How to Make a Sinner Sleep

92 | bound; a curse replaced

"It's going to be fine, Pres." said Niklas calmly, seated at a small table in an empty classroom. It was lunch time, but Nicola wasn't free at any other time. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course, Niklas. But his appearance, it's gaunt and pale—this is the same thing that—"

"It'll be fine." repeated the man, although it almost seemed to be a reassurance to himself. "Don't worry yourself to illness."

"Well, it can't be helped. Considering everything."

"Exactly, it's him so—"

Before he could finish speaking, the door burst open. A frazzled girl with her hair separated into messy braids gasped, her bright eyes wide. "There you are! I knew you were having a meeting, but I couldn't find you anywhere!"

Nicola stood up. "Holly? What's the matter?"

"It's Kaden!" huffed the woman in a panic. "He's in the infirmary—he collapsed!"

The chairs scraped loudly against the ground as Niklas stood up abruptly, and Nicola's expression froze. "Collapsed?" repeated Nicola. "What do you mean collapsed? Who found him? Where was he? Is he awake?"

"Pres, breathe." said Niklas slowly, pushing his chair into the table. "We'll head over to him now. Let's go."

Holy sniffed. "It was his brother—Skye that found him lying in the gardens. Nobody knows how long he was there, but his body was cold—it was awful. That boy created such havoc running down the halls with Kaden's limp body!"

The three scurried out of the room as Holly continued to explain what had happened.

"Where's Noah?" wondered the flaxen-haired man, frowning.

"He's already there." Holly chewed the tip of her pen that she'd been fiddling with as they walked. "He was discussing something with one of his classmates when Skye rushed past. It's—his expression. I'd never seen it like that before."

"Like what?"

"Murderous."

Niklas' eye twitched and he picked up his pace. "If anything dire happened to Kaden, then that may very well become true."

Further away, Kaden's eyes slowly blinked open. He tried to move, but his hand was captured firmly in a tight vice. For a second, panic flared in his body and his skin broke out in cold sweat, jerking.

Then, the hand squeezed, tapping thrice with a single finger quietly.

Kaden gasped, stilling. He turned his heavy head sideways.

Noah's head was bent low, hardly moving though Kaden was certain that the dragon was listening. "Chauvet, what can I do for you? Tell me what I can do, and I'll do it. Whatever it is."

Kaden's gaze softened and he squeezed his hand back. He felt like he was swimming in his own limbs, trapped in the thin blankets draped over him. An ache remained in the back of his head, and delusions crept in the corners of his vision.

"...snacks..." he replied weakly.

Noah huffed with slight amusement, finally lifting his conflicted gaze. "Alright." He said after a second, standing. After depositing a restless cat onto Kaden's chest, he turned to the door. "I'll return quickly."

"I expect you to take no more than five minutes." smiled Kaden faintly.

"Done." agreed the dragon.

A minute later, the door opened again and Kaden's eyes brightened—only to dim upon seeing the visitor. Lux leaned against the door, raising an eyebrow.