Black Sapphire | Xaden Riorson | S/H

VIII

・・・　・・・　・・・

     I probably shouldn't have taken a nap but I did.  It was only ten minutes or so, but I woke up to Rhiannon sitting on the bed beside mine.  I could hardly express my confusion but sat up nonetheless.
     "I brought you back your daggers."  I follow her gaze down to the three sitting underneath my bed.
     "Oh.  Thank you.  I forgot about those."
     "Violet had to fight someone at full strength," she updates me.  "I assume you didn't see that?"
     "No.  I'm sorry."
     "Don't apologize.  I'm jealous.  She's in the infirmary and we can visit her before dinner."  I stand up at that and Rhiannon gives a soft smile as she follows.  "I thought you'd agree."
     I follow her down the slope and through the tunnel into the healer's quadrant, taking the time to rub my eyes.  The infirmary isn't deep in, and the woman happily takes us to her bedside.  Dain is there, of course, and I move the chair Rhiannon offers to Violet's other side which makes him toss up a glare.
     "Now isn't the time," he grumbles as I sit down.
     "I know, so you should stop saying shit."  He sends another look my way but I ignore him.
     Rhiannon and I stay for a little under an hour until just before dinner.  Dain makes a remark to me—and only me—about abandoning Violet here, but Rhiannon covers my back by telling him Violet would rather us eat after challenges than sit and stare at her, and if he didn't know that, he's a bad friend.  Then we leave.

     Xaden is staring at me as I eat silently.  The squad is talking lively, getting the report from Rhiannon that Violet is doing fine.  I can't look up from my food because every time I do, I find Xaden's eyes.  He's keeping a watch on me down the line, his expression definite and masked.  I have no idea what he's feeling based on his face but it's probably due for his hands around my throat.
     Violet was, for the most part.  I've definitely seen her with worse injuries and still run after me in the woods.  I can tell her leg wants to limp, but she doesn't as she walks.  I was already sat on her bed across from Rhiannon on hers and we both greet her back with smiles.  Dain is waiting by the door, unable to enter the first-year bunkrooms without reason, and then closes the door.
     I go to bed late and wake up similarly.  I walk out into the courtyard in the morning, straight to the parapet.  It's still blocked, which gives me some relief.  I lean back against it, letting my head fall back as I cross my arms and toss a leg over the other.

     "What are you doing?"  I open my eyes slowly, seeing the man I knew I would.  Xaden stands at the entrance to the bridge with his own arms crossed.
     "Let the shadows down," I tell him softly as I close my eyes again.  He clicks his tongue lightly but it doesn't move.
     "You knew that would get my attention."
     "It seems like I always have your attention, Riorson."  I can't see what he's doing but I hear him shuffling about in front of me.  He grabs my wrist and I finally open my eyes as he drags me out of the parapet, walking backward to stare at me.  He yanks me out of the opening and then drops my wrist quickly and takes a step back.
     "What do you want?"
     "To kill myself, obviously," I answer smoothly as I fall against the fortified wall.  "Hence the parapet."
     "You got my attention so you could kill yourself?" he asks.  I blink at him at the small shift in his tone.
     "No, I got your attention to apologize."  He narrows his eyes and leans his head forward slightly, then takes a long step toward me.  "I needed to get out of your grip and I couldn't think of anything.  But I know you and your dad were close, and it was out of my mouth before I could consider if it was a good idea to say it.  I'm sorry for that, and for saying something like that to you, especially in public."  His stance softens a bit, letting the hemline of the cloak just barely brush the floor.  "Now can you drop the shadows?"