Chapter 14

~Kamari~

No wonder Aneth didn't come to me to learn anything; he had been in a mess of pain. I should have checked on him. Damn it. I knew what herbs to grab. Thankfully, Calea taught me the wonders of Botany. And Calea still kept fresh herbs in the back garden. As I enter, I quickly cut the herbs I need, grind them into a paste, then take certain vials already made and bandages.

I raced back down the stairwell, where Aneth sat on the ground, and Nye was nearby, leaning against the wall. "How long has the infection been there, Aneth?" I see the glisten of sweat on his brow, and suddenly, he falls over, "Oh no. Aneth!" I start shaking him, "Wake up! Nye, do something!" I scream at him. Nye clenches his jaw, and I hear him curse under his breath. He marches over, then grabs Aneth's wound, and his hand starts glowing. He takes the wound from Aneth. When the wound disappears, Aneth gasps and sits up. I hug Aneth, thankful he won't be in pain anymore.

But now my attention draws to Nye. Aneth's wound shows up on his arm. He clenches his fist in and out. And by the look on his face, this type of pain was different. Nye stumbles and falls to the ground, thankfully where the blankets are, so he doesn't hurt himself further.

I raced over to him. Nye groans, "Ugh, Kadea's Hell." 

Worry tightens my chest. Nye could tolerate pain. Why was this different? I gather my things and pull out the red salve that would stop the infection, "Let me see it," I grab his arm, and when I globbed the red salve on it, Nye winces. I notice him starting to sweat as well.

I think on my feet. I grabbed a known herb to jolt the system, and compared with the bacterial red salve, it should do the trick. "Here, drink this." As I hand him the vial, he tries to slap it out of my hand. "Don't give me anything." He Growls. "I can fight it on my own."

I leer at him, knowing this was different, and he most likely couldn't. "Fine then." I pop the cork out of the vial and pour it into my mouth, grab the collar of the shirt, and make him drink it from me. As he parts from my lips, he swallows, then he glares at me. 

"Shut up and let me take care of you," I say against his lips, then grab the bandages. I wrap his arm and start making where he is lying more comfortable, but I notice the raised brow he gives me as I fluff pillows and fix blankets.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask.

He looks at me, confused and disbelieving on his face. "What are you doing?"

"I'm making you more comfortable." I sigh.

"It's unsettling."

I sit back on my heels, "What are you talking about? You are not well-Mmph!" Nye slaps his other hand around my mouth. 

Then in a low voice he says, "I don't ever want to hear those words from your mouth again." His voice turns rough. I lock eyes with him. I place my hands on his, and gently remove his hand from my mouth. The air around us gets thick, feeling a presence behind me, I turn and see Koa. I gasp. My heart spikes, "Oh!" I place a hand on my chest, "Grace of Kadea, don't do that!"

Koa looks from me to Nye, and an unsettling feeling comes over me. The flashback to Koa's example of how their group works, it makes my heart pound. I stand up putting my body in-between Koa and Nye. "This is not the time," I shake my head, "It's not a fair fight." Koa's eyes soften and he places a gentle hand on my cheek.

Relief floods my body making it feel light again. I sigh, as he rubs his thumb against my lips, he gives me a soft smile, which makes me melt. Koa presses his forehead against mine. Koa listened, how could Nye think he was so sneaky? 

"Thank you." I say with a exhaled breath.

As we part, Koa locks eyes with me, and in an instant, his demeanor goes from soft, to sinister. My breath catches in my throat. My eyes widen as his eyes glow, and he forcefully shoves me aside.

A Grim smile curves his lips as he leers down at Nye, and what he says next chills me to the bone.

"My turn."