Page 91 of Marked

We reached my cabin and walked up the few steps to my door. Ace hesitated and turned to me.

“What now?” I asked.

He leaned against the door frame. He crossed his arms over his chest, and from his smug expression, he was about to say something incredibly infuriating.

“Finally.” Orion spoke from the path behind us. “You guys are back.”

Ace blanked his expression, shifting his focus to Orion with a detached mask.

I shot Nala a glare. “Where’s the warning?”

Nala pinged her ears back and lowered her head.

I reached out and ruffled her fur to let her know I wasn’t serious. “You’re a good girl, the very best girl.” I turned toward the healer. “Hey, Rye.”

From the creases in his clothing and the state of his hair, Orion looked like he’d slept in his hunting gear and rolled out of bed before coming here. His hair stuck up and out in all directions. Dark circles lined the undersides of his eyes and lines creased his cheeks as if he’d fallen asleep on an uneven surface.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I’m fine.” His gaze snagged on Ace, dropping to the wound on his neck. “Did you guys get attacked?”

Ace raised his eyebrows. “In a matter of speaking.”

“Did you want me to heal that for you?” Orion asked, biting out the words like it cost him years of his life to make the offer.

Ace raised his hands to gently trace the line of the scratch. “No. I find I quite like this mark.”

“Your choice.” Orion jerked his chin toward my door. “Let’s go inside. I have some news.”

33

We shuffled into my small cabin, and I shut the door behind us. Nala limped off to the bedroom, and after hanging my bow, I followed. She’d already hopped onto the bed—our bed—by the time I reached the room. I sat on the edge and reached out to pet her. “Leg’s bugging you, huh?”

She chuffed and squirmed over to nuzzle my side with her wet nose. I wrapped my hands around her furry body. “I’m sorry you had to sleep outside with the dampness and cold. You’re the bestest.”

“Emi?” Orion called from down the hall.

“Coming.” I gave Nala a few more pets before leaving her. I shut the door behind me, preventing her from following. She needed to rest. Hopefully, she’d heal some more with time and warmth.

I found Ace and Orion sitting at my small dining table glaring at each other.

“Is everything all right in here?” I asked.

Ace broke the staring match first and let a cocky grin spread across his face. “Of course, Mouse. Onion was just explaining some territorial issues with the forest.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Territorial issues?”

“Just where the boundaries are.” Orion did not meet my gaze. “And it’s Orion.”

“Huh.” I rocked back on my heels. These two were full of shit, but I had no desire to delve into their issues—too tired and too cold. “Do either of you want something to drink?”

“No,” they said in unison.

I pulled out the chair at the end of the table. “Then I guess we better get straight to business. We need to figure out why someone is targeting bonded galeons.”

“Not just why, but how,” Ace added.

“I might have an answer to the how.” Orion licked his lips. “I did a little more testing on the arrow’s poison. It’s immortal magic.”