Page 21 of Chosen By Monsters

A minute later, Kit appears in the doorway with a staff hoodie folded over one arm.

She takes one look at me curled up on Merek's lap, then at his arms wrapped around me.

“Tea's coming,” she says. “William too.”

“Thanks, Kit.”

She disappears down the corridor.

Merek takes the hoodie and helps me work my arms into it without making me leave his lap. My fingers are still too stiff to manage the zipper, so he pulls it up for me, then settles me against his chest again.

“Tell me if it hurts,” he says, covering my hands with his.

“It hurts.”

“Good. That means they're coming back.” He turns one of my hands over, examining my fingertips. They're bright red now instead of white. “William's going to look at you anyway. If anything turns gray or you still can't feel your fingers in an hour, you're seeing a healer.”

“You have healers?”

“We have everything.” He closes his hands around mine again. “How's the rest of you?”

“Cold. Tired. A little embarrassed that I needed rescuing from a box of frozen fruit.”

His arms tighten. “Don't be. That door should have opened.”

“How did you find me?”

“You went on break at ten-thirty and didn't come back. Kit said Corinne had sent you to count inventory.” His jaw tightens. “Nobody counts purée for twenty minutes.”

I lean against him, my cheek resting against his chest. His heartbeat is steady beneath my ear, and the last of my shivering is finally easing. I'm warm enough now that I should probably move.

I don't.

Merek doesn't seem interested in letting go, either.

He mutters something in the rough language I heard him speak this morning.

“What was that?”