Chapter Seven
“It’s time, June,”Adam said when I walked into the bedroom with his breakfast two days later.
“Time for what?” I asked, feigning ignorance.
Thanks to Cassie and Tor’s support, we’d managed to keep Adam in bed where he belonged. That didn’t mean he’d stopped pestering me about moving to Tolerance.
I made myself comfortable on the bed beside him and handed him his plate.
“FYI, Tor is not a fan of mushrooms. But he swallowed them down like a champ because they were in the meal I cooked.”
Adam glanced at his scrambled eggs and sighed.
“Distracting me with a topic change isn’t going to work. Did Tor tell you that I walked to the bathroom this morning?”
“He did. He also said it looked very painful.”
“Of course it’s painful. It’s going to be painful for weeks if not months. That’s why it’s time. When I almost collapsed and Tor caught me, it didn’t hurt more than my damn leg. He can carry me now.”
“Why are you so stuck on this?” I asked without rancor. “Tor and Brog are here day and night. No one has tried anything. We’re fine.”
“Brog told me someone spit on him on his way in last night. One of the guards on the wall. Do you know what Brog did? He apologized to the woman and offered her a bag of chips. We’re not being fair to Tor and Brog, June. It’s time to go. I’ll be fine.”
Guilt hit me hard. Brog was so quiet and sweet. That anyone would want to spit at him angered me.
“Fine. I’ll talk to Tor.”
Adam gave me a tight, sad smile and picked up his fork as I left the room. Downstairs, both Tor and Brog warily watched my approach.
“Why didn’t you tell me that people were being rude?”
“They are always rude, June,” Tor said.
He was right. I’d seen and heard enough since coming here to understand the spitting last night wasn’t a one-time only or new incident. It’d been happening since long before the fey helped create this town for these people. And the people here didn’t like that two fey were staying in their no-fey-allowed town.
“Is Adam right?” I asked. “Is it time to move him? He has maybe three more days of Oxy left before he runs out. Maybe it is better to move him while he still has something to help with the pain for a few days afterward. What do you think?”
Tor considered me for a long moment.
“He will rest more comfortably when he knows you are truly safe.”
“Will there be a place for us to stay?”
“You will live with me. Mya approved it.”
“All right then. I’ll pack up. You two should see if there’s a way to carry him so his leg isn’t jostled.”
It took a bit of time and some consulting with Matt to come up with a stretcher for Adam. Adam didn’t care how he was carried. He just wanted to get to Tolerance as soon as possible. However, he adamantly voiced his dislike that I was being left behind with the supplies while Tor and Brog transported him first.
“I’ll be fine. The supplies and I will be with Matt.”
“Yeah, he did a great job protecting you the first time. You were held down against your will and gagged to keep you silent while they forced you to listen to my beating.” His gaze shifted to Tor. “Does that sound like protection to you?”
Tor’s gaze swung to Matt. After the last few days we’d spent together, I knew him well enough to see the new tension in his shoulders.
“Adam, that’s the medicine talking. Tor, I’m not the least bit worried. The people here are cowards. They’re afraid of the infected, and they’re afraid of the fey. They would never dream of doing anything in daylight that would result in being kicked out of here. Or worse, give the fey a real reason to come after them. Trust me. Please.”
“I do trust you. I don’t trust the people here.” His gaze stayed locked with Matt’s in heavy implication.