▃▃▃ ᴅᴏɴᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ʜᴇʀ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ᴏꜰ ɪɴɴᴏᴄᴇɴᴄᴇ ꜰᴏᴏʟ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱʜᴇ ɪꜱ ꜰᴜʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ʙᴀᴅ-ᴊ ɪʀᴏɴ ᴡᴏʀᴅ
▃▃ ʙᴏᴏᴋ 1 ▃▃ In which the only daughter of Persephone sneaks on a quest to see the world for the first time since she's been at camp. The daughter of wisdom...
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𖥔݁ ˖ ⭑ ‧₊˚ ⋅ જ⁀➴๋࣭⭑๋࣭⭑
The hotel was dark when we reappeared, shadow-travel mist curling around our feet before fading. Elara barely managed to stay upright. I could see it-the way her knees wobbled, the slight tremor in her hands before she clenched them into fists. But she didn't say a word.
She never did.
Adrien groaned and collapsed onto the nearest bed, throwing an arm over his face with a dramatic sigh. "We forgot Fluffernutter."
I frowned. "Seriously?"
Elara blinked at him. "That's what you're worried about?"
Adrien winced as he touched his ribs. "Poor baby bunny," he muttered.
Elara just rolled her eyes and turned away. "I'll get the medkit."
She moved quickly, too quickly, like she was running from something. I caught a glimpse of her arms before she disappeared into the bathroom. Slashes ran up and down her skin-deep, raw, some still seeping blood. Harpy claws had torn her apart, but she hadn't said a word about it. Hadn't even flinched.
I sat by the window, staring at the spot where she'd been.
I should've done something. Fought harder. Been faster. Maybe then she wouldn't have gotten hurt.
The guilt curled in my stomach, twisting like a knife.
By the time Elara returned, her face was blank, unreadable. She didn't acknowledge the blood staining her arms, the way she moved stiffly, like every step hurt. She just dropped the medkit on the bed and glanced at Adrien.
"All right, shirt off," she ordered, kneeling beside him.
Adrien smirked. "You just have to ask, pretty girl."
"Shut up."
Despite his usual bravado, his hands shook slightly as he pulled his shirt over his head. A deep gash ran across his ribs.
Elara frowned. "You're lucky it's not deeper."
"Yeah, yeah. Just work your magic."
She threaded the needle with steady hands, but I saw the way her jaw tightened.
"You're so dramatic," she muttered.
Adrien's smirk twitched, a little forced. "If I die, I want you to know I always-ow, gods, pretty girl-warn me next time!"
"That was me being gentle."
Adrien grumbled, but he didn't move as she worked, her hands precise and practiced. Every few seconds, he twitched, hissing in pain.
I said nothing, but my eyes never left her. The way she focused so intently, like the rest of the world didn't exist. Like she needed to be doing something, anything, to keep from thinking too hard.
