Roxana — Chapter 12

THE NEXT DAY,

I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM FEEDING THE EGG WHEN IT STARTED TO RAIN ALL OF A SUDDEN.

OH!

I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS GOING TO SEE CASSIS LOOKING LIKE THIS.

I DON'T NORMALLY VISIT HIM DURING THIS TIME OF DAY, EITHER.

I'VE BEEN SO DISTRACTED EVER SINCE I FOUND OUT ABOUT DEON.

I SHOULD JUST HEAD BACK TO MY ROOM--

!!!

HEY.

WHY ARE YOU HURT?

WAS IT THE POISON BUTTERFLIES?

DEON...!!!

WHEN DID YOU GET BACK?

WEREN'T YOU AWAY ON A MISSION?

JUST NOW.

I THOUGHT THE LAST EGG HADN'T HATCHED YET...

LET GO OF ME.

I HEARD CASSIS PEDELIAN IS YOUR NEW TOY.

WORD SURE TRAVELS FAST.

YOU'VE NEVER BEEN INTERESTED IN HOUSEHOLD AFFAIRS BEFORE.

IT ONLY ATTRACTED MY ATTENTION BECAUSE IT CONCERNS YOU.

WHAT?

THAT'S STUPID.

I'M STARTING TO REGAIN MY STRENGTH AGAIN.

AS LONG AS I'M CAREFUL ABOUT MY WOUNDS,

I'LL BE BETTER IN NO TIME.

I'LL FINALLY BE OUT OF HERE SOON.

RO--

ROXANA.

I COULD NEVER TELL WHAT HE WAS THINKING.

DEON HAS ALWAYS BEEN...

...COLD AND EMOTIONLESS.

IS THERE ANYONE IN THIS WORLD WHO COULD EVOKE EVEN AN OUNCE OF EMOTION FROM HIM?

IS HE...

...STILL IN THE HALLWAY?

I CAN'T HEAR HIM RIGHT NOW,

BUT WHAT IF HE'S JUST KEEPING QUIET UNTIL I COME OUT OF THIS ROOM?

WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THEN...?

REACH

ROXANA--

CASSIS.

WHEN DID HE GET SO CLOSE TO ME?

OH, NO...

I CAME HERE WITHOUT REALIZING IT.

I'M NOT THINKING STRAIGHT BECAUSE OF DEON.

YOU SHOULD TRY TO STOP THE BLEEDING, FIRST.

THE BLEEDING?

OH, THIS...

THAT DAMNED DEON.

IF I HAD USED THIS HAND TO DRY MYSELF, MY FACE WOULD BE COVERED IN BLOOD BY NOW.

LET ME GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO CLEAN THAT UP.

SHOULD I JUST LEAVE?

I WAS PLANNING TO HEAD BACK TO MY ROOM, ANYWAY.

I KNOW IT'S ONLY MY IMAGINATION,

BUT WHAT IF I LEFT THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW,

THANKS.

I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE JUST YET.

YOU SHOULD PROBABLY SIT DOWN.

I'M FINE.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.

YOU'RE BLEEDING TOO MUCH.

YOU SHOULDN'T GO AROUND LOOKING LIKE THAT.

AND DEON WAS STILL STANDING OUTSIDE?

COME SIT DOWN, AND CLEAN IT UP PROPERLY.

THANKS.

I GUESS HE DOESN’T WANT THE FLOOR TO GET WET.

HM? DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG?

UM...

YOU CAN USE THIS TO COVER YOURSELF UP.

OH.

OKAY, THANKS.

MY DRESS ISN'T EVEN THAT REVEALING. WHAT'S THERE TO COVER?

HE'S SO CUTE.

BY THE WAY, YOU'RE TERRIBLE AT BANDAGING.

I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU HAD EXPERIENCE.

I USUALLY DO A GOOD JOB, BUT THIS TIME IT JUST UNRAVELED FOR SOME REASON.

LET ME HELP.

CASSIS...

...IS BEING UNUSUALLY NICE TODAY.

IT LOOKS LIKE A CUT FROM A BLADE OR SOMETHING.

I SHOULD'VE COVERED IT UP BETTER.

IT'S STRANGE HOW...

...CASSIS IS BEGINNING TO LET HIS GUARD DOWN AROUND ME ALL OF A SUDDEN.

IT'S NOT A SECRET THAT CASSIS CHERISHES HIS FAMILY.

IN THE BOOK, IT'S MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES THAT HE IS ESPECIALLY CLOSE TO HIS SISTER, SYLVIA.

PERHAPS THE REASON HE'S SOFTENED UP A LITTLE BIT...

YOU REMIND ME OF MY BIG BROTHER.

...IS BECAUSE I REMIND HIM OF HER.

THAT'S PRECISELY IT.

I'VE FOUND HIS WEAKNESS.