Purest Corruption - The Darkling [General Kirigan]

• Chapter 26 •

Song of the chapter: The Night We Met by Lord Huron

Play when you see the **

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Every night was the same routine with the two of us. A dance that only we knew the steps to, and one that we were getting very good at. Kirigan always slept in the chair that sat by the fireplace because he'd insisted I keep the bed.

Each morning when I woke up, he'd be gone, only to come in no more than a few minutes later. He went to the ship's war room to meet with Fedyor and Ivan to talk strategy. They were planning something, and I wanted to know what it was.

Today was the same, as always, but this time when he walked through the door, I crossed my arms and gave him a look.

"What is it?" He questioned with a raised brow.

I opened my mouth, and for the first time in weeks, my voice was heard. "What are you planning?"

It was a hushed whisper, but he and I were still shocked by the sound. I raised a hand to my throat with wide eyes, not believing what had just happened.

I had finally spoken.

Kirigan rushed over to me, his arms wrapping around my torso in an act of joy. I felt his chest shake while laughter filled the room. He pulled away, placing his hands on my cheeks.

Warmth spread through me wherever he touched and I had missed that feeling more than I'd even known.

"I've been waiting to hear your voice since the day you woke up." The smile that graced his lips was one I'd longed to see ever since Elijah had taken me.

"Well, you don't have to wait any longer." I giggled, absolute joy making its way into the sound.

"Thank the Saints..." he trailed off, and a look of confusion crossed his face, "But what changed?"

I thought about his question right after he had asked it, though I didn't know the answer. Yesterday had been the same as all the others. In fact, they all kind of blurred together in my memory.

Nothing out of the ordinary had happened that would have affected the mental block which kept me from speaking.

Then it hit me.

Last night.

FLASHBACK

I stepped out of the bathtub and pulled the velvet robe around my body. Water dripping down my legs onto the floor, I walked towards the doorway to get a towel.

Kirigan had always insisted that I didn't need to clean up the wet footprints I left, but I wasn't going to let anyone else do it.

The fluffy white towel I had always used was not where I had left it the day before. I internally groaned at the thought that Kirigan had probably taken it to be washed by one of the maids.

I would just have to get dressed and use the outside of my robe to clean up the water. Making my way over to the wardrobe that Kirigan and I shared, my wet feet leaving even more footprints for me to clean up, I knew exactly what I wanted to wear.

However, as I opened the heavy wooden doors, I noticed an article of clothing on my side that hadn't been there before. It was a black undershirt that would reach down to my knees if I were to wear it.

I remembered seeing it on Kirigan a few times and knew he must have hung it back up in a hurry since he'd put it with my clothes. I reached out and ran my fingers over the soft fabric, wondering what it would be like to wear.