With Cassian gone, Curzio leaned over Hermi. His face was a map of worry and unsaid things, his lip caught between his teeth. He had looked that way since they left the fortress, and Hermi felt the sudden need to ease his mind.
"Don't worry, Curzio. I... won't die."
Curzio looked troubled all the same, but he seemed to understand that she could no longer spare the energy for long explanations.
"Just rest, please, Your Majesty. Let me help you closer to the fire."
Hermi's gaze softened as she leaned into Curzio's steadying hold. She let him guide her toward the hearth, the warmth of the flames a welcome contrast to the growing chill in her limbs. As he adjusted the furs around her, her eyes drifted to the edge of his jaw, where the angry red marks of the Ash Beetle's spray had finally begun to fade into mottled pink.
