We had taken no more than three steps, when from behind us, Simon called, "Kes, wait!" Shaken with surprise, I turned, and there he was, exactly as I remembered him, though it seemed so long ago now. His shirt was half-buttoned to allow for a bandage wrapped around his middle, and his dark hair was a little longer than before and tousled from wherever he'd been sitting before I came. His brown eyes were focused entirely on me. My stomach knotted, and I had no idea what to say or do, so I just stared. At some point, Joth leaned over to me and whispered, "I'll give you some distance, but I can't let you be alone with any of these people." That shook me into action. "I can take care of myself." "Nevertheless, I'll stay." Joth backed farther down the corridor, though he'd still be able to see and hear us, so I didn't understand the point of him having moved away. Simon stepped closer, casting an occasional glare of irritation in Joth's direction. Finally, his focus resettled on me, which was horrible, for now it was obvious that he had no idea what to say or do either. Did he still love me? I wondered. Did I still love him? Had I ever truly loved him? My heart seemed to think so. It was racing wildly. I stretched out a hand toward Simon's bandages. "I can help with that." He angled away from me. "Thanks, but no." "If Loelle were here, you'd let her help." "At one time, I might have. But her magic is . . . different from yours." "You think if I use any magic on you that it'll corrupt you too?" He continued staring at me, though the expression in his eyes saddened. Yes, that was exactly what he thought. Excerpted from The Warrior's Curse (the Traitor's Game, Book 3) by Jennifer A. Nielsen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.