Even though he addressed Malina, his eyes were on Fathom’s face. Watching her, reading her. She knew that he owed her pain. He had promised punishment if she ever repeated what she’d seen, and the evidence was right in front of him. But Malina was there, too, strong next to Fathom’s slight frame, and now she knew the demon’s face. She wouldn’t be alone in this anymore. There was comfort in that knowledge, and she found that the pain in her shoulder was not so bad after all.
But still she did not speak. The others around her were doing plenty of it; that was where she gathered her information. He and the strange female were not together, however similar their intentions may be; she had also somehow acquired a bandbox for a skull and it was obviously putting pressure on her brain. Otherwise she’d make herself scarce. This was not a good situation for her to wander in on.
When he addressed the Iromar female, his focus was still unshifted: he glanced back over to her constantly. He was right. They should go. A shiver slithered along her spine. Fathom felt goaded, teased. Was he offering them an out, or daring her to turn her back? Was she being paranoid? She brushed against Malina’s side, seeking some assurance that she wasn’t going crazy.
The physical presence of her friend wasn’t cutting it. Fathom’s exhausted mind wasn’t sure how to properly react to the things going on around her anymore. Even with the demon’s dangerous eyes on her, the promise of pain flashing from the black hollows, sleep clawed irresistibly at the back of her lids. If she began to fade here, how could he resist? What would the other girl do?
Nope. She’d had enough for one day.
“He’s right,” she interrupted cooly, meeting Malina’s apologetic grin. “We got what we came for, and I’m not much for philosophy anyway. We should go.” Her voice was relatively steady, but the look she shot Malina was sharp, desperate. She wouldn’t leave her, but she couldn’t stay any longer without compromising them. She couldn’t run without compromising them. Maybe Malina could pull rank and get them home.
Something had to give.
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