Page 71 of Love and War

Or he knows.

Shaking my head, I refused to let myself think about that right now.

My gaze locked onto the “X” on the top of my left outer eyebrow. So close to my temple, my eyes couldn’t move away from it. How did it get there? There’s no way I got it from the accident. That meant someone, someone cut me while I was knocked out.

I couldn’t catch my breath; it was caught in my lungs. Wouldn’t even make it to my throat.

“Aziza.” I could hear Killian calling my name, but he was so far away.

Darkness was invading my vision again; I felt the weight of everything pulling me down. My chest felt so heavy, I couldn’t stop rubbing my throat. Scratching at myself. I needed air. I needed out.

Someone was trying to kill me.

They almost killed me.

“H—help.” My voice was raspy, barely making any sounds. I felt like I’d swallowed glass. Maybe I did.

Did I swallow some?

Was that why it was hard to breathe?

“H—”

The sound of footsteps stopped me from yelling. My skin went icy as they approached. I couldn’t see them, but I could feel them.

“No one’s coming to help you.” A voice appeared next to me. I couldn’t see him. But I knew that voice, I just couldn’t place it.

“Who, who ar—”

“You’ll know me as Devil, but your number is up…” His words barely registered before the fiery pain against my head caused me to black out.

“Aziza, come back.” That sweet boy's voice called to me. My vision was still blurry, but I could feel him against me. His warm skin pressed firmly against my cold, shivering one.

“That’s it, moya Printsessa, come back to me,” he whispered against the shell of my ear. I leaned into Killian, begging him to keep me sane. I needed him more than I needed the air I was desperately trying to suck in.

“When you were fourteen, I remember you were practicing your pirouettes, and you kept getting dizzy.” My heart squeezed at him remembering the terms of ballet. That he remembered anything about me dancing. “That was the first time you asked me to help you. You were shy and could barely get the words out. But you asked me to grab your arms and just walk in circles while you stayed at a point. We worked on it for hours, and I think that was when I really knew I was in love with you. You didn’t want to ask for help, but you also knew I would do anything for you.” He pressed his lips against the back of my head. Breathing me in.

“Aziza.” His soft fingers caressed my cheek before dragging my chin up so I could look at him. It was hard to look him in the eye, the piercing stare, like he was staring into my soul. “I don’t like you running from me. I don’t like the way you look at me like you’ll never trust me again.Like I’m a stranger.”

I didn’t like the way he felt about him being a stranger. He could never be a stranger to me.

“Please just give me a chance, give me a chance to prove I’m not going anywhere. Because, Aziza, everything I felt before is still the same. You are my world, and I will burn this world down to show you that. Just, just give me a chance. Don’t write me off just yet.”

Could I forgive him for leaving, when I didn’t know why he left in the first place?

I had no idea; I would like to think I could be a bigger person. That I could put the past in the past. But those voices in the back of my head were confusing me. One was the angel, reminding me he loved us. That he was dangerous to the world, but a softy to me. But the devil was telling me that he left once, and he’d leave again. And if he left me again, I wouldn’t survive.

I found myself nodding, agreeing with him.

“Please don’t break me again,” I whispered.

“Promise,” he said, holding up his pinkie finger. I smiled up at him, and not wasting time, I looped mine with his.

“Forever…” I trailed, waiting for him.

“And to the end.” His face brightened, pressing his lips to mine.

Let’s hope this didn’t end with my broken heart, again. Especially when he found out it wasn’t just me.

---