Shadow's Chosen (Dark World Mates Book 3) Page 13

  "What happened to you?" she asked. Her eyes flitted over his face with what he thought might actually be a smidge of concern. He couldn't help smiling.

  "That's a question with many answers."

  She touched at her face, and he frowned. There was blood on her hand too.

  "Let's start climbing. I want higher ground before we assess the damage," he said, throwing her bag over his shoulder.

  She nodded her head at him and holstered her gun as they started for the stairs. Nezka halted only a few feet up to turn back to her, watching as she limped her way up to follow him. He hadn't noticed before how badly beaten she really was, but at the time, his focus had only been on getting them away. Now he could see she was in great need of help. He knew, however, what her answer would be if he even asked. But watching her struggle up the flights of stairs would be tortuous. Deciding quickly, he descended the fews steps back to her and bent forward, grabbing hold of her hips and swinging her up over his other shoulder.

  "What the hell are you doing?" she cried, her legs flailing, trying to kick him.

  "I'm carrying you, obviously," he answered as he took the steps two at a time.

  "I don't need you to carry me. I can do it myself." Her fist hit his back in frustration.

  Nezka blew out a small breath of air in a half sigh, half laugh. "Yes and take the rest of the day to do it, while tearing the wound further as you went, wasting the energy needed to recover." He was already to the second floor, but still, she continued to protest. He let her argue, let her squirm, but by the time it was worth anything, they were to the final floor, where he placed her down firmly on the landing. She hit his chest with the side of her fist then turned from him, huffing as she limped on. He followed her quietly down a wide hall filled with open doorways, watching for signs of others. None could be found as he searched the rooms, so he deemed it safe enough. The rooms were all empty save for a few broken pieces of statues, frames, or skeletons of some animal he could not identify.

  There were inner glass panels and displays in some rooms, but they too were empty. A room at the end offered a wide-open space with a dome of glass at the center of its roof, a pinkish hue from lights above falling through the few broken panels. The room also had windows and a set of glass doors leading to a balcony where a small portion of the city could be seen below. There, past a low wall, were a few rows of tight alleyways and roads. Smatterings of people moved through them amongst colorfully lit shops and tents.

  "Wow. Didn't think regular folk lived down here," Elise said beside him. "Figured it was all crime lords and their followers."

  "All dark places carry some innocence," Nezka said. From the corner of his eye, he could see her studying him with a strange expression. He dropped her bag and looked back around the room. In one corner, a cushioned longseat was shoved against the wall along with a twin set of cushioned chairs. One table lay next to them, its leg broken in half. Nezka brought the two chairs over to the windows and forced Elise to sit in one as he took the other.

  "I can do it myself," she said half-heartedly. But she didn't stop his hand, only grew a little tense as he examined the wound on her leg. "Are you going to tell me what happened to you?" she asked after a pause.

  "Maybe." He withdrew his hand and stood. "I'm going out."

  "What? Why—"

  "We need supplies. I can't fix you up with nothing. I won't be gone long." He grabbed her bag, clipping it to his belt beside his mask, and started for the door.

  "I could come with—"

  "No." He stopped and laughed quietly before looking back to see her annoyed expression. "And if you try to follow, just know by the time you make it to the bottom, I'll likely be back to carry you up here again. So, stay. I won't be long."

  She sighed. "Take my gun then, at least." She began to unclip it, but he held up his hand for her to stop.

  "I won't be seen." At that, he left her, quickly making his way back down. He found a back exit out to some road, then he hopped the wall they had seen from above and started searching.

  In no time at all, he had a bagful of items ranging from strips of cloth to healing salve similar to the kind found back home, being sold by a lygin; packs of food and water, fire starters, and even painkillers (also sold by the lygin), all stolen from the various shops as he had no way to pay. Coming back, he took a moment to explore the other floors for anything and found a thick curtain draped around another empty display, which he tore off, and a few scattered bits of canvas and scraps of paper which he also took. As he continued his way upward, he concluded the building might once have been a museum or showhall but had long since been raided of its goods. He stopped one last time to drag up a thick piece of metal broken off a statue that could serve as a fire holder then returned to the room where he found Elise still seated in the chair.

  As he set the bag and piece of metal down carefully, he came around to the chair and saw her eyes closed, head tilted away. Only by the movement of her chest and slight whistle of breath did he know she was only resting. Gently, he placed a hand on her arm and she started, head snapping up, eyes wide. As she saw that it was him, she began to relax, though her eyes remained wary. He went back for the bag and took out the salve, strips of cloth, and canteen which he had filled in some back kitchen. He handed her the canteen which she took gladly, then he sat back in the chair opposite her to watch and wait. When she drank her fill and handed the canteen back, he took some for himself then leaned forward, grabbed her hand, and spilled some of the icy water onto her wound. Elise let out a small yelp and tugged her hand back.

  "I can do it myself," she said again. Nezka studied her for a long moment, deciding whether it was worth it to argue, then handed her back the canteen.

  "Clean the wound out then smear this over it." He tossed the bottle of salve on her lap.

  Not wanting her to think he saw her as incapable of taking care of herself and also considering her need for privacy, Nezka turned away to let her dress her own wounds, concentrating instead on making the room more comfortable for each of them. He took the curtain he had found and placed it across several windows along one end of the room in hopes it would keep them better hidden from prying eyes searching from below. Then he took the metal piece of sculpture enclosed like a misshapen bowl and tossed the pieces of canvas and paper inside it, setting them aflame with a flick of the firestarter. The smoke drifted up and out through the open pane of the domed glass roof above, not so large that he thought it would be discernible, especially in the dark. He brought the longseat closer to the makeshift fire pit and picked up the broken table, snapping it into smaller sizes for firewood later.

  When he deemed the area reasonably comfortable enough, he turned his eye back over to where Elise sat and saw the slender frame of her bare shoulders and back before him. He stilled, watching as she cleaned out a rather nasty-looking wound between her shoulder and neck. Blood, once dried and caking, now trickled down her back, diluted with the water she used to clean with. Nezka's gaze drifted downward to where the skin wasn't marred and showed smooth, soft skin.

  A heat prickled along his stomach and made his spines tingle along his lower back. He had a sudden strong urge to close the distance between them and graze his fingers down the arch of her spine, to feel the warmth there. He let his imagination drift momentarily and saw her tilting her head to the side as his hand traced up her back and along her neck, feeling her shudder not with fear but with pleasure at his touch. He'd wipe away the blood-colored droplets that now coated her back and bring them to his lips, tasting what he imagined to be a sweet and earthy flavor.

  Her head turned to lock eyes with him. She froze, giving him a questionable stare, and he responded by turning away, leaving the room to find more scraps for the fire or anything else that might be of use. Any reason to go, just so that he could clear his head.

  He was not in any way denying his emotions. He wanted her. He knew he wanted her the first time he saw her back in the drogin station. It
had been strong too. Stronger than the first time he had ever laid eyes on a human woman. That part was what made him curious, if not only slightly concerned. He'd had many women before, all of different kinds, of shapes and sizes, all unique in their own way. He'd wanted to experience the humankind the first time he'd encountered them, and that urge for something new and different hadn't changed once discovering them again. That feeling had only grown more intense now in this short time with Elise.

  He thought maybe it was just a strong drive to want to connect. That powerful animal need that was always so great in him and was intensified through her. But there was something more there, lurking in the deep dark of his psyche. Something he was unfamiliar with. Something that crawled to the surface every so often. Some nameless thing swimming around in the black sea of his thoughts and desires. It had appeared when they had first fought; it had appeared again when he took her from the collapsing tunnel and watched her sleep; then again when he'd seen her above that pit, and once more just now in that chair with her back exposed to him. It tugged at him as if to pull him under, and though he let it attempt to do so, he did not move an inch, merely watched it with ever growing curiosity and that slight inkling of concern.

  Nezka stopped inside one of the rooms and closed his eyes, remembering the burst of colors that made up Elise's aura. Her "spirit." It must be that, he thought. Her fire was so bright, so alive. Very few he'd found in his time to have such a passionate flame. And the colors pleased him more than those few. Yes, while others might have been just as beautiful or alluring to his eye at first glance, he was never fully drawn to them. But Elise's spirit caught at him. That must be what it was. He found her exceedingly...pleasing.

  He laughed and rubbed a hand over his eyes. Not to mention her pouty face or look of surprise whenever he shocked her. The way her slender neck arched and looked his way with an intense gaze. Yes, he wanted her...seemingly in more ways than one.

  He dropped his hand and opened his eyes, staring at the wall of nothing.

  But she could only ever be a piece in his mission. Whatever he felt, however strong, he had a job to fulfill. He couldn't afford to feel...whatever it was he was feeling. And thinking such things seemed inappropriate in the moment. She was wounded, they had just come from a rather rough chase, and there was more to come as soon as they left their haven. He needed to get his head in the game, needed to focus on getting her better so that they could move on, to stop thinking about such...such trivial matters.

  Determined to put it all aside. Nezka slipped out of the room and into the dark halls, concentrating on searching the grounds and planning their next move.

  ***

  When he returned, he found Elise still sitting at the chair, her suit, now covering her shoulders, still unclasped at the back. He made a sound, so she knew he was behind her, and she looked around, caught eyes with him, then looked away.

  "I um...think I got most of them." She waved the bottled salve in her hand. "Only..."

  He waited for her to continue, and when she glanced back around, he saw her skin deepen to a reddish hue.

  "Are you sick?" he asked, assuming the redness of her skin meant perhaps a fever.

  The hue of red deepened, and she looked away. "No, I'm not..." She sighed. "I think...there's one left." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "But I can't reach it." She lifted a hand around her side, and his eyes fell to where she tried to touch. He could see a mark across her middle to lower back, along the spine. "Think it happened in the fight when I was thrown against the wall and my suit caught."

  Nezka dropped the extra scraps for the fire on the ground and slowly approached. He dragged the extra chair over and sat down behind her. Neither of them moved for a brief moment until Nezka put out his hand for the salve. "I'll be gentle, I promise."

  Elise, though still looking tense, nodded. She placed the bottle of salve in his hand and straightened out. Nezka waited as she carefully dropped her suit once more from her shoulders till her back was bare and he could better see the wound.

  It wasn't deep, thankfully. Just a bad scrape if anything. Nezka picked up the canteen off the ground and poured a small lap of water down her skin.

  Elise jerked, inhaling sharply. "Cold," she muttered when he froze. He continued on till the dry blood was gone, leaving only small cuts of open skin. Setting the canteen down, he took the salve, a clear jelly-like substance, and rubbed some between his fingers before reaching down and touching the small of her back.

  Elise jerked once more and hissed through her teeth. "Also cold," she said. Nezka hesitated then continued to rub the ointment against her skin. Beyond the rough scrape of her wound, she was as soft and smooth as he imagined. His mind started to drift again (odd, as it usually wasn't this hard to keep his thoughts clear and focused), and he decidedly forced his fantasies back, keeping the touch impersonal, professional. Elise shifted a little but began to relax, probably in convincing herself he wasn't going to slice her in half. He worked the ointment gently into her skin, making sure it was thoroughly covered.

  "So, are you going to finally tell me what happened?" Elise asked after a turn of silence.

  "What happened to what?" Nezka answered.

  She turned her head slightly to look back at him and pointed to the side of her face. He took it to mean she was asking about his own.

  "Ah, that." Nezka shrugged. "A bad step on my part."

  "A bad step?"

  "In dodging the tentacled beast, I found myself in direct line with one of the fire bombs. The fire got close enough to sear me as well as a part of my armor which forced me to discard it and take another. Clothing from one of the fallen Red Blades was the closest I could find."

  Elise looked at his face curiously. "It just seems...shouldn't that have killed you? A wound like that, besides probably hurting like hell, would be too exposed to infection. And losing all that skin..."

  Nezka huffed as he continued to dip into the salve and touch at Elise's back. "My skin is not prone to infection, and the wound will likely heal itself completely in a week or so."

  Elise twisted around, forcing him to stop tending to her wound. "Wait, seriously? You're saying it will grow back?"

  "That is what I am saying."

  "Your skin can just regenerate?" she asked, slightly dumbfounded.

  Nezka smiled. "Yes. Though the new skin tends to take on a different shade."

  Elise's eyes widened. Her skin, once red in coloring, went pale. "Are you saying..." she said as her eyes flitted down what parts of him that were bare, mainly his hands, neck and face. "Are you saying that those aren't tattoos or markings on your skin? That they are...?"

  Nezka looked at his hands where parts of the knuckles and fingers were white as bones. Small slashes that ran up his wrists and, if he took off his clothes, could be seen all the way up his arms and across his shoulders. "Yes," he said. "I may regenerate, but the scarring leaves the new skin altered."

  She said something in what he assumed was her own language, but its tone sounded like a curse. "That's..." She turned back and shook her head. "I don't even know what to say." She sat quiet for a moment then turned slightly once more to study him. "Impressive."

  Nezka's smile widened. "I think so too."

  She shuddered, looking away from him, and Nezka froze as little bumps formed along her skin. Too tempted by his curiosity, he brushed a finger over them, and she shivered once more.

  "Is it good now?" she asked.

  Nezka pulled away and capped the salve. "Yes."

  Elise shrugged her suit over her shoulders and clasped the back till it covered her body. Nezka stood and she gazed up at him.

  "Thank you." She seemed to be deciding her words carefully. "I won't bother asking how you found me but," she laughed softly, a surprisingly light tone that made his heart thump a little heavier, "I'm actually really glad you did. Imagine that." Her smile faded, and her eyes fell. "If you hadn't, I would be..."

  Nezka remained still. "Would
be what?"

  She looked back at him with a frown. "Somebody's plaything I imagine. Or worse off than I am now." Cautiously, she stood, her expression pained as she straightened, feeling out her aches. "So, I guess I should say thank you again. For coming to get me." She looked everywhere but at him at first until their eyes finally met, and, as if finding her courage, she stretched her arm out to him, presenting her hand. "I guess I owe you a lot. You've saved my hide more than once now" She smiled at him, and his heart thumped again. "Even if I don't care to admit it," she concluded.

  Nezka looked down at her outstretched hand. Uncertain of this human gesture and what she expected him to do with it, he brought his own hand up and placed it lightly against hers. She laughed again, dropping her outstretched hand and lifting her other to grip his hand firmly and shake it.

  "What does that mean?" he asked.

  "It's just a show of gratitude between two people," she said. "Or when making a deal, but that's different." She clasped his hand a little longer before letting it fall. Something passed over her eyes, a strange look he only barely caught. She cleared her throat as if uncomfortable and passed a hand along the top of her head, through her hair. "Anyway. Once we get some rest, we can make plans to leave, maybe get out of this dump before night tomorrow."