Page 138 of The Wishing Game

"You are not disgusted by me?" he asks in a quiet voice, his eyes on me, unblinking.

"Why should I be?" I raise a brow. "You're a wonderful fighter, and you saved me." I smile, shrugging.

He stares at me.

One second. Two. I lose count of the seconds that pass as he stares at me, never once blinking. My hand stills on his cheek, and I return his regard, curious as to what got his interest.

Slowly—painfully slow—his lips tug up into a hesitant smile. One that is as precious as it is beautiful because it shows a vulnerability in his gaze that I haven't encountered before.

"You are a very odd human," he remarks in the same low, gravelly voice.

"Haven't we already established that?" I chuckle. "Just as you are a very odd...whatever you are," I shoot back, waiting for him to correct me.

"Warrior. I am just a warrior, Luce." He smiles sadly.

It strikes me that this is the first time he hasn't used his title to signal our societal differences—just as he hasn't once been rude or condescending. Whoisthis Ze?

"We are an odd pair, are we not?" He muses quietly as he places his hand on top of mine, keeping it in place on his cheek.

I blink in surprise, not sure I understand his meaning.

"Ze..."

The rustling of leaves has him on high alert, his eyes regaining the focus from before just in time to pull me to his chest, rotating with me to avert an incoming attack. My heart beats loudly in my chest. I hearhisheart beating loudly, the beat in tandem with mine.

Grabbing his sword, he hurls it at the barely moving man on the ground, severing his head.

"I do not want you to panic," he starts in a tight voice.

I frown.

"What do you mean?"

"I... I might have gotten hit."

"You might?" I gasp, immediately jumping out of his arms. I circle around him and sure enough, there's an arrow sticking out of his back.

But...how? How could he have missed the fact that one of the men wasn't dead yet? Unless... It's my fault. I distracted him. Not only did I disturb his focus by rushing to his side, but he also got hurt protecting me.

"Ze... No... Tell me you're immune or something," I plead in a thick voice. He's not yet blue, so maybe that's a sign? The other man had turned blue within seconds.

"I am not immune, but it is not deadly for me, either. I will be fine shortly," he says as he coughs. "My body needs some time to fight off the venom." Reaching back, he pulls the arrow out of his back and throws it to the ground. A little unsteady on his feet, he walks to the dead man, recovers his sword, and places it in his scabbard.

"What do you need me to do?" I offer immediately.

"We need to find shelter for the night. I cannot protect you in this state and I do not know how much longer I have before..." He pauses as he sees my aghast expression.

"Before?" I probe, already frightened by what he's about to say.

"Before I become incapacitated."

"But... But you said you will be fine," I cry out, tears already coating my lashes.

He smiles a sad, weary smile.

"I hope so."

He wheezes and coughs, and my worry mounts. Knowing time is of the essence, I hurry to his side, wrapping my arm around his waist and trying to give him some support as we move forward.

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