“You’re still doing it,” Aros added, walking over to me, grabbing me by the hips and swinging me over his shoulder. “Bye, dweller.”
He strode past Emmy, and the guys started to follow. I pulled my head up, giving Emmy a hopeless look. She waved me away, obviously aware that I couldn’t physically separate myself from them, even if I had wanted to, but there was still a kind of despair written all over her face as she watched me being carried away. I thought about what I would have done in her position, and cringed a little bit. I would have been kicking some sol ass. Attempting. I would have been attempting to kick some sol ass. Maybe she was thinking that this was out of her hands now, that I was out of her hands now. That she couldn’t protect me anymore. Maybe in time, she would be thanking the Abcurses. Probably around the same time as the Abcurses started begging her to take me back under her wing. I was a pain-in-the-ass to look after, and Emmy had big things ahead of her. She had a glamourous dweller career, and an honourable future.
I didn’t have any of that.
I had … well … shit. I was probably going to be a Jeffrey, but I didn’t want to dwell on that. Not right now. Not when Aros’s hand was splayed over the back of my thigh, because if there was anyone who had the power to distract you from unpleasant thoughts, it was the golden, seduction-gifted sol.
“I can walk,” I told him, tapping on his back.
He pulled me back, but his arm tightened across my back before my feet could hit the ground. “Sure you can,” he muttered, his golden eyes falling over my face. “You okay?”
“Sure I am.” I grinned. “I got to fight Pain-Master-One, and I’m pretty sure I almost won. I totally almost won.”
“Not even close.” He laughed. “But I’d give you a participation award, minus a few points for the ball-shot. That was a little unfair, don’t you think?”
“Nah.” I looped my arms around Aros’s neck, cuddling closer and notching my chin against his shoulder.
I really wanted to wrap my legs around him again, but I supposed I had learnt at least half of a lesson last time. I didn’t think they realised how awkward it was for me to just hang like that, with my legs dangling. The others were still walking behind Aros, so I was able to cast my eyes over them now. None of them looked hurt. Or happy. Or angry. Or any emotion really.
“Why did they call you up to the god-box?” I finally asked, my eyes coming to a rest on Coen. I figured he owed me more than the others, on account of making me pass out and everything.
“They didn’t,” Coen grunted. “We called ourselves up.”
“Oh. What for?”
“To find out why the hell they made me fight a dweller.”
“And?”
“Do all dwellers ask this many questions?” Rome muttered.
“And?” I pressed.
“And it was Rau,” Yael answered, sounding bored. “Trying to mess with Coen. Nothing serious. Nothing to worry about.”
“Except that every sol at the academy is going to hate you now,” Siret added.
“Why?” I groaned. It wasn’t actually a question. More like a lament. Why did this shit have to happen to me?
“You can stop asking questions now,” Rome grumbled. “My head hurts and I feel like breaking something.”
“A little questioning never hurt anybody,” I protested half-heartedly. I didn’t actually want to fight with Rome, but there was a stubborn switch inside my mind that seemed to be stuck in the on position.
“Seduction,” Rome snapped. “Do something about her.”
“You could just ask me nicely!” I demanded, as Aros secured his arm more tightly around my back, his free hand coming to rest on my thigh again.
He manoeuvred my leg, drawing it around his waist, allowing me to wrap my legs around him properly. I was a little bit distracted. Especially when his hand gripped my ass to hold me up. Especially when a rush of feeling flooded through me that was far too strong to be anything but magic. I tightened my whole body around him, my head falling into his neck, my teeth sinking into his skin. I was mostly just trying not to whimper or anything pathetic or girly like that, but I suppose I also wanted a little bit of revenge. He stumbled, and then stopped walking, a light groan sounding in my ear.
“Did she just bite you?” Rome’s face was suddenly right in front of mine, his fingers threading into my hair and lifting my head from Aros’s neck.
“Yes,” Aros gritted out.
“She’s like a wild animal,” Rome muttered, his glittering eyes locked onto mine. “Every single time you poke her, she fights back.”
“She can hear you,” I said.
“Give her to me,” Rome demanded. Since he was still staring at me so intensely, I actually thought that he was talking to me.