Free Discovery at Nerwolix by C.G. Coppola

and with my face pressed
against his chest now, it’s hard to see anything. Or anyone. But I
don’t want to see them. Not right now. Not looking like this—with
talon marks still freshly etched into my skin. Maybe tomorrow I can
face them, face Pratt and Mae, but definitely not now.
    We pass a red curtain and a soft, golden
light emits from over Reid’s shoulders, painting the wooden walls
in a warm glow. He sets me down on the bed but comes with me, my
arms still wrapped around his neck. Gently releasing himself, he
pulls back long enough to cross the room.
    “You’re going?” It sounds whiney—terrified
even—but I can’t stand the thought of him leaving me.
    “No,” he shakes his head, his soft voice
reassuring. “I told you, I’m not leaving until you ask me. I’m just
getting a knife to get that,” he gestures to my bound wrists.
    I let out a relieved sigh, leaning back into
the red cushions.
    Reid returns and, sitting on the bed next to
me, he gently places my hands in his lap. Carefully sliding his
blade between the folds of the rope, he pulls it clean and the
restraint falls off. Wincing in response to my red wrists, the same
fury pours off of Reid as a hard lump rolls down his throat.
    “Thank you,” I whisper.
    Picking up each hand, he softly brushes his
lips against the sore skin, closing his eyes as he moves his mouth
the full rotation. “How does that feel?”
    “B-better,” I stammer, heat uncoiling in the
pit of my belly.
    “I’m so sorry,” he whispers.
    “Why? You came back for me.”
    “You shouldn’t have been taken in the first
place. When I saw you weren’t…” he shakes his head, a long, silent
moment passing. “I demanded we go back immediately. I nearly
attacked Sampson, made him take me back—” he’s cut off by the red
curtain flapping open.
    Sampson, Clarence, Jothkore and Blovid are
here, all in their human form. They glance fleetingly at our
positions, Clarence carrying a small bowl in his hand as he sits by
my side.
    “Sampson made some more Vilbrees from the
Tregmint,” he softly cradles my chin. “Let me see your face.”
    “Fallon, dear,” Blovid shakes his head. “I
am so sorry.”
    “Thank goodness we got you out alive,”
Jothkore says. He takes a small step forward, a worrisome frown
etched into his smooth white skin. “When they called me—”
    “Yeah,” I glance between all the Dofinikes
with confusion. “How did that happen? Where have you been?”
    I haven’t seen Jothkore since Harrizel,
since we overtook the Castle prior to the Vermix returning. He had
been our ‘inside’ man, posing as a guard but feeding information to
Sampson and supplying the Rogues when he could. And when the time
came to revolt, he secured Jeb and Ergiloff so we’d be able to
access the weapons and defeat the rest of the guards. Jothkore was
a crucial part in the takeover. But he disappeared after we
liberated our memories, and according to Sampson, he was off
handling some request for him.
    It was a shock seeing Jothkore on Larupip.
When Reid said his name, I didn’t place it at first. There was too
much going on—too many Traxpire blasts and Dofinikes scrambling up
the walls to question his sudden reappearance. We just had to get
out of there. Fast. But now that we’re here, I’m curious why I
haven’t questioned his whereabouts.
    “Jothkore was with King Thias in the
northern region on my request,” Sampson explains. “We knew we
needed additional assistance to reclaim you. It wasn’t smart to
bring Blovid, although he eagerly volunteered. Repeatedly.”
    “She is too important to be left in the
Vermix’s hands,” Blovid says.
    “And so are you.”
    A cooling sensation runs the course of my
cheek, instant relief flooding me. I turn to watch Clarence dip his
fingers into the bowl again, smoothing the mixture down my jaw.
“Feel good?”
    I nod.
    “Looks like he got you pretty good,” he
winces, trying to fight off a frown. “What uh…what