The Darkness Beyond the Stars

Chapter Twelve: Trying to make it work but nope

By the time I got back to the cabin hours later, the stars were out. I stood on the porch, and gritted my teeth. Firelight danced through the windows, but not in a welcoming way.

I turned away.

The door creaked.

I turned back around, trying not to look guilty.

Raön was silhouetted against the light from the flames, and his face hidden. I took a step towards him, and he moved out of the doorway.

I walked past him, and stood by the fire. The door creaked shut, but I didn't turn around. A hand touched my shoulder.

"Please sit."

I raised my brows. There was no anger in those words. I sat down, Raön opposite me. I eyed him suspiciously.

"Your feet!" He knelt, and reached out a hand.

I looked down, and saw blood, and my eyes widened. "That's interesting."

He grabbed a cloth from the table, and a bowl of water. He dipped the cloth in the bowl, then held out a hand. I held out my foot, watching him.

He held my foot, and carefully ran the wet cloth over it.

I shuddered a little, feeling it run over torn skin. Tiny pinpricks burst to life over my foot. "Ow." I muttered.

He glanced up. "How is your arm?"

I sucked in a breath. "My arm?"

"The snakebite." He took a dry cloth, and wrapped it around my foot, tying it off.

I held out my other foot. "I think it's fine."

He washed my foot, then wrapped it like the other one. "Let me see."

I held out my arm, and he leaned closer. His fingers were cold as he undid the bandage. I cringed a little at the sight of the two slashes on my forearm. I looked up, and realized he was only inches away. He met my eyes, for a moment, only a moment. But that searing blue...

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

"For what?"

I closed my eyes. "For...how horrible I've been." I felt him run his hand over my scars, barely brushing my skin.

"I forgive you. And I'm sorry too. For yelling."

I opened my eyes, and he was watching me, blue eyes steady, face inches from mine.

Suddenly I had to change the subject. "Um. Why do I have these?" I rubbed the scars.

He leaned back, and his mouth curved in a smile. "Oh. I cut you, then sucked out the venom. Most of it at least."

My mouth dropped open. "You...With your mouth?"

"Yes." He wrinkled his forehead. "What?"

"Um. Why didn't it kill you?"

"I spit it out."

I shook my head. "You are crazy."

"You were dying."

My tongue suddenly felt like lead. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't, so I just sat there and gazed at him. The heat of the fire wrapped around me, and for once, the ice deep inside me was gone.

He stood, and walked to the door, opening it. Cool air flowed over me.

"Why?" I said.

He stopped, the light making him a fiery figure against the dark blue night.

"Why are you caring for me? My feet, the snake, any of this?"

The silence was heavy, crushing the air from my lungs.

"Why wouldn't I?"

The air rushed into my lungs, and tears pricked my eyes like tiny needles. "Because...You owe me nothing."

"Do I have to owe you?"

Why would he do all this, just for me? He didn't have to help me, he didn't have to be kind to me, he didn't even have to be around me. "I don't understand." I rubbed my eyes. "Why are you doing all this?"

His eyes glimmered pale in the firelight. "You truly don't understand, do you?" He walked out the door.

.......

Once the light died down from inside the cabin, Raön left the stable, where he had been grooming his horse, and went quietly back inside.

The fire was down to glowing embers as he put a blanket down outside the bedroom door, and laid down, his back against the door. The glow from the fire danced before his eyes. Many thoughts pushed to be heard behind those blue eyes, and he let them run their course. Lilya, wishing he could understand her, longing for home, wondering how to protect someone who doesn't want to be protected... Why was he doing all this anyway? His family...all the plans...they weren't going as they had said they would. 

The red light colored his thoughts, coloring his world. His eyelids drooped.

.......

His eyes opened. Blackness covered the room. A breeze whispered over his face. Why was he awake?

Creak.

Raön froze.

Across the room, a shadow moved. Slowly, steadily.

Raön edged his hand under his shirt until his fingertips met a warm leather handle. He wrapped his hand around the knife.

No one should be in this room. There were guards all around the cabin, hidden. No one was supposed to enter the cabin.

The shadow crept closer to him. Like a flash of silver, a weak moonbeam bounced off the long tip of a dart in the shadow's hand. The dart disappeared, and he saw the hands move up to its shadowed face.

The shadow took a step closer, and Raön made his move.

He leapt up, but the blanket caught in his legs, throwing him off balance. The shadow leapt back. He reached out and blindly grabbed at the long tube he knew was there. He missed, and there was a hiss of air. Something pricked his chest.

He swung the knife, catching on something. The shadow gasped, and took a step back.

The room tilted oddly. Raön looked down. A dark feather stood out like blood against his white shirt. He lunged at the shadow again, but his feet felt like he was moving through water. He stumbled, and then he was staring at the blackness above.

Someone moved past him, and the door to the bedroom opened. He reached out, and his hand brushed cloth, but his fingers refused to close on it.

The room spun. He closed his eyes to block it.

No! He had to get up.

He rolled onto his stomach and pushed at the floor. The floor wouldn't move.

Something brushed his side.

Then something slammed into the back of his head.