Page 145 of Seven Oars
“Stay here,” he barked before heading out.
Silence fell.
Gro and Eze, scared stiff by Fincros’sudden appearance, moved.
“What’d you do?”
Rosamma rubbed her sore elbow.“Existed.”
“There’s blood on your shirt,” Eze pointed out.
Indeed, there was. A lot of it, but none of it was hers.
Rosamma gave a single sob and started tearing the shirt off. Everything caught up to her. It had happened so fast. There’d been no warning. If Fincros hadn’t happened to hear her scream—had he heard her scream?—someone would be loading her body into the trash chute by the day’s end.
“Gosh, Rosamma. What happened?”
“Massar happened.”
Rosamma told them about the attack.
Eze and Gro were incredulous.“And he killed him? The Striker?”
“Yes. Unless Rix can survive a rod through the head. Which I don’t think they can…”
It was awful. Massar had been a menace, but still. What a terrible end to a wasted life.
Gro and Eze exchanged a grim glance while she finally managed to take the shirt off.
“I have to wash it.”
“Rosamma.”
“What?”
“About the Striker. He killed one of his men for you.”
Rosamma stopped her progress to the bath stall.“I know, Eze.”
“He must value something you have. Like your energy. Does he know about it?”
Was that why he did it?
She clutched her shirt in her hands, standing in only a ribbed tank top. Cold air feathered unpleasantly over her clammy skin.
She wouldn’t look at Eze.
“He knows,” she said softly.
“You’ve given it to him, have you?”
Rosamma frowned.“Once. When he had the heat wave.”
“I knew it! At the Engine Room. It nearly killed you!” Gro was outraged.
“It was an accident,” Rosamma said and finally looked at Gro and Eze.“He didn’t force me, if that’s what you’re wondering. I hadn’t planned on doing it at all, but… I just couldn’t let him die.”
“Why do I feel like it was a mistake?” Eze muttered.
