Chapter Twenty-Four
Unfortunately for me, sleep doesn’t happen right away. I'm on my way up to my room, dreaming of nothing so much as a flat surface—mattress not required—where I can drop into oblivion for a few hours. The bullet graze on my back is a throbbing ache. As much as I'd like to rest, the Thames reek has got to come off before the wound becomes infected.
I head straight back to the bathroom and let the water sluice away the smell. I use one of the spare washcloths to clean the graze as best I can. When I'm finished, I find the spare clothes that Ryland left by the door.
Once clean and dressed, I head to the door to my room. It opens and I'm hauled into it by my wrist so fast that I doubt my feet even touched the threshold. I let out an indelicate eep before I realize it's Dham that's dragged me inside. I let my eyes adjust to the light in the room and see him standing in front of me, eyes locked on my face. Cat is beside him, alternating between looking irritated and relieved.
"You scared the crap out of me!" His hands are holding my upper arms, kind of like he wants to shake me. "Don't ever do that to me again!"
"I think what he's trying to say is that we're glad you made it back." Cat grins at me.
I raise my eyebrows. "We?"
She shrugs as if what she said is no big deal. "What took you so long?"
I look at my bed longingly. All I really want to do is crawl into it before I drop where I stand. "I jumped in the Thames."
"Ew."
"Exactly." I notice Dham staring and look behind me. My shirt is bloodied from the bullet wound. It must have reopened in the shower.
"What happened out there?" His eyes flick back up to mine before returning to the blood staining my shirt.
"It's nothing," I answer, suddenly embarrassed.
"Let me see." His voice is harsh, almost like a raven's caw.
From the look on his face I can see it's better if I don't drag this out with an argument. I turn around and lift up my t-shirt so he and Cat can get a look. I don't bother to turn my head; the effort feels well beyond me. I feel his fingers prod at my tender skin and flinch.
"I need the first aid kit."
"How's it look?" I ask as Cat leaves to get the supplies.
"Nasty graze." Then he sighs and his voice returns to something like normal. "Not too bad though. You were very lucky."
"I know it." I look around. “Did you run into any problems?”
“Not many, thanks to you.” He sighs. “You had them running a merry chase all over town.”
“Good,” I mumble, beginning to nod off on my feet.
Cat returns with a large white box and sets it next to Dham on the floor. I sit down on the bed, grateful to be off of my feet and lean forward to give Dham clear view. As he works, he tells me of his flight from the Inquisition.
"Most of them went after you." He presses something cold and wet against my skin. "I managed to lose mine by getting lost myself." I stiffen as the wound begins to sting. "It took me a couple of hours, but eventually I managed to find my way back here. With the backpack." He sounds proud of himself.
I feel him slather something cool and creamy on the graze and then cover it with gauze and tape. "I thought about trying to find you, but I honestly had no idea where to start looking. And then Ryland ordered everyone to stay put." He lowers my shirt. "How did you wind up in the river?"
I give them the abbreviated version. Dham's face grows darker when I mention Raulston's order, but he keeps quiet. As I'm recounting my adventures, I remember the newspaper article. "They have a picture of you, Dham."
"What? How?" Cat's eyes narrow into angry slits and she looks like she wants to take on the Inquisition all by herself.
"One of the street cameras must have got him." I turn to face him. "Your picture is all over the front page. You're wanted as a terrorist."
"Have you got it with you?" He doesn't sound particularly worried about being the center of a possible manhunt.
I shake my head. "I left it with Ryland downstairs." Quietly I add, "We need to get you out of London as quickly as we can."
Cat nods. "That goes without saying. All of us need to get out of here."
Dham stands up and reaches a hand down to help to my feet. I'm so tired that I take it. "I'll go talk to Ryland, see what our next move is going to be. But you," he points a finger at me, "need to take five. Go get some sleep." He gathers up the first kit and Cat and leaves the room.
Before the door even shuts, I’m asleep.
The Iron Bells Page 29
