Page 296

“No.” I pressed harder, palm flat over the foam, as if I could hold him together by force.

“You do not get to quit now.”

His eyes opened.

Barely. A sliver of silver between the lids.

“Talia.”

Relief hit so hard I almost laughed. My hand stopped shaking. Just for a second.

“Yeah.”

His gaze moved around the transport, slow, taking in the brackets, the sealed door, the light above it.

“Route?”

“Royal medical.”

His eyes sharpened. He focused on me with an effort I watched him make.

“You did it.”

“We did.”

“No.” He swallowed. It cost him. His throat worked twice before he got the word out. “You.”

I hated how much that mattered. My face gave it away—I felt it happen—so I turned back to the kit and closed it without needing to close it.

The transport jolted.

New warning on the panel above the door. ROYAL SECURITY INTAKE AHEAD

Good.

Good.

Almost there.

Veyr tried to sit up.

I pushed him down, flat-handed, my arm across his chest before he could get his shoulders off the deck.

“No.”

“I need to identify.”

“You need blood inside your body.”

“Both.”

I almost argued. My mouth opened—the words were right there, lined up and ready.

Then I stopped.

He was right. If we arrived as an unidentified hostile asset and a flagged human woman, royal security might shoot first and investigate later.

“Fine.” I didn’t move my arm. “But you are not standing.”