the next hall.”
“What’s in there?” I ask.
The Scav’s smirk widens as he gestures to the doors. “Go see for yourself.”
“I’ll go,” Roshan says. “You stay here.”
“Take Aran with you and be careful,” I tell him, and hand him a crossbow. “Shoot first if anything comes at you.” While I wait for them to return, I stare down the two others watching me in stony silence.
“Why aren’t you like them?” I ask Slash Throat, curiosity winning out.
“Addicted to Jade?” he asks, and I nod. For a second, it seems as if he’s not going to respond, but then he does. “Jade has its uses. I control it.”
