Chapter 27 I will not let you be corrupted
It was the kiss.
Even now, there were lingering tingles across my lips, and my cheeks burned hot at the memory of his tongue.
But I could not let that happen again.
I tossed the blanket away from me, and swung my legs off the bed.
Two minutes of ungainly movement brought me to the door. I curled my hand around the doorknob, turned and yanked.
“Shadows keep us!” I gasped.
My eyes ran down the length of the hallway. Wide and stunned.
In my pain, I hadn't taken in much when we came here last night. Right now, it felt like I had gone back in time and walked right into the Spanish flu pandemic.
Bodies were everywhere. Every available space turned into a bed.
No one was screaming or retching like earlier, but they lay weak, eyes bleak.
“Miss Grunder?”
I jerked, and spun around.
The nurse stared at me in surprise. “You’re up?”
Still feeling disoriented, I gave her a nod. It seemed whatever happened to Finn and me yesterday, happened to others.
It was not the kiss.
But still, how odd. The coronavirus had been three years ago at this point, and not even then was the hospital packed.
“Glad to see you are better,” the nurse moved forward. “There are perks to being theirs after all.”
She gave me a suggestive wink, and I blinked.
Then I flushed, recognizing her as the nurse who had seen me in the Dragon’s arms last night.
My eyes trailed down the hallway again. How many more people had seen us? Recognized my face?
“If it’s OK, your ward would come in handy to some of them,” she tilted her head towards the sick people around us. “You can wait by the front desk, and I’ll come make arrangements for Dr. D. C to look you over…” Her eyes ran down my body. “Although you look OK to me.”
I moved away from the door with an eager nod.
“Does anywhere hurt?”
“No.”
She smiled and then gave a small bow.
I watched her walk off in the other direction and disappear around a corner, before I turned and headed for the elevator.
But there was a small crowd outside it, waiting.
Without hesitation, I joined the trickle of impatient people who turned for the stairs.
The pack hospital was a mega hospital, and there was technically a pandemic, so it felt like a mall.
The stairs were crowded, people moving up as we went down, groups branching off at every floor landing.
So I was not really paying attention till a fist closed around my arm.
I gasped, startled at the possessiveness as my head jerked back.
“Arthur?”
“Lys.” He inhaled, and yanked me into his arms.
I stood frozen, hands hanging uselessly beside me. Arthur had never hugged me before.
He pulled away, eyes running to my feet, and he chuckled in disbelief.
“You’re standing, Lys.” He was bright-eyed, but his clothes were sitting properly on his body, and there was zero whiff of alcohol in his breath.
He pulled me back into his arms again, and this time I hugged him back. My body relaxed in his arms as Hale's words returned to me.
He’s declared you missing and causing quite the ruckus even in the human side of town.
“Let’s make a stop at the mansion.” He pulled away now, and clutched my wrist tightly. “I will call ahead, so the maids can pack your bags. I’ve been looking at apartments, but I favor this studio that is really close to the academy. You can even walk to your practice every day if you prefer.”
His words were fast. Footsteps faster. And we were halfway down the flight of stairs before I was able to get a word in.
“No.”
I tried to pull my hands free, but his grip tightened like the chains in my dream.
He turned to squint at me in surprise. In his eyes, I saw he had not expected me to speak. Sweet Lys.
“What do you mean…” He took two steps back up. “No?”
I swallowed.
We did not have a close sibling relationship. I could not even look him in the eye, and I knew how nasty his temper could get.
It was best to always keep Arthur Grunder in a good mood.
“You don’t like the idea of living in a studio?” He squinted. “I thought you would prefer something modest after the mansion.” He turned away from me.
“We can look at the other options together. You will stay with me until then.”
He was on the move again. Taking two stairs at him and my body jostled behind him like a doll, my wrist locked in his tight fist.
“I’m not home a lot. But you can manage, right? You can always eat out, or DoorDash.”
“I can walk again.” I braced my body, and planted both feet firmly on the ground. The sudden halt nearly made both of us trip.
Arthur spun around and his eyes flashed.
“I am walking again, Arthur. They did it. They healed me.”
I went quiet because he should understand. There was no need for more words because he was there at the hospital that day.
He nodded now. “Good.”
But he did not let me go, and his grip was starting to hurt.
“That’s their job. California did not take them as gods for nothing.” He was on the move again, pulling me along. “I will make sure to send a good donation to that charity thing they have going on.”
"Stop!" I yelled this time, yanking my hand away from him.
I barely avoided tripping as I stumbled back. “I am theirs now. We had a deal, I cannot go back on it.”
“That’s Mom and Dad’s freaking headache. They made the deal.”
His eyes were furious as he stared up at me.
A couple running past us upstairs with their twin toddlers in their arms, glanced at us, before hurrying past.
“It has nothing to do with you, Lys,” Arthur continued in a lower voice. “I know you feel this misguided loyalty to our parents. But this is their cross to bear.”
“It was me.” I swallowed as he squinted in confusion. “I offered myself, Arthur. Mom and Dad had no idea I left.”
“What did you say?” My brother looked like he was about to pass out, or throw up, or both.
“It’s done, Arthur.” My eyes stung at the look on his face.
Disbelief, hurt, betrayal. He cared.
“I was left with no other choice. I couldn’t live like that.”
“Excuse me,” a nurse said from behind Arthur.
He threw an angry glance backward, and stepped to the side as she ran past us with a silver tray, varying lengths of syringes jiggling on it.
Taking two steps up, he closed the distance between us.
I inhaled nervously when his palm rested on my cheek, and he stared into my eyes.
“Sweet Lys.” He smirked. “Did you hear what I told our parents at the hospital? You’re the only good thing about the Grunders. I will not sit back and let you be corrupted.”
I winced, and he pressed his index finger to his lips.
“Shh. You’ll walk with me, get into my car downstairs and my driver will take you home. Ok?”
I stared at him for a long second, and then I nodded.