A shudder lifted through him. “The sun went down. Al came.” His eyes met mine, the green of them almost gray in the light. “He saw you brain-dead. He was…upset.”

Guilt went through me. “Oh.” Upset, hell, I’d be willing to bet he was furious and looking for someone to take it out on. Damn, Trent was lucky to be alive.

Trent leaned back, his hands going to cradle his knee as he crossed his legs. “I’d go as far as to say he was very upset,” he said, looking at his hand. “It was my fault, naturally. I was the one who freed Ku’Sox. And because he couldn’t take me to the ever-after, he decided to take me apart and move me there bit by bit.”

“My God,” I whispered, seeing his missing fingers in a new way.

“Vivian tried to stop him—”

Worry pulled my heartbeat into a faster pace. “No…”

“She’s in intensive care,” Trent said, and I eased back into the pillow, not relieved, but not as frightened. “She’ll be okay,” he added, his eyes on the floor, undoubtedly reliving it.

“I’m sorry.”

Trent wiped his face in an unusual show of agitation, and I remembered the feel of his bristles on me. “You were brain-dead. He never noticed the bottle. Bis took you, your soul, and hid it away. As far as Al knows, you are still dead.”

He was looking at my sunburned arms and the band of charmed silver, and I saw it in a new way. Al thought I was dead? “You bested him,” I said, and Trent gave a bark of laughter. It was a bitter, angry sound, and it struck through me cold.

“Bested him?” he said, uncrossing his legs. “We survived. And that was because of Pierce.”

Again fear took me. Trent had said Al thought I was dead. Al was still alive. “Where is Pierce?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

Trent stood, turning to the window. I couldn’t read his tells. I was afraid to. “Pierce knew you were alive in the bottle,” he said softly, the hospital noise coming in faintly. “He also knew that I was the only one who could get you safely out. If I died, you would die.” Trent turned, his head bowed, looking nothing like himself in his wrinkled clothes and with his hair unstyled. “Pierce doesn’t like me much, but he took the blame. Said he was the one who caused your death by his failure to protect you and keep Ku’Sox from taking you into the lines. Al dropped me and took him instead.”

My face lost its expression. Pierce had sacrificed himself. To save me.

Panicked, I sat up, swinging my feet to get out of bed and coming to a frustrated halt. Damn it, I had a catheter. “Where’s my mirror?” I asked, knowing he wouldn’t have it. I started pulling at the silver around my wrist again. “I have to talk to Al.”

Trent’s face was empty of emotion when he turned back to me. “He did it because he loves you. I pity him.”