Arise (Book Three of The Syrenka Series)

Chapter 3

Three 

Kain 

My side ached with every breath but it was still better than it felt a few days ago. Being skewered on a sword didn't bode well for me, or probably anyone for that matter. Lucian's surprise attack had nearly killed me and I would be dead if it hadn't been for the doctors. I'd also heard that Eviana kept pressure on the wound until they arrived, which inevitably stopped me from bleeding out. She had saved my life and that sent a wave of warmth through my heart. 

I didn't remember too much of that night or even of the past few days. Aside from encouraging a couple of transitions in the bathtub, the doctors had kept me sedated. Every time I asked for Eviana, Julian would appear and persuade me to sleep. It felt like everyone was hiding something from me, but I hadn't been strong enough to force it out of them. 

So when I awoke this morning to an empty room, I decided that I was done being a patient. A pair of sweatpants rested on the top of a dresser but I couldn't find a shirt. It was just as well, considering the entire left side of my body was still wrapped in a bandage. 

Moving slowly around the room, I practiced walking without a limp. I didn't want them to know how bad I still ached. It was time for me to suck it up and resume my leadership role. Hopefully Eviana had been able to handle the aftermath of Lucian's attack without me. I instantly scolded myself for thinking that way. Of course she could handle it. She was capable of overcoming any situation. I smiled and noticed that my heartbeat sped up when I thought about her. 

If I was smart, I would have given up on her years ago when it was obvious that she was in love with someone else. But I guess when you find the right person, there is nothing that they can do or say to change your mind. I'd tried to move on. I'd tried to stay away. Yet fate kept bringing us back together. 

And now Brendan was gone. I should have been more ecstatic about that, but I knew how much it hurt her. Seeing her in pain broke my heart too. The best I could do right now was to simply be there for her. 

And being trapped in bed for several days was not making that possible. 

I opened the bedroom door and was surprised to hear a number of angry voices drifting down the hallway. Stumbling the first few steps, I was forced to use the wall as a crutch to get me closer to the kitchen where everyone was gathered. By the time I rounded the corner, I pretended that I could walk on my own and held my head high. 

No one noticed me at first. I spotted Troy, the leader of the protectors, and Palmer, Eviana's cousin, throwing their arms around as they tried to convince Daniel, Marisol, and Julian of something. Two of Julian's selkies, Aleksey and Quinlan, stood to the side of the room with their arms folded across their chest. They seemed to be listening to the argument but were not offering their opinions. 

The conversation suddenly ceased and everyone turned to look at me. Marisol was the first to move. 

"Kain! What are you doing out of bed? The doctor said you needed bed rest for several more days!" She was Eviana's younger sister and despite the fact that I used to be her teenage crush, she also felt like my little sister as well. Since Quinlan's appearance at the house a week ago, I was no more than another patient to her. 

She reached for my arm, but I pulled back at the last instant. The move sent a rush of pain roaring through my injuries. I didn't want to let it show, so I squeezed my eyes shut and willed it away. "I'm okay," I finally managed to whisper. Man, getting stabbed sucked. 

"Yeah, you really look like it." That was our friend Daniel, whose sarcastic comment made me smile. 

"Shut it," I groaned at him while walking over to one of the bar stools. Marisol helped me up into the chair and Daniel put a glass of fresh orange juice on the table in front of me. No one said a word.