Salvage ~ V1: Nuts and Bolts (Steampunk/ Gaslamp Romantasy ~ F/M, M/M)

Chapter 36: All Who Love Are Doomed

Kazia awoke in darkness. All around, she could hear people moaning and weeping.

She was lying on her side along the length of someone's body, their arms around her, holding her in place.

She startled, and tried to rise, but a blinding pain shot through her head.

A groan came from her companion.

"You must try to be still," Kelvaran said. "You're injured. Your head. Lie still."

She took a shuddering breath and sank back down against him, resting her head on his chest, and closed her eyes again.

He squeezed her shoulder.

"Since you're awake, you should try not to go back to sleep," he said.

"What happened?" she asked.

"There was an explosion. I'm guessing the University has been attacked."

"We're still in the Archive?"

"We're trapped here. Is it still affecting you?"

She nodded, but the pain returned at that.

"Yes," she said with a wince.

"The dampers weren't disrupted, so I can't take us out of here," he said. "We'll have to await rescue. It shouldn't be long."

"Eaphan!" she said, struggling to rise.

"He is badly injured," Kelvaran said, pulling her close. "But he is being tended. You must keep still, Kazia."

He sucked in a sharp breath as she settled again.

"Are you hurt?" she asked.

"It's nothing," he said shortly. "Just keep still."

Kazia lay her head down on his chest, her cheek nestled against the soft silk of his cravat, and stared out into the murky darkness of the room.

She could see shadows of people moving about, tending to the injured.

Murmurs of reassurance reached her ears along with whimpers of pain and fear and the occasional muffled scream. Somewhere across the room, men were discussing a strategy for exit.

"Is this because of us? You and I?" she asked. "Because we were here?"

"Me, perhaps," he answered. "You wouldn't have been expected. But more likely the University was targeted because they've been smuggling scientists out of Valesk."

"Oh," she said, "I didn't know."

"It's been a well kept secret, at least it was." He paused before continuing. "Recently Eaphan and I moved a Valeskan scientist through the House of Stelenis and your brother was there, in the restaurant."

Kazia's breath hitched.

"Do you think he orchestrated this?" she asked with some alarm, trying to rise again. "No... he couldn't."

Kelvaran pulled her down again.

She sighed as her head throbbed and the space around her seemed to swirl.

"Honestly, though... I haven't seen him in five years. I don't know what he's capable of now."

Kazia wondered if this would become one more thing for Kelvaran to suspect her of, and wished that she could know his feelings. A numbness had set in around the amputation of that sense, though, and the pain in her head eclipsed even that.

She adjusted herself beside him, groaning as she leaned further forward and reached an arm around him for more stability.

He closed his arms more tightly around her.