"I didn't let him touch me," Adala said, staring directly into Ashlynn's seafoam eyes with the only eye that wasn't swollen shut to make sure her lady understood.
Jocelynn held her tighter. She didn't know what else to do.
When Adala could stand, Jocelynn took the shawl from her own shoulders and wrapped it around her as gently as she could. The wool caught on the open welts, and Adala hissed through her teeth, but she didn't cry out. She pulled it closed at her throat with one trembling hand and nodded.
"I can walk," she said.
She couldn't. Not really. Jocelynn took her weight against her side, and together they stumbled back down the gallery, past the reeking cells and through the guard room. Sir Rain was sitting on his bench again. He watched them go by with a lazy, satisfied look on his face, and didn't lift a finger to help.
"Mind the stairs, my lady," he called after them. "Wouldn't want either of you to fall," he said, placing extra emphasis on the last word.
