AVALANCHES | K.BREKKER

seven

Kaz fell rigid, a moment of panic settled in and he cringed greatly at the impact of the Shu's head smacking the tile. He blessed under his breath, hoping she didn't damage anything and struggled  to his knees. Ignoring the sudden pause and shift in the air, his only thoughts where of Winnie, at that moment, and possibly for the next few hours.

Now, Kaz ignored the shuffling of feet. The deep smack of boots as a crowd slowly started to form around the unconscious girl and the male, whose hands shook in repulsion of having to check her pulse. His ears where ringing as his thoughts drifted over to Jordie; his brother, gone far too long, rotting deep in the ocean. Flashes of him reverberated around Kaz's mind, picturing him sprawled across the floor, just like her. He grimaced at the dull ache forming in his knees and continued to peer over her body.

Kaz Brekker didn't know what to do, he crawled to look at her face and his throat clogged at the sight of her pale features; tan skin pale and lips loosing pigment. Kaz paused for a moment, the murmuring around him muffled, his vision blurred and he harshly shook his head to drown out his own nausea.

"What happened to her?" a curious voice bounced around the room as the crowd grew, people barging to see the fallen guard. "She's alright, isn't she?" another asked in old Ravkan, or Kaz hoped was said in the language.

Kaz felt the eyes dripping from Winnie to him, a rhythm that was in sync with everyone, but he ignored them still on his hands and knees with a thin layer of sweat forming in his forehead. What could he do? Although the buzz of fear for the girl was full, his own fear collapsed around him, caging him as if he where nothing but an insect. He felt the uniform choking him but he didn't care, his ungloved hands shook as they where suspended in the air, the girls body heat, though faint, was clawing at his hand - begging for him to touch her.

"Well, check her pulse." The voice was short and snappy, Kaz was momentarily shell shocked and felt like he was thrusted back to when he was nine. He suppressed a shudder and ignored the voice from his right.

The unknown male huffed and shoved Kaz away from the body, in between the moment of repulsion and the weight of the hot hand on his clothed arm, Kaz peaked at the male and almost blessed under his breath.

General Kirigan was far more intimidating up close, a powerful Grisha with the power of having everyone fall to their hands and knees. Literally. He was alluring, almost feline like as he crouched to Winnie's body, his black kefta sprawled behind him like a veil.  However, the man looked aged, eyes wrinkled and vacant as he gazed at the girl with a peculiar look in his obsidian eyes.

"Her heads bleeding." he murmured bitterly, and with a quick glance at Kaz, his irritation only grew at the look passing over the boys features. "Someone get Genya, immediately."

With that, two guards scrambled from the room as if they had hot rocks stuck to their feet. General Kirigan didn't lift Winnie's head, nor did he touch her at all after checking the pulse. He left her on the cold tiles with blood slowly seeping from the side of her head and gazed at her with the same peculiar expression.

To Kaz, the general also looked almost repulsed to touch her, his long thin digits hovering mid air, closer to her hair and his eyes looked to be in a deep battle. Nevertheless, he dropped his hand to his side and got up with a sigh. He turned and looked down at Kaz, who still breathed deeply on the floor.

"Get off the floor." Kirigan demanded, black eyes so deep Kaz thought he would fall through them. He wobbled to his feet and scoffed at how pathetic he possibly looked; wobbling in front of a general, dressed as one of his guards.

Kaz wanted to scoff, his eyes lingering on Winnie's unmoving body as the general blocked most of her body with his. "Are you not going to help her?"