Chapter Ninety: Wholly

"What did you do? If they're going through so much trouble they're definitely pissed at you." Clair grumbled as they went through the old boxes where milk is supposed to be stored, which were filled with tools instead. They were currently behind the cabin trying to find anything useful.

"I was born." He replied.

"Hah! Relatable." Clair chuckled.

"How so?"

"A question for a question." She answered, tossing hammers and nails away.

"Shoot."

"Why did you jump after me?"

His lips twitched.

"Though, it's shocking. I….I never expected you to jump after me."

Silence.

Silence.

An answer,

"I wanted to save you."

"I didn't throw myself to be saved." She turned her head and he did the same. Their eyes met.

"I still wanted to save you. I just did, I don't know. I felt like I would have jumped no matter who the person was because we all deserve a chance to fight light again."

"How hypocritical." Clair pointed a finger at him and shook her head, turning back to the different cases of fishing tools.

"It is." He agreed.

"Now answer my question."

Clair cringed at the thought of answering it but she sighed.

"Because….it simply is. I don't really know how to explain it, many things could have been prevented if I wasn't born. So the people who chased after me, trying to take my life were very persistent. Obviously, I killed first." Half-lie, a half-truth. She had said whatever but she meant it.

"Strike first, before they do it." He said.

She nodded.

"I know that feeling." He nodded.

"Well, they were certainly….occupied or at least had plans to be," Clair emphasized as she pulled out a box of condoms.

When he raised his eyebrows at it she smirked.

"Hey, don't get too excited okay? They are expired. Besides, they're probably too big for you anyway." She said, dragging her finger over the size printed on the corner of the box.

"You'll swallow those words right back." He mumbled.

She shrugged and laughed, tossing the box away. Before she could think of a remark she squealed at the sight of the box and arrows.

She picked up the box of arrows and stood up.

"It's been so long since I held one of these. I'm going to have so...so much fun." She snickered and placed it down in a rock.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she searched through plants on the ground and between bushes.

"I recognized a few plants earlier, I'm going to make a poison so bad they're not scream at the arrows in their skin but at the poison itself." She explained.

"Crap. If I had brought my bag this would be easier." He heard her mumble to herself.

"Ask me another question."

Claire shook her head. "You just want me to answer another of yours."

"Obviously, that's how this works."

She rolled her eyes and thought over anything she might want to ask him.

"Can't I just ask you without having to tell you my life story?" She snorted and picked up a rock. Once she had plants and whatever it is that she had found, she started to smash.

"Nope."

"Fine. The scar I noticed this morning, how exactly did that happen?"

"I was...14. It was unexpected and I was captured and semi-tortured." He answered, tone cold.

Clair pursed her lips.

"How did you kill them?"

"I didn't. They ran before I could do anything and then I was taken home."

"What a pity….I would have had a lot of fun with them if I were you."

"But they were captured and tortured for information on how they located me in the first place." He added.

"I assume you didn't do that yourself."

"No." He answered.

"I want to know about when you were smaller. Your family, your blood family."

Clair stiffened.

"Compared to mine your question is worth gold and diamonds." She scowled and smashed the rock hard….hard against the other rock.

"There's nothing to tell." She added and smashed it harder.

"Nothing."

Her hand stopped midair.

"You'll hurt yourself." He whispered, coming up behind her and waiting until she let go of the rock but she gripped it tighter.

"Clair…." He whispered again.

"Ainara."

She glared and he smiled.

"Let go of the rock." When she didn't he slid his hands to her wrist and then on top of her fingers, nudging them waiting for the rock to slip.

Finally, the rock fell.

"Aa-ee-nah-rah" He tasted the pronunciation of the name in his tongue again and again and again.

"Stop."

"Ainara" he repeated.

"It's a beautiful name.

"So is Lewis, I don't see you using it often." She lifted her head and scoffed, realizing he still held her wrist and basically was towering over her from behind.

"My cousin used to call me by that name. She was the only one who used my middle name." He told her.

"There's a reason behind yours too. I'm sure."

He lowered his face, nose brushing against hers.

Clair's lips parted in a way she couldn't stop them from and she encountered his pupils. His eyes were beautiful and were always the first thing that attracted her attention in the mornings. Especially the way they looked under the sun.

She then lowered her eyes to his lips, as he did the same to hers.

"There's not much to tell."

"It's still something. But don't push yourself. I'm not that curious." A teasing tone.

Clair simply rolled her eyes.

"When this is over…" He commenced. "Let's soak in the hot springs together." His breath hot against her skin. She tilted her head looking over his shoulder, wanting to feel it again against her neck again, wanting him closer.

"Good." She managed to choke out the words, barely. "I have swimsuits I want to try on." She laughed nervously and tried to retreat but he held her in place by her waist.

"No swimsuits. I want you naked, bare, and exposed before me. Wholly."

His hand dropped from her wrists to her chin as he brought her back to meek his darkened gaze.

"Hmm." She nodded, no hesitation needed.

"Sure?"

"Want me to change my mind?" She challenged.

"Just making sure darling." He kissed her cheek and locked his eyes with her.

"Darling?" She repeated in a semi-seductive voice.

"Do you have anything against it?"

"Not particularly." She shrugged, eye contact remained and so did the urge to roam her arms all over him.

BANG

BANG

Two shots.

BANG

BANG

BANG

Three shots.

Clair blinked, immediately snapping out of whatever hypnosis he had done to her. She had not stared at someone for so long and with such strange emotions whirling around her.

So she and he both frowned, immediately getting up.

"The arrows!" She picked up each arrow and rushed to

"With your bare hands?'

"Yes, I'm immune." She replied quickly and started rubbing the mushy substances around it.

She then packed them all on the quiver.

"Since I'm injured and can't risk close combat, I'll entertain them from up here. And when I run out I'll join you."

He nodded, more than relieved to leave her here to not only have his back from a distance but to keep herself safe.

Minutes passed and Clair was left to herself mostly just covering him but clearly, he had it handled. He killed then almost immediately and so she had no part to play—yet.

She watched him, hidden between rocks and leaves, as he and Dagon finally made contact. There was a short conversation and more royal guards appearing. The uniform different then before though.

It was simple but the golden treading of the crest in their chest was very detailed. The pants and shirt midnight blue alike.

Clair gulped as she watched her legal husband fight and lead. Exactly like the general she had once met, they were not his royal guards she realized. These men weren't like the ones before. They were his soldiers. And it was safe to assume they were trained by him and directly under his command.

If this man managed to become the youngest general in the country without being found as the crown prince then who knows how much more powerful he would be as crowned king. A shiver ran down her spine as she observed his cold raw anger.

It was not like hers. Her anger was a ball of a red fire burning everything that came her way but he was cold. Icy cold. It was so cold it burned.

Fine, he's badass. But I'm still better.

She narrowed her eyes as she spotted a target. Slowly reaching for the arrow behind her back, set in place by the strap of the quiver she counted to three.

One down.

Breathe in.

Two down.

Breathe out.

Three down.

She paused as someone's head turned to her and she instantly rolled over to the nest rock, swiftly dragging herself backward until she hid perfectly behind a tree.

This time she used the poison-coated arrows to strike.

Deep breathe in.

Four down.

Breathe out.

Five down.

Breathe in.

Six—

"Fuck."