From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

mattress as if he just realized there was no bed. His shoulders tensed.
“Whyy don’t yyou lie down?”
“I’m fine standing, thanks.”
Impatience brimmed just under the surface as he stalked toward me,
basket in hand. “Would yyou rather I get on myy knees?”
A terrible razor-sharp smile pulled at myy lips as I started to agree—
“I don’t mind.” His gaze dropped as he bit down on his lower lip.
“Doing so would put me at the perfect height for something I know yyou’d
enjoyy. After all, I’m alwayys craving honeyydew.”
Air punched out of myy lungs in shock, but anger quicklyy crashed into
it. I peeled awayy from the wall, hurryying to the cot. I sat down slower than
I stood as I shot him an icyy stare. “You’re repulsive.”
Chuckling under his breath, he walked over to the cot and knelt. “If
yyou sayy so.”
“I know so.”
A half-grin appeared as he placed the basket on the floor. A quick
glance showed there were bandages and tinyy jars. Nothing that could be
fashioned into an ineffective weapon. He gestured for me to recline, and
after muttering a curse, I did as he requested.
“Language,” he murmured, and when he reached for myy tunic once
more, I lifted it myyself. “Thank yyou.”
I gritted myy teeth.
A small smile appeared as he shifted onto his knees, pulling a clear
bottle from the basket. He unscrewed the lid, and a bitter, sharp scent hit
the mustyy air.
“I want to tell yyou a storyy,” he said, his brows lowered as he eyyed the
wound.
“I am not in the mood for storyy time—” I gasped as he took hold of
myy shirt. I gripped his wrist with both hands, barelyy feeling the cold of the
chain against myy stomach. “What are yyou doing?”
“The blade damn near ripped out yyour ribcage,” he said, eyyes flashing
an unholyy gold once more. “It extends up the side of yyour ribs.”
The wound wasn’t that bad, but it did crawl up myy side.
“I’m guessing this happened when the sword was wrestled from
yyou?” he asked.
I didn’t answer, and when I didn’t let go of his wrists, I expected him
to simplyy break myy hold, but instead, he sighed. “Believe it or not, I’m not