Page 25 of Rule

“What are you doing to my child?” Bran’svoice was low but the anger in it made fear flood my entire body.

Adrenaline kicked in, dulling the painenough for me to scramble out of the bed like I’d been bitten by a poisonoussnake. The punishment would be severe, he’d said. In the state I was in, ifhe punched me now, I was dead. I had to try and explain before he punished me.

“Whee,” Bella said as she tumbled off mylap and onto the bed. She sat up, giggling wildly, as I backed away from thetwo angry Draax.

I held my hands out. The room was spinningout of control and there was a strange ringing in my ears. “Please,” I raspedout. “I didn’t touch her. I swear I didn’t touch her. She came into my room andI was sleeping and I…”

The Draax were starting to go burry. I blinkedrapidly trying to bring them into focus, but the spinning of the room wasgrowing worse and my legs were folding under me. The adrenaline had faded,leaving the worse pain of my life. I couldn’t catch my breath, I couldn’tthink, I couldn’t feel anything but the horrendous burning agony of my side andlower back.

Blackness was edging around me, the Draaxwere being swallowed by it, and I took a stumbling, staggering step forward.

“Please don’t hurt me. Please…”

Darkness descended.

* * *

Bran

Court was quicker than me. He shot forwardand caught the human, his tail lashing around her waist, before she could land face-firston the hard floor. He sank to his butt on the floor, cradling the human in hislap as I crouched beside him.

Heat was radiating from her. Her cheekswere bright red, and the skin under her eyes was a dark purple. The rest ofher face, including her lips, was as white as a maluken in the cold months.

“Bran, she is burning up,” Court said.

I pressed my hand against her forehead,wincing at the heat. It was like pressing my hand against the engine casing ofour deocatcraft. I studied the bruise on her shoulder. It was large and adeep, dark purple that made me hurt just to look at it.

“What happened to her shoulder?” I asked.

Court shrugged. “How would I know?”

“Ouchy, Papa.”

Bella had joined us, and I gave her adistracted nod. “I know, meena. Her shoulder hurts.”

“No, Papa. Look.”

Bella was pointing at the human’s side. Hertank top had risen and something that felt a little like horror washed overme. “Court, sit her up.”

He sat her up. Her head lolled on her neckbefore falling forward into Court’s throat, her body limp against his. I liftedher shirt a little higher, as Court craned to see.

“Krono.” He sounded as horrified as I felt.“Her side, Bran. How is she even still standing?”

“She is not,” I said. “It is not just her sideeither.”

I tugged her shirt higher until it was justbelow her breasts and studied her lower back. Dark and malignant bruising coveredher lower back and her flesh was swollen.

“What in Krono’s name happened to her?”Court said.

I studied the bruise on her side, the shapeof it making anger rise inside of me. “Someone did this to her.”

“How do you know?” Court said.

I pointed to the footprint-shaped bruise. Courtstared at it for a long time before glancing up at me, his skin dark with anger.“She is so fragile. Who would beat her like this?”

“I do not know,” I said. “But she needs gallberryjuice. She is burning up with fever.”

“Papa, what are these?” Bella tugged on myarm with her tail.

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