Page 9 of The Catacomb King
“She isdying,” I hissed again through my teeth. His face was so close, I could have kissed him. Heat throbbed in my stomach despite myself, from anger or want or sheer suffering, I couldn’t tell. “She moans through the night, Calix, she’s in so much pain.She’s going to die without fresh water. And that’s fine, according to you.”
“I didn’t say —”
“Yes youdid! But that doesn’t mean I have to watch her suffer. The least I can do is give her a damned painkiller. Now let me go before I scratch your face off.”
The threat sailed over Calix’s head. He didn’t release me. He stared into my eyes for a second, his square jaw set, his arms locked around my ribcage. I had spent so long desperate for him to hold me like this, and now I only wanted him to let me go.
Then he said, as though this were the greatest conciliation on earth, “I’ll gather the herbs for you.”
Now I did break free. I whirled away and threw up my hands. “That’s not what I’m asking for. I just want you to —”
I bit my tongue before I could finish the sentence.
Calix said throatily behind me, “You want me to what?”
I want you to love me, I didn’t say.
After a minute of excruciating silence, I turned and looked at him. He was watching me with hollow eyes, his hands dangling at his sides.
Something in my chest softened reluctantly. I wasn’t being fair to him. He was only worried about me.
I still didn’t answer his question.
But I stepped back a pace to let him gather the herbs.
Calix paled a little when I did. He squared his shoulders, though, and faced the underworld.
He stood a long time at the edge of the lush field. I crossed my arms, watching him scan the terrain. What was he looking for? Why didn’t he get a move on? There was the looming, raging mountain. It was late enough that the mountain’s shadow nearly reached Calix’s beautiful face. The stars would be out soon. The unrolling grass beckoned. Deep beneath it were those roilingtunnels full of monsters, but you’d never know it from here. There wasn’t even a cave mouth or a pit.
He looked like he was… cataloguing information.
“Are you looking for the entrance to the underworld?” I asked.
He jumped guiltily.
“You can save your energy. I’ve explored enough for both of us and never found it. Look, this isn’t the library at the diplomats’ college. You don’t have to research anything first. You can just cross. That’s what I do.”
“You do not,” he said. “Not while I’m here.”
“I’d like to see you stop me.”
“I did stop you.”
And then Calix, to my astonishment and fury, turned away from the border.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
“It’s not worth the danger. Like you said, you can’t even see where the godlings come out of the ground. They could be anywhere. I’ll rush-order you painkillers from Corcagia. I’ll pay for it myself, using the stipend the college gave me for my capstone. Okay?”
“Uh,no, not okay. If you won’t gather the herbs, I will.”
Calix seized my wrist. Again, heat bubbled under my skin against his flesh. Gods, I was so weak. I knew I would threaten to cross the border a thousand times if it meant he’d keep touching me like this.
Except, I wasn’t just threatening.
“I said no,” Calix repeated dangerously.
“Oh, fuck off. I told you: They’re not going to kidnap me.”
