Page 25 of Wicked Thirst
“Do what you will.” Atlas laid his head back and closed his eyes. “This is her fault. She best contribute in some way.”
“My fault, huh?” I marched up to the table and grinned down at him. I pressed my forearm across his chest, pinning him down. When he tried to sit up, I easily pinned him there. I smirked down at him and gripped one of the metal pieces. “Ready, doc? On three . . . one . . .”
I yanked it from Atlas’ side, and he let go of a deep grunt. He sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth and his nostrils flared. The tattoos on his body rippled as fine red mist seeped from him. He spoke through gritted teeth. “You said three.”
“I lied.” I dropped the piece on the tray on top of the pieces of his shirt.
“I always knew you were a cruel woman.” His breath came in panting heaves as his muscles tensed.
The doctor pressed a gauze pad over the deep wound and held it there. “Even immortals take a moment to heal from wounds such as these.”
“I haven’t got a moment,” he snapped.
I reached for the other shard and yanked it. It didn’t budge an inch. It stuck to a bone, and a growl erupted from Atlas as he tried to shove me from holding him down. “Bloody hell, woman. Have you no manners? A warning is required for such things.”
“Then I require a warning next time you . . .” I glanced at the doctor and chose my next words carefully, “. . . hunt in such a way.”
I couldn’t tell him I deserved to know how he planned on hunting down Grayson and whether or not he was going to try to kill him. Because from where I was standing, that was exactly what happened. And I couldn’t let him kill Grayson, not now, not when we’d found our love and lost it only moments later. I held the metal shard even tighter, and it started to cut into my hand.
“I only answer to the crown, and you are not it.” The breath hissed through his teeth. “No dea?—”
I yanked even harder this time. The metal came loose from his rib and slid from his skin. A bellow ripped from Atlas’ throat, and his back arched in pain. Doctor Stanbourn leapt on top of him, trying to put pressure on the wound, but blood spilled from the opening. I dropped the piece onto the tray and noticed a tiny chunk of bone stuck to the end of it. I tried not to gag and nearly failed.
Atlas growled in my direction. “Don’t you dare get sick over this. I’m the one on a sodding table.”
I shoved my arm down and he slammed back into the table with a loud thunk. “Sit still so the man can work.”
“In case it’s escaped your attention, this bloody well hurts.” Yet he let his body slump there, forcing his muscles to go limp while the doctor worked.
“I seem to recall pain meds were an option and you refused,” I snapped back at him.
“Now that it’s out, we no longer have need of you. Do we, doc?”
The doctor glanced from him to me and back again. He grabbed a thick bandage off the tray and pressed it to the wound. Blood seeped through, nearly soaking it instantly. “She’s been of assistance.”
Atlas glared at me. “Leave!”
“No!” I raised my voice to match his.
“NOW!”
“What the devil is going on in here?” King Titus boomed as he walked into the room. The doctor’s eyes went round for a movement as he stared at the King who seemed to take up the whole room.
“I no longer need her assistance, Your Majesty.” Atlas lowered his voice to a respectable volume.
The doctor handed me another gauze pack, and I pressed it to the wound. “And I respectfully decline his dismissal.”
He hung his head, then gave it a shake. “You’re fighting like petulant children on this night. Of all nights? The castle has been attacked, half the Blood Borns have been poisoned, half the Night Spawn have betrayed us, most of them are in our dungeons as we speak, and to top it all off, Grayson . . .”
He let his words trail off when Doctor Stanbourn began to stare at him. Titus waved his hand at him. “Leave us.”
Without a word, the doctor handed me another pad to hold to the other wound in Atlas’ side. I pressed and held it as tight as I could. Atlas flinched. “Not so hard. You’re like a snake squeezing the life out of me. I don’t fancy cracked ribs on top of this.”
“You should be so lucky.” I loosened my hold.
Titus gave a heavy sigh and lowered his voice to a deep whisper. “What of Grayson?”
“He is lost,” Atlas said before I could even take a breath.
