Barbaric

Chapter Twenty-Seven

(Jox's POV)

I had a lot of bad days in my life. After all, what person didn't? Most of the bad days in my life happened when I was relatively young and going through puberty. But there were a few bad days that surfaced into my adulthood, like the times I messed up the wiring on a ship, or the...the moment I had walked in on my best friend, who I had been together with at the time, making out with my younger brother. I was used to having bad days. But those days were manageable to some extent.

Today? I wasn't quite sure I would make it.

It started off relatively good. I was dreaming about Delkele and I, and what our life could have been. I remember being happy in the dream, so much so that I felt like I could fly if I really tried. Then everything came crashing down when I was forced awake by Emylle, whose light eyes were filled with tears as she begged me to help him. I remember the immediate feeling of dread filling me, my heart clenching tightly in my chest as I had to remind myself how to breathe.

"Who needs help?" I wondered, although, I had a feeling I knew who she was talking about.

"D-Delkele," she cried, clutching to me as if I were a lifeline. I tried not to pay attention to the blood that was stained on her white shirt. "H-he was stabbed, Jox. I-I think he's dying."

I didn't even think twice before I jumped off the pod, not caring that I was naked as I rushed to follow the shorter woman, tears already prickling in my eyes. How could this have happened? Who the hell stabbed the man I loved? Was Naraka under attack, or something?

I didn't want to continue with all these "what ifs", not when Delkele...not when he needed me the most.

When we finally made it to where he was, Emylle let out a cry and when I pushed past her, my heart caught in my throat, a cry leaving my lips as I dropped down to Del's unconscious form, his chest barely rising and falling. He wasn't dead, but he was close. I looked down to where his wound was, right in the center of his chest. I wasn't a doctor, so I didn't know if any vital organs or arteries had been hit. The one thing I did know, was that we needed to get him to a doctor, and fast. Because I would be damned if I lost the one good thing in my life, not when I was finally starting to hope for the future.

I held back my tears as I placed my arms carefully under him and picked him up, hating how light he felt in my arms. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to be asleep and in my arms, not...not dying in them. With one quick press of my lips against his sweaty forehead, I looked to Emylle just as Delra ran into the room, her eyes immediately falling onto her brother.

"Del," she breathed, before she seemed to gather her wits. "Follow me. We need to get him to the medical ward immediately."

Nodding my head in agreement, I began to follow her hasted steps, making sure to cast quick glances towards the man I loved to make sure he was still breathing. As we raced to a doctor, I couldn't help but notice how even Delra kept shooting glances towards her brother, and if I read it correctly, I could swear I saw worry within those crimson eyes of hers.

I made no comment on it though, not yet at least. I reminded myself to find her after we saved Delkele and find the bastard responsible for doing this to him.

When we made it to a pair of cream-colored doors, Delra didn't hesitate before she kicked them down, causing the staff, those who were awake at least, to jump in their seats before their eyes fell onto their king. Immediately, they jumped up and directed us to a sterilized pod, going full professional as soon as I sat Delkele down.

"What happened?" The main one asked, her brown eyes focused as she began pulling out supplies.

"Someone stabbed him. An assassin." Delra stared down at Delkele, seemingly in shock as she answered the other woman. "I apprehended the bastard and managed to incapacitate him for the time being."