Hearts of Stone

26. Rogue Politics

Kat's sleep was plagued with night terrors as her mind chose to replay the beast's attack on her every time she succumbed to the exhaustion. In her dreams, she could feel the pain, and every time, the voices inside her head would hiss their disapproval.

She was weak, she was a let down. She should've done more.

It caused Kat to wake up in a cold sweat, panting, and she had to remind herself that she wasn't dead precisely because she'd been strong enough to raise the dagger and stab the beast with it. Stab the man she loved.

But even if she'd done it, even if she'd saved herself, it still brought tears to her eyes. What were they going to do now? Would Cage even be able to stand in the same room as her from now on?

Darkness didn't help, so she was glad when dawn broke through her window and she could see the sun. Their winter seemed endless.

She got out of bed and chose to wear trousers and the weapons once again. After digging through the dresser, she found a corset made out of thick leather, like a sort of armor. She chose to don that as well, for extra protection in case it would be needed.

Her head still spinning after her troubled sleep, she headed down the stairs and into the portrait hall. Most of them were empty or clumsy again. Joey was gone and William slept. She didn't feel like speaking to anyone else who could potentially be there, so she continued her way down into the dungeon. Her footsteps faltered the closer she came, fear grabbing on to her. What if he was still the beast? The thought of never seeing Cage again tore through her.

But she couldn't linger on the last step forever, either, so taking a deep breath, she walked towards the door and glanced inside.

Her heart fluttered once she realized the beast was gone. Cage lay back on the mattress, his hand pressed over his stomach, where she'd stabbed him. There were thin scars on his chest and stomach, the wounds he'd taken upon himself a mere memory. She couldn't be sure if he was sleeping or not, but merely seeing his form brought tears to her eyes.

"Cage?" she whispered.

He jerked to attention and turned to her, his eyes wide with fear. She only got to take note they were dark blue before the color in them swirled and became golden. His bones broke and he let out a cry of pain before his entire body convulsed. The dagger wound on his stomach twisted and opened up again, blood oozing over his skin as the transformation continued.

Kat stepped back, her hand over her mouth. The beast growled and rammed itself against the door once before it yelped and retreated inside the cell. She waited, holding her breath, hoping she'd hear him returning to normal. But he didn't, and her heart sank.

At least he'll have time to recover from the pain. She repeated the phrase over and over as she fixed him breakfast and searched for a healing salve and bandages. Maybe it was the iron dagger which impeded his magic, but the wound didn't seem to be healing as fast a the others. 

Making sure he didn't see her, she pushed the tray through the flap and made her way back upstairs. But alone, she had no idea what to do. She found herself merely staring, lost in space. Then she realized she was staring at the blood stains on the hall floor. It was everywhere. The stairs, the walls, and most likely inside the study.

Even if she hated having to do this with all her being, they didn't exactly have anyone else to clean after them, so she grabbed an apron, got to her knees, and started scrubbing.

It took her most of the day to clean up, especially since she had to wash the blood-soaked rug in the study. Meanwhile, Joey reappeared and watched her with a mournful air that did nothing for her nerves.