Page 39 (1/2)

Cactus swung the door open

Ash didn’t move "You first"

The implication was clear and Cactus was no dumbass to er"

"Still, you go first" Ash didn’t put me down, nor did he step forward I squirmed

"I trust him, Ash"

"I don’t I remember him too, and I clearly remember the queen stole his memories We don’t knohat she put there instead" Ash’s honey eyes met mine "She said she would have use for hih me, and I turned my head to see the confusion written clearly on Cactus’s face His eyes drawn, a furrow in his brow, lips down turned "What are you two talking about?"

"Cactus," I said "Please, go in first"

His eyes widened, hurt hovering at the edges "You don’t trust htened and I shook my head "I don’t trust Cassava"

He frowned hard at o in"

He shrugged and stepped through the doorway,under his breath "Fine Crazy earth brats"

He disappeared into the shadows of the room and then called out "Satisfied?"

Neither of us answered Ash stepped forward through the gilt edged doorway The darkness was an aspect of the doorway, as we stepped through, the room lit up as if ten thousand candles had been set out I blinked, ht after the dim corridors

Around us was a room not unlike our own healers’ rooms in our own barracks Well lit, clean, beds laid out in rows Shelves of bottles and fresh wrappings The scent of herbs cleared the air of all aspects of sulfur If I were stuck in the Pit, I wouldn’t wander far from the healers’ rooms

The only difference between here and the rooms back in the forest was here, the beds were empty

A healer, his top white, his pants jet black, strode toward us "Put her on a bed"

Ash did as told, setting me on the bed closest to us

"My naave me a soft smile as he prodded my knee