“Stick to the story.” Leoni poked him.
“Right. So Kairoth brought you here, and he was screaming for help. This gut-wrenching scream. Like wow. I’ve only heard that from a few people, and it was because the loves of their lives were about to die.” His eyes rolled up, and he paused. “Or were already dead.”
My heart thumped hard in my chest, the patter drumming in my ears. Kairoth had really done that? I couldn’t imagine the cool, calm, collected god losing control like that. I couldn’t imagine him screaming, and I certainly couldn’t imagine the emotion Driscoll was describing.
“That can’t be right,”I signed.
“No,” Driscoll said. “I’m pretty sure I know what I saw.”
I blinked a few times, staring down at my hands, then up at Leoni and Driscoll, realizing she hadn’t translated my message.
“Did you understand what I just said?”I asked Driscoll.
“Leoni’s been giving me lessons.” He shot me a smile. “You know, we don’t have a whole lot to do here, so I figured I might as well learn. You must get sick of having to get everything translated. Especially by her.” He jabbed a thumb at Leoni. “I mean I get sick of hearing her voice, so you must?—”
Leoni shoved him. “Will you shut up?”
“Hey.” Driscoll pointed at me. “Is that a smile? Like a real, actual smile?”
I lifted my hand to my mouth, realizing it was. These two idiots had made me smile, something I’d done very little of since I lost my brothers so long ago.
“I think this means we’re becoming friends.” Driscoll waggled his brows.
“Don’t stretch it.”
“I think you need to stop knitting these sweaters,” Leoni said with a grimace. “The healer said the chances of you surviving something like that were almost impossible. That we should expect your death any day now. Then you just woke up.”
At that, I straightened.
“It’s a miracle you survived that poison,” she said.
I shook my head vehemently.“I won’t stop.”
“Well, then we have to figure out another way,” Leoni said. “You can’t keep going the way you have. It’s too dangerous for you, and next time, you might not get so lucky.”
Driscoll frowned. “We can brainstorm.” He nudged Leoni. “Maybe there’s a library here where we can research nettle weed and its properties. I mean there could be a medicine or something that counteracts its effects.”
I frowned, Leoni’s words echoing in my mind.Stop knitting these sweaters.The words sounded so familiar. Like someone else had said them.
“We’ll figure it out,” Driscoll said. “It’s what we’re good at. I mean we’re mostly good at figuring stuff out. Sometimes it takes a while. And we make mistakes along the way. Like a lot of mistakes. We also tend to almost die a lot. But we get there eventually.” He patted my hand.
“You’re truly the worst,” Leoni mumbled.
“That was rude.” Driscoll raised his nose. “You’re like the annoying older sister I never had.”
“I’m not older than you,” Leoni said. “I’m more like a little sister.”
Driscoll gave me a look with raised brows. “Her forehead wrinkles tell a different story,” he said out the side of his mouth.
Little sister. I jolted upright. My brothers. I’d seen them. In my dreams? Or a different reality?
“Don’t worry,” Driscoll said. “You have barely any wrinkles.” He peered closer at me. “I actually don’t think you have a single one, which is truly amazing.”
“What’s wrong, Bellamy?” Leoni leaned forward, concern shining bright in her blue eyes.
“I dreamt of my brothers while I was ill.”I stared at both of them.“How long have I been asleep?”
Driscoll stroked his chin. “Three days, I would guess?”
