I SIT ON my bed, where I’ve been ever since dinner, trying to read by candlelight, except the words swim in front of my eyes and I can’t make sense of them. But sleeping is out of the question. Every time I close my eyes, I see Ash’s blood dripping on my lap and Charles taking his last breath.

“So Layla’s got you studying deception and sparring, huh?” Ash asks, and I jump.

He comes into my room and closes the door behind him. I quickly put the book down on my nightstand and move my legs so that he has room to sit. His arm is all bandaged up, but he seems in good spirits.

Ash lowers himself onto my bed and grins. “Your mouth is hanging open.”

I can’t help it, I lean forward and throw my arms around his neck in a hug. For just a second, he tenses. Then he relaxes and puts his arms around my back. He holds me carefully, like this is the first time in years that someone’s hugged him. Maybe it is.

“Thank you,” I say into his neck. “Thank you so much. I should have said something right away. I just didn’t know how to process what you did.” I give him a squeeze and let go. “All day I’ve been thinking about how to repay you.”

“It was no problem,” he says quickly, formally, like he’s not sure what to do with my outpouring of emotion.

“Ash, you took a knife through the arm for me,” I say. “It’s a big deal. I can’t even tell you how…I would be dead if you hadn’t been there.”

He looks more uncomfortable. “Need help?” He nods at my book, changing the subject. “Eighty percent of fighting is being able to predict which way and when someone will move or attack. Twenty percent is knowing how to combat that move effectively.”

“Wait, hold on,” I say. “I mean, yes, I do want your help. But what the heck was that chaos today? Layla’s barely talked to me since.”

“Well, Layla goes quiet when she’s thinking,” he says, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s reconsidering her friendship with me after what happened in the dining hall.

“Blackwood didn’t even explain how she knew Charles was guilty,” I say, and the image of the arrow hitting him replays in my thoughts, making me shudder.