. you know.”
“Why should I care?” But she wiggled her good arm across her cheeks, halting at the flux of agony in her side. She would rather be dead than face his scorn again. “I wish you had killed me.”
Bellezza went silent. Distant footsteps echoed closer.
“I am sorry, Alexia.”
The door swung open.
Alexia swallowed her sobs and focused on the wall. She wouldn’t look at him. He couldn’t break her. She wouldn’t ogle and wish for anything more than disdain in his countenance.
He sat. His presence alone wielded enough influence to leave her in anguish. She bit the side of her mouth as she waited, flustered by the overpowering draw of his company.
He opened the jar of salve again. From her peripheral vision, she saw him lift her mangled arm. The elbow twisted sickly in the wrong direction—something she hadn’t noticed before. She gasped and looked away, fighting the bile back down.
He sniffed. She glanced at him to find a private, sideways smile.
A stinging began, then the burning. She caught a quick breath and writhed under the agony. Tears burst forth of their own accord, spilling furiously over her face and into the cot. Nothing but white registered behind her lids as they shut. She squeezed the torture away, willing it to dissipate.
A dry cloth touched her face. She opened her eyes. He dabbed her cheeks with a handkerchief, but his frown remained stern as ever, if not the same angry expression of yesterday. And then it started again. The euphoria of his fingers against her arm, the lightning his touch sent up her spine.
She glanced at her elbow, startled at how perfect it felt. The bruising was gone.
He slid a bandage over the appendage, grimacing. He rose and retreated from the room, passing Lester on the way out.
“Finish it, please.”
She wished she hadn’t looked—for it left her pining again over his impossible form and continued coldness.
Lester bound up her elbow, but she didn’t understand why. It felt whole. This after he touched it? He healed her. Or had it been his miracle salve?
“What did he do to me?” she asked. “Is he a doctor?” She refrained from suggesting her next intuition: angel.
Lester laughed.
She shook her head. “Why are you bandaging it? It no longer hurts.”
“Just because it don’t hurt, don’t mean it’s done healing.” He patted her arm. “Rest, Sparrow. You’ll be back on yer feet sooner than you think.”
“And what then?” She blinked up at him.
Lester smiled.
When darkness enveloped them once more, Bellezza piped up. “That must have been some fall. How many ribs do you think you broke?” Her tone absolutely hummed.
“Leave me alone.”
The girl giggled wickedly.
Alexia closed her eyes and wondered how many flights she had tumbled down to the strangulation of her heart. But then, something had happened. She’d experienced the headache, the inability to draw air. It had felt like minutes but couldn’t have been more than a few seconds.
“Would you like to know a secret?” the child hissed excitedly.
“What kind of secret?”
A brief hush lulled. A warm breeze tickled at Alexia’s left ear and she inhaled a hint of nutmeg. “They cannot really keep me here.”
Alexia gasped. The girl’s lips drifted an inch away.
She steadied her heart and worked to calm her breathing. The child’s little hand brushed a stray lock from her face.
“How did you break free?” Alexia asked.
“No cage in the world can hold me.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
Bellezza sniffed. “Waiting.”
“For what?”
No answer.
“I like you, Alexia.” She meant she liked to unnerve her. “You are an intriguing creature, and that is why I am going to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“What you are.”
28
Altered
“You are passionate , Alexia.”
Well yes, but she already knew that.
“You live life more fully than pathetic humans.”
“W-what?”
Bellezza laughed. “We are going
“Why should I care?” But she wiggled her good arm across her cheeks, halting at the flux of agony in her side. She would rather be dead than face his scorn again. “I wish you had killed me.”
Bellezza went silent. Distant footsteps echoed closer.
“I am sorry, Alexia.”
The door swung open.
Alexia swallowed her sobs and focused on the wall. She wouldn’t look at him. He couldn’t break her. She wouldn’t ogle and wish for anything more than disdain in his countenance.
He sat. His presence alone wielded enough influence to leave her in anguish. She bit the side of her mouth as she waited, flustered by the overpowering draw of his company.
He opened the jar of salve again. From her peripheral vision, she saw him lift her mangled arm. The elbow twisted sickly in the wrong direction—something she hadn’t noticed before. She gasped and looked away, fighting the bile back down.
He sniffed. She glanced at him to find a private, sideways smile.
A stinging began, then the burning. She caught a quick breath and writhed under the agony. Tears burst forth of their own accord, spilling furiously over her face and into the cot. Nothing but white registered behind her lids as they shut. She squeezed the torture away, willing it to dissipate.
A dry cloth touched her face. She opened her eyes. He dabbed her cheeks with a handkerchief, but his frown remained stern as ever, if not the same angry expression of yesterday. And then it started again. The euphoria of his fingers against her arm, the lightning his touch sent up her spine.
She glanced at her elbow, startled at how perfect it felt. The bruising was gone.
He slid a bandage over the appendage, grimacing. He rose and retreated from the room, passing Lester on the way out.
“Finish it, please.”
She wished she hadn’t looked—for it left her pining again over his impossible form and continued coldness.
Lester bound up her elbow, but she didn’t understand why. It felt whole. This after he touched it? He healed her. Or had it been his miracle salve?
“What did he do to me?” she asked. “Is he a doctor?” She refrained from suggesting her next intuition: angel.
Lester laughed.
She shook her head. “Why are you bandaging it? It no longer hurts.”
“Just because it don’t hurt, don’t mean it’s done healing.” He patted her arm. “Rest, Sparrow. You’ll be back on yer feet sooner than you think.”
“And what then?” She blinked up at him.
Lester smiled.
When darkness enveloped them once more, Bellezza piped up. “That must have been some fall. How many ribs do you think you broke?” Her tone absolutely hummed.
“Leave me alone.”
The girl giggled wickedly.
Alexia closed her eyes and wondered how many flights she had tumbled down to the strangulation of her heart. But then, something had happened. She’d experienced the headache, the inability to draw air. It had felt like minutes but couldn’t have been more than a few seconds.
“Would you like to know a secret?” the child hissed excitedly.
“What kind of secret?”
A brief hush lulled. A warm breeze tickled at Alexia’s left ear and she inhaled a hint of nutmeg. “They cannot really keep me here.”
Alexia gasped. The girl’s lips drifted an inch away.
She steadied her heart and worked to calm her breathing. The child’s little hand brushed a stray lock from her face.
“How did you break free?” Alexia asked.
“No cage in the world can hold me.”
“Then what are you doing here?”
Bellezza sniffed. “Waiting.”
“For what?”
No answer.
“I like you, Alexia.” She meant she liked to unnerve her. “You are an intriguing creature, and that is why I am going to tell you.”
“Tell me what?”
“What you are.”
28
Altered
“You are passionate , Alexia.”
Well yes, but she already knew that.
“You live life more fully than pathetic humans.”
“W-what?”
Bellezza laughed. “We are going
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