Purest Corruption - The Darkling [General Kirigan]

• Chapter 16 •

"What about Kirigan?" I asked cautiously, wondering what Elijah could possibly have to say.

He opened his mouth but then closed it, "Not here."

He dragged me to the back of the library, trying not to draw any attention to the two of us. Once we were close to a bookshelf against the wall, he paused, looking around carefully to see if anyone was watching.

He then pulled the bookshelf away from the wall and I gasped. There was a passageway instead of a solid wall. He pulled me through it, and only once we were inside with the bookshelf closed over the entrance did he speak again.

"Look, I don't want to say too much, but the general may not be who you think he is." Elijah sighed, and I was more confused than I had been moments ago when I found out about this secret passageway.

"What do you mean, Elijah?" He needed to give me more information than that if I was going to start thinking differently.

"I really didn't even want to say anything, so maybe you should just ask him," the look in his eyes scared me, and not in the heart-fluttering way I was used to with Kirigan.

"No, Elijah, I'm asking you. What do you mean?" I repeated my previous question, hoping that I would break him down enough to get my answer.

He closed his eyes and sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. I could see the struggle he was going through and suddenly felt terrible for prying.

No, I need to know.

"Do you remember what happened last night after you went to your room, Ana?" He slowly asked the question like he thought I would break.

"No...not really. Why?"

He let out a frustrated groan, "Okay, well, I came to your room to make sure you were okay, but when I got there, Kirigan was already there. He answered the door and asked me to meet him in the war room that he has in his quarters. I went to the war room and saw Ivan, Fedyor, and Zoya were already there. Then, when he got there only a few minutes after me..." Elijah trailed off.

"What happened, Elijah?" I was frantically searching his eyes for some sign of what he would say next.

"He told us what happened..."

"What do you mean? What did he tell you?" My heart was racing at this point, and I just needed Elijah to clarify everything.

"Zoya made some comment towards him after we'd been there for a while and he said he'd already gotten his fill that night. When she asked what he meant he told us about how you said he affected you a certain way and then how he was able to kiss your neck because you just let him and how he knows you would have let him do more...Ana, I really don't feel comfortable saying all this please just ask him."

The world went silent, and all I could hear was the sound of my heart beating. My breathing got shorter and shorter until it felt like the room was closing in around me.

He wouldn't do that, would he?

I dropped to my knees, overwhelmed by everything I was just told. Elijah came down to my level and hugged me, rubbing my back with one of his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Ana. I was going to tell you this morning after you changed, but then Kirigan came in, and I knew I would have to figure out a way to tell you in private where he wouldn't find us." He kissed the top of my head gently, and the action calmed me more than he could have known.

"He was probably just as drunk as you were...or he was just joking when he talked to us? There has to be a logical explanation because I've never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you. He's never even been possessive over anyone, but he is over you. I'm not trying to make excuses but maybe-"