JJ sat up with a wince and lifted his head, listening to something I couldn't hear. My hands shook and my feet were anxious to drag me far, far away. He didn't seem to be in a rush to get the hell out of there, and I whispered to him again to hurry.
To my confusion, he shook his head. "No need for that, ma chèrie, and all thanks to you. I have enough power to save us from these people's eyes now." JJ beamed at me, but with his burned face the sight was more macabre than anything, and I looked away, feeling both dizzy and queasy now.
I swallowed, forcing my guts to stay where they belonged while JJ stood up. In the next second, I saw his hand, one that looked almost healthy—from what I could see under soot and grime—in front of my face. Gingerly, I accepted it and JJ helped me to get on my feet. My dizziness intensified when the floor flew away from me, and I clutched onto JJ harder, all the while avoiding looking at him directly.
