The Cardinal Bird (1 of Cardinal Series)

Chapter 18

We didn't see Axel or Brandon on our way up, but Corey was there to meet us at the top of the stairs. Silas had ended up carrying me after the first floor but not because I asked...but, because he "wanted to."

"Camera's off," Corey said simply, his blue eyes trailing over me. He smiled big. "I liked you in my shirt better."

North was close to him and moved his hand, as if to hit him, but he held back at the last moment.  Corey noticed too because he turned his big grin on him. North just shook his head but otherwise didn't say anything.

"Hey," Nathan said, sounding miffed. "How come he doesn't get in trouble for comments like that? If we had said it, you would've punched us."

North shrugged his shoulders, stepping up onto the landing and passing by Corey's still grinning figure. "He's not on my team."

Nathan was quick to follow, right on his heels. "But he's on our temporary team."

North just kept walking down the hall as Nathan hounded on him.

I looked up at Silas, my eyes round. "Does he hit a lot?"

Silas smirked. "Only because he cares."

Huh, that had been Silas' sage advice about his yelling, too.

"Hey!" Corey said, overhearing us. He turned down the hall to follow after where Nathan and North had gone. "Don't you care about me, North?"

Karl let out a groan. "I'm working with children." He looked over at us. "Come on, we have some wounds to treat. Hopefully we can get Dr. Roberts or Dr. Green on the line. What time is it over there, anyway?"

"They're seven hours behind us," Brandon said, appearing out of nowhere.

"Oh," Karl looked pleased. "That'll be perfect then. Let's head to the rooms. Sang, you'll be in the four-bed dorm with the attached bath. However, we will have to pick out some people to be in the room with you overnight. I don't want you alone. It's too dangerous."

I agreed, but I didn't want to. I was risking these people left and right, and I couldn't seem to stop. That made me selfish. As selfish as I had been when I gambled Kaz's life. A gamble I had lost. I swallowed down the tightness in my throat and fingered the twine bracelet on my wrist.

There were other sets of footsteps trailing behind us, so I peered around Silas' shoulder to see who had joined us. I wasn't surprised to see Brandon, but the rest of the team was there as well--even Raven and Marc whom I was sure were going to get the police called on them.

Marc sent me a wink when he noticed my eyes on him. Raven caught the wink and started to turn his head in my direction. I don't know what it was about the Russian, but I chickened out and ducked back behind Silas before he could finish turning.

"Aggele, you are cute."

My eyes widened at being caught and called out. With nowhere to go to hide from Silas as I was still in his arms, the best that I could do was tuck my head into the side of his chest and close my eyes.

My body shook with the rumbling laughter of Silas' chest as he continued to carry me.

"What does that mean?" Raven asked from right beside us, causing me to startle. "Aggele?"

It was funny to hear the word pronounced with a Russian accent, but his question helped to slow my heart rate down from where it had skyrocketed. I perked up to listen.

"It means Aggele," Silas said simply.

I sank back down, trying not to show my disappointment.

A big hand ruffled my hair, dislodging my head from where it was nestled in to Silas' side. "She is not this Aggele. She is malen'kaya ptitsa (little bird)."

I titled my head back to look at Raven upside down. "Почему ты так называешь меня? Маленькая птица? (Why do you call me that? Little bird?)"

He just ruffled my hair again in answer. The displaced air carried the scent of the tank, reminding me of things I'd rather forget. I desperately wanted a shower.

"Я могу присоединиться к вам, если вы захотите. (I can join you if you'd like.)"

My face burned bright at the dual realization of what Raven was offering and at the fact that I had spoken my thoughts out loud without knowing.

I went to hide my face again, but Silas tightened his arms around me momentarily, drawing my attention. He had an intense look on his face as he spoke to me. At least, I thought he was speaking to me.  I didn't understand a word he was saying, but the smooth cadence of the murmurs rolling of his lips and tongue made me warm.  "Μπορώ να εντυπωσιάσω τα κορίτσια με την προφορά μου, επίσης, τρελός Ρώσος."

I shifted in his arms, no idea what he was saying but physically feeling the force of his gaze. Before I could spontaneously combust, Axel spoke up. "Stop teasing Sang, you two. If you can't behave like adults, you won't be an option to stay the night in her dorm."

Raven's jaw audibly snapped shut from behind me, and Silas straightened up becoming even taller if that was possible. They finished the walk in silence.

Marc sniggered from somewhere behind us. "That got them to shut up!"

"Закрой его, черт побери. (Shut it, you fucking fucker.)" Raven grumbled.

Marc appeared on the other side of Silas. "Saaang, what did he say?"

My cheeks went right back to red as my eyes widened.

Raven jogged forward a couple of steps to walk backwards and caught my embarrassment. Because he was walking backwards, he didn't see North stepping out of a room just down the hall, standing in the middle with his arms crossed. It was amazing that Raven couldn't feel the glare digging into the back of his head.

Raven winked at me, and turned around, right in to North's imposing figure. Neither one of them budged or bounced back, so they were in an awkward and rather intimate stalemate--North with his scowl and Raven with his hulking figure and tense shoulders. In an instant though, Raven had slung one of those massive arms around North's neck, probably trying to put him in a friendly headlock, but failing because they were so close in size.

"Aww, South. You are no fun."

North just pushed him away. "I'm not trying to be fun. In case you forgot, Sang was shot and could be dying of an infection."  

Author's note:

In case you were curious, but it does not need to be known for the story.  Silas: (to Raven, but looking at Sang) I can impress girls with my accent too, you crazy Russian.