Page 148 of Hellbound

“What about the Argent?”

“Yeah, them,” Tori placed her book on the stool beside her. “I would love to tell you about the plan for them in detail when we aren’t in a hospital where someone could walk in on me explaining something extremely illegal. Or you can let Vale tell you himself. If you want to see him. Neither of us are beholden to him now. The Argent don’t have any power here anymore; they can’t summon the Remnant. People like me are safe.”

Marian exhaled slowly.

Thoughts shuffled rapidly in her mind. Of Vale’s final moments with her at Verinne’s home. The memories he’d given her. All of them. There were more in the back of her mind waiting like strips of undeveloped film. But she wasn’t ready for them yet.

But now she had memories of her dad when she once had none.

“Where’s Vale?”

“He’s probably bribing someone to discharge you early,” Tori said with a sigh. “I told him the first thing you see when you wake up drooling in a hospital should not be a monster in a suit brooding over your bed like the grim reaper.”

Marian choked on something that was not quite a laugh and entirely too painful. She hissed through clenched teeth.

Tori patted her hand and smiled sheepishly.

“Paul said to tell you that you’ve earned the location of the secret ice cream fridge. And that your answer was correct. What does that mean?”

“It means we’re all fucking nerds.” Marian sighed. “How’s your mom?”

The traveler drew her lower lip between her teeth. “She’s … she’s doing amazing.”

Tori slowly shook her head, her features suddenly pinched in pain. Springy curls brushed across her brow. Marian’s smile fell as that pain turned to teary-eyed anger.

“Because you know what that asshole did?” She nearly choked on her words as she yelled.

Marian looked on stunned as Tori began to cry in earnest. She had a hunch as to why, but the hunch didn’t explain the mixed signals she was picking up. Feigning ignorance, she shook her head.

“Vale—” Tori sniffed. “Not only found my mom a donor, but he paid for everything. The surgery, the hospital stay, the meds, all of it. He got my mom a new liver, and he didn’t even tell me. I heard it all from my idiot brother.”

Tori broke down sobbing like she’d been holding it in for years. Marian mutely patted the chair beside her, and Tori took the hint to sit down.

“Did you know?” She hiccupped as she sank into the chair.

Don’t lie, don’t lie. “He said I couldn’t tell you.”

Tori made a sound that was both a laugh and a sob. “Figures.”

Several tissues later, she looked at Marian with a wobbly smile and bloodshot eyes.

“Can I try hugging you without pulling out your IV this time?”

Marian’s throat constricted painfully. She didn’t trust herself to speak as emotion welled in her chest. She nodded mutely.

Tori stood up and wrapped her arms around the diver in what was the warmest, gentlest hug of her life.

“I don’t understand that guy at all,” Tori said with a sniffle.

Marian nodded into the traveler’s shoulder.

Neither do I.

Discharge day was the next day—the same day that Vale decided he no longer wanted to wait for Marian’s call informing him she was ready to see him. Fortunately, a nurse had helped her dress in the clothes he’d had delivered; a roomy pair of mid-rise black jeans and a loose red tee that wouldn’t cling uncomfortably to her.

How annoyingly thoughtful.

She felt him before she saw him. It might have been the moment he stepped off the elevator, or perhaps it was how the low rumble of his voice floated through the door when he made some comment to a nurse.