Bleeding Ink

Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Staring at the closed door of her and Elys's room, Dessa tried to get herself to open it, but all she could do was clutch the strap of her bag as it hung on her shoulder.  She could hear him inside, rustling through his things, murmuring to himself...and then finally cursing so loudly it had her looking up and down the hallway to see if anyone heard. 

Finally, Dessa pushed open the door just as Elys cursed loudly again as he ripped his bloodied tunic over his head, throwing it across the room with such force it had her jumping.

"I never would have thought I'd hear words like that coming out of the Seer of Ikreus Elys's mouth," she said to him, repeating the first words he'd said to her when he came home. 

He obviously hadn't heard her come in as he spun around, eyes narrowed.  "What are you doing here?"

"What do you think I'm doing here?  This is our room, Elys.  Cleo has enough sense in her to realize we're not just best friends anymore."

"I don't think you should..."

Before he even finished that sentence, she pointed a finger at him, immediately shutting him up.  "Don't you dare say what you're about to, Seer.  Because after what happened, after almost losing you forever, don't you dare think you're ever leaving my side.  Thank the Mother I finally came into my healing magic now and my parents won't have to worry about you like I know they always do.  But they're still going to worry.  I'm going to worry more than they will...because you're an idiot.  But you're my idiot and I love you and I need you and I don't ever want you to do something like that again, do you hear me?  And now...now, I'm going to go take a shower because I need one.  You need one, too, so you're getting in after me.  Got it?"

Elys didn't say a word, didn't even move an inch as she threw her bag down on the bed, yanked off her jacket and boots, and stomped toward the bathing room door.

She didn't want to have him in her head, not when she finally caught sight of the brand new scar he had on his chest, one that had a silvery glint to it against the dark tan of his skin.  Not when all she could hear were the echoes of his screams when she and Adeena finally broke him out of his time ward.  She didn't want him to see her biting the inside of her lip so hard to keep from crying that she tasted blood.   

But when she heard him let out a soft whimper just as she was about to slam the door behind her, Dessa turned to see him sitting down at the end of the bed, hunched over with his head in his hands. 

Just as quietly as she'd come in, she walked back over to him, gently touching his shoulder as he leaned back, tears lining his eyes.  Her heart twisted in her chest to see him like this, to feel his fear and panic even though he was safe, to feel the fiery anger that still coursed through him at the revelation of who and what Fin really was and his inability to see it through visions before. 

Dessa ran her fingers through his hair, then gently brushed away his tears as he leaned into her.  Arms wrapped around her waist, Elys buried his face against her stomach.  She held him just as tight as she leaned her cheek against the top of his head, knowing he wasn't the only one who needed to just be held but she was, too. 

Several minutes passed before Elys finally pulled back only slightly, looking up at her with bloodshot eyes.  "I'm sorry," he whispered to her. 

Leaning down, she pressed a kiss to his forehead.  "It's all right.  I know what happened must have rattled you just as much if not more than it did me...but there's something else, isn't there?"

He nodded against her stomach and didn't say a word.  She couldn't even get an idea of what was going on in that head of his through their bond.

"Elys..."