Purest Corruption - The Darkling [General Kirigan]

• Chapter 27 •

Song of the chapter: Blue by Troy Sivan

Play when you see the **

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Making my way around the ship proves to be more complicated than I had initially thought. It was only when I had turned down more hallways than I'd meant to that I realized I was lost.

At this point, I couldn't even make it back to mine and Kirigan's room. Then, just as I was beginning to give up on finding Kirigan since it seemed impossible, even more so because I wasn't sure where he was, a young boy opened the door to my right.

My eyes widened as I recognized him as the young healer Elijah had kidnapped before me. When he noticed me standing there, his eyes widened as well before he rushed to me, wrapping his small arms around my torso.

I hugged him back right as I realized what he was doing, and tears formed in my eyes. Kirigan had saved this little boy. One of the nightmares I'd had while I'd been in the comatose state had been about this little boy.

My mind had played awful scenes of him being tortured through my head. I'd been so afraid to ask Kirigan if he'd saved the poor boy because I wasn't sure what I would do had the answer been no.

But here he was. Alive. His dark skin was no longer dull. His electric blue eyes are full of light and the playfulness every child has. Kirigan had rescued this child and gave him the life he had missed for so long.

That was the moment I realized I was falling for him.

I couldn't fully comprehend the surge of emotion that went through me as this realization occurred. All I knew in this moment is how my heart felt about him. Then, the little boy pulled away and gave me the most adorable smile I had ever seen.

I grinned back at him as he opened his mouth, "My name is Nicholas."

His voice was music to my ears as I heard how happy he sounded. Slowly, I pulled one arm away and touched my throat as I shook my head in order to tell him I couldn't speak. His crooked smile quickly turned into a frown at my gesture, but I smiled to show I was okay.

He unwrapped his arms from around my waist and brought his hands up to my face. Tugging me down to his level, I got on my knees in front of him as his small thumbs stroked my cheeks. His eyes burned into mine, then he brought our foreheads together so that they were touching.

I furrowed my brows as he closed his eyes, but my confusion quickly dissipated as I realized he was trying to heal me. My heart broke, and I grasped his hands in mine, pulling them off of my cheeks while I looked at him.

I shook my head, taking a finger and touching it to my temple, hoping he'd understand that I had to work through this problem on my own.

"It's in your head?" He questioned with a look of confusion on his face.

I nodded, wishing I could explain it better to him, but it would have to wait until I could speak again.

"Please just let me try," he pleaded as he pulled his hands out of mine and put them back onto my face. Finally, I gave in, and he put his forehead against mine again. This time, I closed my eyes after I watched him do the same.

Tears fell down my cheeks onto the boy's tiny hands as he attempted to heal something I knew he couldn't. I felt my mind go fuzzy for a second before it returned to normal, and the boy then pulled away.

"You can speak when you're ready," his crooked grin was back as he spoke, and I furrowed my brows questioningly.

His grin only got wider, "When you're ready, Anastasia."