The Blood of Darkness

Chapter 37

Val

"Go away," I snap at Kye, grabbing his arm even tighter as stabbing pain shoots up my side.

His arms tighten around me as we stumble up the stairway at the small inn. "You're holding me," he says, wincing as my fingers dig into his shoulder.

"You're holding me."

"I am," he confirms. "But you're holding me too."

"That's because I'm bleeding out," I shoot back, rather harshly.

"Do you think I'm not aware of that?"

"You don't seem to be."

A light laugh escapes his lips. "Well, I am. Trust me, Val, I very much am."

"Good to know," I tell him, trying to distract myself from the pain. "Remind me again why you had to choose to rent a room on the second floor?"

"The owner said that there are only three rooms up here, and that none of them are currently in use," he says as we finally reach the landing. We stop in the short hallway as Kye examines the key we were given so we know which room is ours for the night. Well, mine. There's no chance I'm letting Kye stay here, even though he apparently doesn't have to be back at the Pyrrhos until the morning. I doubt the idiot could come with a viable excuse for his absence. In truth, I hate how he, Neve, and Lake are posing as spies. It terrifies me. If General Andras found out their true intentions....I can barely handle the thought. What would he do to them? Especially Kye and Neve, for they are magic-wielders. And Rurikans hate magic-wielders.

"You look like you're thinking about me," Kye notes.

I look up at him, narrowing my eyes as he fits the key into the lock of the room's door. "Why?"

"Because you look unhappy and slightly pissed off."

I can't help but laugh, even as intense pain jolts through my side. I really hate stab wounds. But the way Kye's eyes light up is worth it.

Since when, Val? Since when is that worth it?

I don't know. What am I thinking? This....these feelings....they've gone too far. They have to stop, because they're dangerous. So very dangerous. I hate Kye. I hate him, I hate him, I hate him. It's not too hard to tune out the weak voice in my mind—the voice of my stolen, miraculous humanity—that whispers otherwise

We enter the small room and head straight into the even smaller washroom, where we both pause. "You can go now," I tell Kye after a moment, just as he begins to pull the package of bandages from his cloak.

He frowns. "There's no way I'm leaving you, Val. You can't just stitch yourself up and clean your wound by yourself. Let me help you." Like that's going to happen. "Besides," he continues, "I'm not expected back at the Pyrrhos until the morning."

"Why?" I question, crossing my arms. "What excuse could you possibly have?"

"I told one of my spy friends that I was going to go home with someone from the brothel."

I pause for a second, contemplating my next words. "You still have time to go, you know. I doubt it's much past midnight."

Kye opens his mouth, then promptly closes it, studying me almost incredulously. "Why would I want to do that?"

I shrug. "It would be more entertaining than watching me stitch myself back up."

"You really think I'd do that?" he asks, his frown deepening. When I say nothing, he sighs. "Is it not that obvious? I want to stay with you, Val."