Carve the Mark (Carve the Mark, #1)

by Veronica Roth

Akos stood and dropped the armor over his head. When he tried to tighten the first strap over his rib cage, he winced, shaking out his hand. The straps were made of the same material as the rest of it, and they were hard to maneuver. I pinched the strap between my fingers, tugging him toward me. My own fingers were already callused. I pulled at the strap, working it back and forth until it was pulled tight around his side. “I didn’t mean to involve you,” Akos said quietly. “Oh, don’t patronize me,” I said tersely. “Manipulating me was a crucial part of your plan. And it’s exactly what I expected.” I finished with the straps, and stepped back. Oh, I thought. He was tall—so tall—and strong and armored, the dark blue skin of the creature he had hunted still rich with color. He looked like a Shotet soldier, like someone I could have wanted, if we had found a way to trust each other. “Fine,” Akos said, again in that quiet voice. “I meant to involve you. But I didn’t expect to feel bad about it.” I felt choked. I didn’t know why. I ignored it. “And now you want me to help you feel less bad, is that it?” I said. Before he could answer, I walked out, bringing the door closed behind me.