When The Last Ember Falls

Thirteen

Eris:

Cindra wanted to pry further, I could tell. Instead she zipped her lips and patted that disgusting rub on my wound. I didn't want to speak or think. I wanted to forget the bombarding memories that threatened to weaken me further.

She focused on applying the new cloth bandages, careful not to make any faces as I hissed, growled and barked at her like a beast. I gave her credit for not running away. She is stronger than I thought.

My guardian brought out a pair of clean clothes. Several, as a matter of fact. I chose the gray tunic with darker gray trousers. When I received a disapproving look, I reached for the burnt orange pants. She nodded at my choice.

I told her to at least let me do my own dressing. When I winced in pain for the fifth time in a row she told me to stop moving and she would do it. With a frustrated sigh, I sat back down.

Cindra shook her head, motioning me to lay all the way down. "You're acting like seeing you naked would somehow get me hot and bothered. Have you forgotten about my sex god? His name is Mikayl, he's a sun-fae."

Between Cindra and Nesta's comments, I was bound to lose my mind. "I'm trying to be respectful," I remarked, writhing in pain from barely moving my shoulders.

"Being respectful is letting me protect you," she argued, ripping the stained shirt off my chest. Cindra then untied the leather laces of my pants, she looked away as she pried off my trousers.

I stared at the ceiling, feeling completely incompetent. The tension in my voice heightened as she inserted my feet into the pant legs, "you did."

"After you were stabbed," Cindra contended, her eyes averting once again as she slid my pants up.

I raised my head a bit, tightening my jaw as I lifted myself. A wave of mini daggers attacked the hole by my heart. "Forgive yourself, guardian."

"I have failed you," she stated, loosely tying the leather cords. Cindra's lips puckered to the side as she thought of how she could get my tunic on with little to no movement.

The corner of my mouth twitched, "yes, multiple times."

"Hey!" Cindra yelled in my ear as she lifted me to a seated position.

The door opened then. Nesta stood still, glancing between Cindra and I. Her brows pulling together at the compromising position before she averted her attention elsewhere.

Nesta bit the inside of her cheek as she sauntered towards us. "My apologies," she whispered, setting the tray of food beside Cindra on the bed. She turned away, her spine lengthening as she headed for the door.

"Actually, I must be going," Cindra smiled at her, releasing me back to the bed. She retrieved all of the used clothes and dirty bandages. "But you should stay," she gave me a quick side glance, "it seems that he needs twenty-four-hour supervision."

Nesta peered over her shoulder, her eyes focused on the porcelain bowl of mush.

Cindra retreated, swiftly closing the door behind her.

I still wasn't fully dressed. At this point I didn't want to be if it was going to be this much of a challenge to get changed. I ducked down, wincing from the pain, as I caught Nesta's piercing eyes. "She's only my guardian," I assured her.

Nesta turned devastatingly slow to face me. "And yet she failed at protecting you," the viper snapped before scanning my body. A rosy tint came and went when her eyes met mine again.

"She wasn't given a choice," I replied, noticing her body language shift as she paused halfway between the door and my bed. "I think I might need some help..." I attempted to rise to a seated position, swearing as I fell back down.