Page 130 of Mortal Shift
“I said that… ow loud, didn’t I?” I asked, with a sinking suspicion.
“Feeble humans,” Thessalia said, shaking her head and pushing past me to her brother’s side. Rude.
“If I may, Your Highness?” Sam said with way too much politeness considering how crappy she’d been to him.
“Don’t bother me with such trifles,” she snapped in reply, and then an arm was wrapped around me—Sam’s, I thought. He steered me through the curtains and over to a bed, supporting my weight when my feet didn’t cooperate with the whole walking thing.
“If I might get her a drink, sir?” he asked someone out of my eyeline.
“Yes, yes,” Marin replied irritably. “Get her coherent and off my ward.”
Sam bowed his head and quickly disappeared from my line of sight, returning a moment later and holding a glass of water to my lips.
“Drink,” he urged. “You’ll feel better faster.”
I figured he’d know—he’d done this often enough.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Crap. Speaking out loud again?”
He chuckled. “Yes. But at least you’re speaking more clearly now. You should be able to move soon.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “I’m guessing you don’t all get special treatment like this?”
He shook his head.
“Do I even want to know…?”
“Dragging’s popular,” he said with a shrug of one shoulder.
“Very nonchalant,” I complimented him with a smile, trying to mask my own horror at the thought of vampires dragging endorphin-drunk humans around.
“Yeah, well, I’ve had practice.”
That was something I could believe.
“Why did you do that for me?” he asked, watching me closely.
“Do what?”
“Offer your blood against my debt.”
I grimaced. “It shouldn’t be your debt to pay. I just wish I could wipe the slate clean entirely for you.”
“Impossible,” he said curtly, and then added, “But thanks anyway. That was…kind.”
“Try not to sound quite so surprised.”
“You should be careful. Darkveil isn’t a place for kind people.”
“Er…thanks. I’ll try to bear that in mind.”
“Good.” A flicker of a smile passed over his face. “Wouldn’t want your blood going to waste.”
“You and half the academy,” I muttered with a roll of my eyes.
“Do you think you can walk?”
