39. Kairhyse

39

Kairhyse

T he elevator ride up to my apartment is silent. Sydni holds Xeraphine's hand closely, their fingers intertwined. Since waking for that brief moment in the car, there has been no other movement from her. She feels safe because I'm sure she wouldn't be this dead weight otherwise.

As the elevator doors slide open, Sydni moves swiftly ahead of us, her hand already reaching for the handle of my apartment door. Since I'm the only resident on this floor, my front door stands directly in front of the elevator.

The sound of Tyson's hurried footsteps echo toward us as the door swings open. "Holy fucking Belial himself, you found her." The relief in his tone makes me groan inwardly—I get it, they are just friends. Doesn't matter, I still find his presence in her life a bit strange. I'll get over it; I won't take his hands and ship them to his family.

He is in front of us, looking down at her, "She's a mess, looks like she is struggling to heal." I remember that he had quite the understanding of what she was because of their history. "How long has it been since you found her? "

"Five or so hours," Sydni whispers, "she just needs to feed I'm sure."

"May need more than that, you see her veins? They are struggling to pump blood through them." He points down at her throat. The jacket is covering nearly everything, which is good because I don't think Sydni would be able to stay conscious if she saw her chest and the chunk of her leg missing.

Tyson looks up at me, "Her Amoro is looking for sustenance. Look at where it is drawing to."

I hadn't even considered what it meant, but the darkness that would consume her upon losing control or lack of feeding, was only on her right side, which was the piece closest to me.

I begin moving toward the stairway, silently gesturing him to follow.

"Was she poisoned?"

I nod, "A Shifter, I'm pretty sure it was a Komodo."

"I've seen this, but not with her. Other Dylox react this way when they are injected with a blood-attacking venom." The moment we are on the landing, right before the master bedroom, he stops, Sydni right along with him.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you to be careful," he sighs. "Her Amoro can kill, just remember that."

I pull her closer to me, "It—she won't." I'm pretty sure that night she fell asleep on me, her Amoro held my lifeforce all night. If it wanted to take my life, it would have then.

Looking down at Sydni, she is pressing her forehead against Xeraphine, "Great job, Phiny-bear. I'm so proud of you." I see the corner of Xera's lip lift slightly.

My butterfly raises her gaze to Tyson, who responds with a nod. "Let's get some sleep, Syd," he suggests. His glance shifts to me, a silent exchange occurring between his light hazel eyes and mine.

I give him a nod, then move into the bedroom and go straight to the bathroom. Dropping the jacket on our way in, I take us to the bath, and start filling it. Before we get in, I step us into the shower and only once the hot water is running, do I let it fall over us.

The steam billows, filling the room with its intense heat, causing her to startle as it envelops her skin.

A soft whimper escapes her lips, undoubtedly discomforted by the hot water against her open wounds.

I wrap an arm under her and try to position her enough to take my shirt off, but I nearly drop her.

"Baby, can you stand? I'll keep you from falling."

She remains silent but begins to shift her legs. Catching her slight nod, I bend down to gently place her feet on the ground. With my free arm, I remove my shirt and toss it to the floor, switching hands effortlessly.

As I start undoing my belt, she wraps her arms around my neck and gestures for me to lift her again. I quickly kick off my pants as her legs begin to shake. Before they can give out on her, I've got her securely back in my arms.

Once she's rinsed of the dirt and blood, I turn off the shower and guide us into the tub, slipping in together after shutting off the water.

Her head rests on my shoulder, the water pouring over the sides. "You need to feed," I whisper, brushing her hair away from her face. "Don't think I've ever masturbated with someone injured in my arms," I try to joke. It's as awkward a feeling as it sounds, but it's fine, I'll get over it.

As I remove my hand from around her, she groans, "Don't."

Her head tilts slightly, eyes focusing on me as they open for the first time since I carried her through the forest. "I'm already feeding," she murmurs.

My eyebrows knit together, "How?"

Both of her arms move into the water and rest against my chest. "Later," she hums before pressing her lips against my neck. "This… is nice."

The tenderness of her kiss makes my chest constrict, and I instinctively tighten my embrace around her. My opposite hand runs through her hair, holding her head to me. "Just need bubbles." I take a breath, the smell of her sweet peonies finally coming back.

She nods only once.

The tug on my lifeforce, an undeniable and tangible current surges through me, finally registering. As it has always been, there is an absence of pain. It's akin to a tender caress encircling my heart. A comforting embrace reminiscent of a cozy blanket amidst the wintry stillness, transporting me to past hikes on snow-draped peaks. There, when I was merely Mundane, I'd sip steaming cider to thaw after enduring the biting cold.

Grateful that neither of our bodies succumb to the same withering as Mundanes, we lie here for what feels like hours. It must have been, considering I've drained and refilled the water five or so times. Throughout, we remain in silence. At one point, I think she falls asleep.

I finally speak, feeling the need to hear her voice, "Xera… I was fucking terrified."

I feel her lean her head back, and I release her to do so. "Me too." I tilt my head down and look into her silvern eyes that are beginning to clear.

"I'm sorry," I murmur, and without a moment's hesitation, lean in to firmly press my lips against hers.

Her hand glides to my cheek, and I tighten my arm around her neck, a shiver coursing through my body. This is the first time I can feel passion behind her kiss, without the desire to do anything more than just this. It's as if she finds complete satisfaction in this embrace, right here in my arms.

As our heads turn, she whispers, "Don't."

Involuntarily, I shake my head, inhaling deeply as I intensify the pressure between our lips.

She'll never learn to stop telling me what not to do, but I do find it amusing. It's as if she believes she understands why I apologized. She probably thinks I'm sorry because I didn't get to her faster, or that she was taken away from me in the first place. Maybe she assumes it's because I had shown up at all.

No, it's none of those.

It's because I'm too much of a coward to risk losing her to tell her how I feel. I know the moment those three words slip from my mouth she will run. I may chase her, but this fear wouldn't be from a stalker or an obsessed monster. She would fear the other side I want to give her. The side where freedom from me wouldn't be an option no matter what the outcome of either of our lives would be.

I'm willing to get down on my knees to worship her, and only her. Fuck the Gods and Belial himself. She is all that I'll praise.

I want to please this demon I've got wrapped in my arms until the world burns, and once we burn with it, continue to do so in the afterlife.

I'm such a fucking fool because I know she'll never feel the same way, but I don't care. It's only her that I need, and that fact could not be any more potent than now. Those moments of being without her, I felt a part of me missing.

She is everything that I yearn for, crave, and desire, from now, until there is not a shred of either of us remaining in this life and the next. I'm crazy for her, and as much as I want to deny it wasn't from the moment she threatened my head, I'd be lying.

I feel her tugging back to take in a deep breath, "Trying to kill me," she grumbles through bated breath. "Remember, I do need to breathe."

Offering her a relaxed smile, I hum, "Forgot you are part Mundane." Her eyes roll, and she graces my lips with a tender, fleeting kiss. The water level has receded, now embracing us up to our shoulders, and she gently inclines her head into the curve of my neck.

"Why are you sorry, Kai?" She wraps her arm around my neck and curls her legs up.

I take a deep breath, preparing to be cryptic, even if I truly don't want to. "Many things, but I'd rather not voice them, little demon." My head rests against the porcelain tub. "Just know I'm sorry. "

A slight pause hangs before she responds, "I'm sorry too."

I don't say anything, just run my nails along her arm, feeling her relax even more into the comfort of my embrace.

"I don't hate you," she murmurs, her tone softening, as if grappling with the uncertainty of her words. "I was terrified that I wouldn't be able to tell you that. That you'd think in the end, I…" The palpable throb of her heart against her chest is so intense; it feels as though it's attempting to break free, afraid that the revelation she's struggling to convey might inflict pain to it.

I give her the moment, but she doesn't continue.

"Do you want me to continue for you?" I ask.

"No, I don't." The caress of her lips against the spot where one would be marked by their mate sends chills down my spine. "I'm not good with words, but I don't need you to fill in any gaps for me." She moves her hand up next to where she's kissed, and I feel a pinch.

Her lips press against the area where blood is drawing from. A warmth sparks, and she runs her tongue across it. That strange sensation is not of the marking, because I'd be writhing in pain. Something else is flowing through me and I have absolutely no idea what it is.

"You would take all my power if you claimed me, Kai." She leans up, and I focus on her lips, which are no longer a cherry red. Instead, they are stained black as twilight. "I still need it; I need all of me to fight against what they are trying to take. But hopefully, one day, I'll be free enough to be someone else's."

I look between her eyes, "That someone will only be me, little demon." There is no question of that, and by the defiant smile at the corner of her lip, she understands there is no freedom from me.

She says nothing more, and with absolute domination, she steals my lips with hers.