by C.K. Bryant
Chapter Twenty Three
Bastian’s sadistic glare held Kira in place as his hateful taunts echoed in her mind. He shoved her against the wall, making the pain in her side seize her breath. She tried to fight, hitting and kicking him with every ounce of energy she could summon. The blows she managed to deliver only increased his anger—and her pain.
“Let go of me!” she screamed.
“Kira, wake up. It’s me.” The distant voice sounded almost familiar, but she couldn’t give in. She had to fight.
Kira took another swing at Bastian’s face and connected. “Get off me!”
“Kira, please wake up.” The voice seemed closer now, but still only a whisper.
She screamed out loud and the sound of her own voice silenced Bastian’s words and brought her from her nightmare. Her living room faded away and the calmness of the forest engulfed her. She lay in Octavion’s arms as he held her trembling body close to his.
“He . . . hurt me. Why did he have to do that?” she sobbed.
“Shh. It’s okay. You are safe.” He brushed a lock of hair from her face.
Altaria crouched at Kira’s feet. “You should make something to help with the pain.”
“I have a better idea.” Octavion slowly released Kira to lie on the mattress of fur and stood. “Stay with her and do not let her fall back to sleep. I will be right back.”
Kira watched as Octavion walked from her view and Altaria came closer. She knelt by her side and drew a blanket up around Kira’s shoulders. The pain in her side was so severe, she felt herself drifting in and out of consciousness. Altaria’s face began to blur again.
“Kira! Don’t. You need to stay awake.”
“It . . . hurts,” Kira said between short pain-filled breaths.
Altaria’s brow furrowed with concern. “I know. But you are the only one who can heal your injury. You must stay awake.”
Kira tried to listen, but Altaria’s voice became more and more distant until an uncontrollable spasm struck the back of her throat and the muscles in her chest tightened into a cough. She tried to hold back, fearing more pain, but something was lodged in her throat and she’d choke if she didn’t get it out.
Altaria must have sensed her need because she rolled Kira onto her good side and held a piece of cloth to her mouth. A mass of fresh and clotted blood hit the cloth and trickled to the ground.
“Octavion!” Altaria cried. “She’s spitting up blood.”
Kira felt the darkness engulf her. She heard voices, but they seemed so far away and she couldn’t quite make out what they said. Strong hands clamped down on her shoulders. She jerked her eyes open to see Octavion beside her.
“Kira, you have to stay awake. If you fall asleep, you will die.”
All Kira could think about was the first night they met and how she’d somehow cheated death when healing Lydia. She wrapped her trembling fingers around his forearm. “I was supposed to die . . . remember?”
“Stop that! You have to stay awake. Do you understand?”
Kira nodded.
“Toran, come,” Octavion ordered.
Kira turned her head to see a blur of black and white fur drop to the ground next to her. Toran stretched his neck out and laid his head on her side. The slightest pressure on her broken ribs was almost unbearable at first, but then she felt his body tense and the pain began to diminish. His rhythmic purr vibrated through her chest and she welcomed its comfort.
“Is that better?” Octavion asked. He took her hand in his.
“Yeah.” She tried to smile. “He’s so warm.”
“You have to heal yourself,” Altaria said. “We cannot do it for you.”
“I know, but—I don’t think I can.” She remembered the energy it took to heal Lydia, and there was no way she could go through that now. It would kill her.
Altaria stepped closer. “Yes, you can. Do not think of healing everything at once. Concentrate on just the rib that has pierced your lung—then on the lung itself. See it in your mind filling with life. Can you do that?”
Octavion placed his hand on the side of her face and looked into her eyes intently. “You are strong, Kira.” A grave expression crossed his face. “It will hurt, but Toran will help with that.”
Kira swallowed hard. “Okay.”
Octavion carefully slid Kira’s hand between her ribs and Toran’s fur, leaving his hand on top to keep hers in place. “Whenever you are ready.”
Kira drew in as much air as she could, closed her eyes, and tried to see the broken parts of her body becoming whole again. Her ribs shifted and twisted beneath her skin and she actually felt the bones mending as though being welded together with the heat of a torch. It burned clean through to her back and down her spine. The fragile lung tissues mended as well.
When her breathing returned to normal and it was no longer as painful, she opened her eyes and stopped the healing process. She still felt two cracked ribs, but they would have to wait. She could heal them when her strength returned, but for now, all she wanted was to sleep.
Altaria patted Toran on the head. “Good boy. Come with me.” She motioned for him to follow.
“No,” Kira protested. “Can he stay here? Please.” She rubbed him behind one of his ears. “Would you like that, buddy?” He began to purr again.
“You will spoil him,” Octavion chastised.
“He deserves to be spoiled after what he just went through.”
Toran stretched out beside her. She pulled up the covers and snuggled against the warmth of his thick, lush fur.
Octavion sat back on his heels and held her gaze.
“What’s wrong?” Kira asked, struggling to keep her heavy eyelids open.
He shook his head. “I will find a place tomorrow where you will feel safe.”
“Safe?” The image of Bastian’s attack returned and no matter how much she tried, she couldn’t hold back her tears. How would she ever feel safe again? “They know where I live, Octavion. I can’t stay with my mom, I don’t even know where she went—not that she’d want me.” She paused for a moment to stifle a sob. “Lydia . . . she’s the only family I have now. Where am I . . . supposed to go?”
Moisture filled his eyes as Octavion gently brushed a tear from her cheek. “I do not know.”
“Then why can’t I stay here?” she asked.
His brow furrowed with confusion. “How can you ask that after what you’ve seen and the pain you’ve had to endure because of us?”
“You saved my life. How can I feel anything but safe when I’m with you?”
He searched her eyes, as if he, too, could read in them more than what she said. “Because, when I am like that—what you saw—I could hurt you, Kira. You were right to question what I am, to wonder what I am capable of doing. I should never have involved you in our lives.”
“But you didn’t—hurt me I mean. And it wasn’t your fault, it was mine. I healed that stupid dog. I knew it was wrong and I did it anyway.” Kira wiped the tears from her face and pulled her covers tight around her neck. She could hardly keep her eyes open, let alone carry on a civilized conversation. “Can we talk about this tomorrow? I’m really tired.”
His shoulders relaxed as he let out a deep sigh. “Of course.” But he didn’t leave her side. He continued to watch her while gently stroking the hair away from her face. “I thought I had lost you—it frightened me.”
He tucked the covers in around her shoulders and leaned in, kissing her on the forehead. “Tomorrow, then—sleep well.”
Kira closed her eyes and smiled. “See, being nice to me isn’t so hard.” She didn’t open her eyes to see his expression, but imagined the corners of his mouth curving upward and the dimples she’d grown to admire deepening in his cheeks. And then she let herself imagine his deep blue eyes when he let down his guard long enough for her to read the kindness of his heart. If she could hold onto those images as she slept, maybe she could keep Bastian out of her dreams.