Page 78 of Ruling the Green

I dried her off after myself then went to grab us clothes.

Once we were both dressed and Serin was sitting on the bed, holding a glass of water, I opened the door to let in Vishen and Nira.

They’d both changed into dry clothes, and Vishen’s hands were wrapped in clean rags. Judging by the scent coming off of him, there was some sort of salve on the burns on his hands.

“How are your hands?” I asked.

“They’ll heal.”

“Don’t let him bullshit you,” Nira said. “They’re bad enough that they’re probably going to peel for days before they heal.”

“Shit.”

“It was me or you,” Vishen said. “I’d rather it be me. I can hide it more easily.”

“How’s your head?” Serin asked, looking at Nira.

“It hurts like a bitch. But you listen to me,” she said, her voice going deadly serious. “If we are being attacked and you can use your powers to save one of us, you save yourself, not me. Do you understand me?”

That was why she’d been floating in the water, paralyzed, helpless. Serin had demanded it. She’d sacrificed herself for her guard. Normally, I wouldn’t understand that. But I knew that if push came to shove, I would probably try to protect Vishen too. He was the closest thing I had to a friend, to family.

“He was going to kill you,” Serin said, her chin angling up. “You were in immediate danger. I wasn’t.”

“I think the burns on your wrist said otherwise,” Nira shot back.

“In danger of pain, yes. But not death. You were about to die.”

“Was there another attacker?” I asked, knowing they could go around in circles about it endlessly.

“The troll,” Serin said.

“The troll?” I repeated. “The troll who originally kidnapped you?”

“Yes. Both of them were the same men who kidnapped me before. They work for Grimwood.”

“Fuck,” Vishen hissed.

“What happened to him?” I asked.

“The water took him,” Serin supplied.

“So he’s dead?” Vishen clarified.

“Yes.”

“What about the redhead?” Nira asked. “What was wrong with him?”

“What did you do to him?” Serin asked.

I sucked in a deep breath and looked at Vishen, who knew what I was asking, and nodded.

“This does not leave this room,” I said, waiting until Vishen checked outside to be sure. “I do have a power, one I never want my father—or anyone else for that matter—to know about. I can… pull things out of people.”

“That glowing ball,” Serin said.

“Yes.”

“What was it?”