smile on his face before he used me for food , before he ripped into my throat, flaying me alive, not to be satisfied until all the skin was stripped from my bones–
“You’re awake.”
I jumped and screamed at the voice, though it came out as more of a strained gasp.
Moira yelped, clutching scissors, thread, and gauze to her chest. Gemma limped in front of her, kneeling down beside me and clasping my hand.
“Whoa, hey, Claire, it’s just us. You’re safe.” Her voice softened, her dark eyes growing concerned. “You’re safe.”
It wasn’t until I heard her tone that I realized I was crying. I sat up on the hard mattress, wincing at the pain in my sides. Mementos from Davin’s boot. I touched the gauze bandage around my neck.
“Looked pretty bad for a while,” Gemma said, getting up from her crouch by the mattress and sitting on a crate next to me. She grunted and favored her right leg, but didn’t wince. “Nash was basically painted red when we got you back to the ports. Moira needed to give you a dozen stitches, but you were out for that part.” Her smile wavered, and didn’t hold. “We’ve been changing the bandages and disinfecting the wound for the last couple days, but we were pretty worried you might not wake up at all.”
She hesitated, then added, “Riley’s been losing his mind, and we’ve had to drag Sawyer out of here a couple times so he wouldn’t get in our way. We’ve told them both to back off and get some rest, but I don’t think they’re listening.” She frowned. “I damn sure know Sawyer isn’t.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. A headache began to build behind my eyes. If they were frantic and running on little to no sleep, I could only imagine what their attitudes to each other were like.
I nodded and muttered my thanks. I meant it, but talking hurt my throat. As if sensing my pain, Moira set aside her medical supplies and reached for the shelf beside her. I squinted to watch her, taking in my surroundings through narrowed eyes. The room was only about ten feet wide and as far across, metal shelves and wooden crates lining the walls. Light glowed from the two lanterns placed near the door. I wasn’t on the Dauntless . I was in a storage room. I wasn’t offended. I doubted anyone on the crew wanted to carry me all the way up the ship’s netting to put me on the ship while I was unconscious.
Moira scurried forward and handed me a small glass of water. I took it gratefully and guzzled as if I just found an oasis in the heart of a burning desert. Unfortunately, it felt like I was swallowing a lump of tar. Once I was finished, I coughed until I was able to properly say, “Thank you.”
Moira smiled at me. “The stitches are secure, though it will take some time before you can remove them. The wound was deep, but no major veins or arteries were broken. Mostly, I think you just needed rest.”
The three of us sat together quietly as I tried to find my voice. There was one thing I had to know if I was ever going to sleep again.
“Is… Did Davin follow us back here?”
Moira flinched. She had never gotten used to the idea of Davin Kendric being alive, and she shuddered whenever we mentioned his name. That was the reason we didn’t tell her Sawyer was Davin’s brother. She didn’t see the family connection, and hopefully, she never would.
Gemma shook her head quickly. “Sawyer set up watches, but we haven’t seen him. Far as we can tell, he was lost in the blizzard.” She sounded like she believed that as much as I did.
I shivered, setting the glass onto the metal shelving unit beside me and pulled the blankets higher around my body. “What happened?” I asked.
Gemma sighed, running a hand through her thick brown hair. Looking at her closely, I could see the bruises on her face and dark rings under her eyes. I was guessing that no one had slept well over the last couple days. Despite what Moira said, I didn’t feel very rested
“You’re awake.”
I jumped and screamed at the voice, though it came out as more of a strained gasp.
Moira yelped, clutching scissors, thread, and gauze to her chest. Gemma limped in front of her, kneeling down beside me and clasping my hand.
“Whoa, hey, Claire, it’s just us. You’re safe.” Her voice softened, her dark eyes growing concerned. “You’re safe.”
It wasn’t until I heard her tone that I realized I was crying. I sat up on the hard mattress, wincing at the pain in my sides. Mementos from Davin’s boot. I touched the gauze bandage around my neck.
“Looked pretty bad for a while,” Gemma said, getting up from her crouch by the mattress and sitting on a crate next to me. She grunted and favored her right leg, but didn’t wince. “Nash was basically painted red when we got you back to the ports. Moira needed to give you a dozen stitches, but you were out for that part.” Her smile wavered, and didn’t hold. “We’ve been changing the bandages and disinfecting the wound for the last couple days, but we were pretty worried you might not wake up at all.”
She hesitated, then added, “Riley’s been losing his mind, and we’ve had to drag Sawyer out of here a couple times so he wouldn’t get in our way. We’ve told them both to back off and get some rest, but I don’t think they’re listening.” She frowned. “I damn sure know Sawyer isn’t.”
I closed my eyes and sighed. A headache began to build behind my eyes. If they were frantic and running on little to no sleep, I could only imagine what their attitudes to each other were like.
I nodded and muttered my thanks. I meant it, but talking hurt my throat. As if sensing my pain, Moira set aside her medical supplies and reached for the shelf beside her. I squinted to watch her, taking in my surroundings through narrowed eyes. The room was only about ten feet wide and as far across, metal shelves and wooden crates lining the walls. Light glowed from the two lanterns placed near the door. I wasn’t on the Dauntless . I was in a storage room. I wasn’t offended. I doubted anyone on the crew wanted to carry me all the way up the ship’s netting to put me on the ship while I was unconscious.
Moira scurried forward and handed me a small glass of water. I took it gratefully and guzzled as if I just found an oasis in the heart of a burning desert. Unfortunately, it felt like I was swallowing a lump of tar. Once I was finished, I coughed until I was able to properly say, “Thank you.”
Moira smiled at me. “The stitches are secure, though it will take some time before you can remove them. The wound was deep, but no major veins or arteries were broken. Mostly, I think you just needed rest.”
The three of us sat together quietly as I tried to find my voice. There was one thing I had to know if I was ever going to sleep again.
“Is… Did Davin follow us back here?”
Moira flinched. She had never gotten used to the idea of Davin Kendric being alive, and she shuddered whenever we mentioned his name. That was the reason we didn’t tell her Sawyer was Davin’s brother. She didn’t see the family connection, and hopefully, she never would.
Gemma shook her head quickly. “Sawyer set up watches, but we haven’t seen him. Far as we can tell, he was lost in the blizzard.” She sounded like she believed that as much as I did.
I shivered, setting the glass onto the metal shelving unit beside me and pulled the blankets higher around my body. “What happened?” I asked.
Gemma sighed, running a hand through her thick brown hair. Looking at her closely, I could see the bruises on her face and dark rings under her eyes. I was guessing that no one had slept well over the last couple days. Despite what Moira said, I didn’t feel very rested
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