Page 40 of Unraveled
Naheli’s purple tongue lolls out as she pants. Her eyes are intelligent, following every single one of our movements. Ash continues drinking, on and on, until he’s put away half the bottle. He meets my gaze, and alcohol hazes his eyes. “Alright, Monster, I’m all yours now.”
A breath escapes me at once, and it takes me longer than I care to admit to gather my strength. I bring the needle back to his chest and get to work.
“Have you sewn anything before?” His face scrunches as I tie the first knot.
“I patched a dress or two and can guarantee you my skills are not what you desire.” I smile, wickedly. Rejoicing in the way his face falls.
“Great, just what I need. A crooked scar to go along with losing my gods-damned mind,” he mutters under his breath, and leans back while his arms wrap around his body.
Is he referring to the fact that he will eventually lose his mind because of the curse? Or something else?
“Do you always mope about with strangers when you’re drunk?” I frown at the teasing in my voice.
I don’t want to flirt with him, but it’s hard when compassion clouds my judgment, and I can admit I find him alluring. I takein the beauty of the toothy, drunken smile that stretches across his face, even though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Only when they’re as lovely as you—even if you can’t stitch a straight line to save me from a terrible scar.”
Heat flushes my face, but I keep my lips tightly shut as I loop one more stitch around the first wound and cut the string. There’s no need to obsess over what he just said. He’s drunk and has lost a lot of blood. I don’t even like him... I mean, I find him attractive for a bird, but there is nothing else going on in there.
I stitch up the last two wounds and silence falls between us. Awkward and heavy with tension.
“Why didn’t you get your stone earlier? I wouldn’t have stopped you,” he admits. Naheli whines again and plops to the ground beside Ash. I almost forgot she’s here.
When I meet his gaze, my chest tightens and I turn away, pressing my lips together as I swipe over his wound with a bit of wet gauze. I put it away, pick up the clean wrappings, and unravel them. I feel like I might say nothing, it hurts too much, but I surprise myself when the words spill out.
“It didn’t want to come with me.” It sounds so stupid when I say it out loud, because why would I speak of a thing like it has feelings?
Surely he will mock me now for the rest of eternity.
“It changed alliance?”
“Is that even a thing? It’s been in my family for generations. It shouldn’t... I never thought objects could do something like that.” I wrap the white gauze around his torso and shoulder, making sure it’s tight enough to stay in place while he sleeps.
“It doesn’t happen that often, but Nera has a gift with artifacts. They always respond to her, though tying herself to a strange necklace can be problematic.” His face turns with worry, and perhaps some of his previous intoxication evaporates.
“Why did she do it then?” I wish my voice didn’t sound so accusatory, but I can feel my father’s disappointment in me, even though he hasn’t been alive for a while.
“Her affinity is chaotic when she’s under the effects of the blood moon.”
“It was my mother’s,” I admit, not sure why I’m being so candid with him. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t slept at all, or the near-death experience we shared has somehow made me delusional enough to feel like we connect somehow. “My father gave it to me before he died, and he made me promise I’d protect it, and not let anyone see it.”
Ash’s eyes soften as he studies me in silence. I’m sure my failure is written across my face.
“You don’t need the amulet to wield magic, Monster.”
It’s what Finley said before, though at the time I didn’t believe him. But after what I did in the study with Nera, I’m starting to.
I grin and flatten my hand across his shoulder, smoothing the bandage over his skin before pinning it in place. “Why are you being so nice?”
“Perhaps I’m drunk.” He drags one of his hands through his hair, glaring at the discarded bottle on the floor. Dark wavy locks stand in disarray, and he closes his eyes and leans back. “Or maybe I’m grateful you saved my life.”
I shouldn’t feel worried he’s nodding off, especially when he drank almost an entire bottle of whiskey on his own in record time. But Nera isn’t back yet with the potion, and I can’t help but wonder if this is the poison’s doing.
“Well, you have saved me from the lunargyres two times already. It seems only fair that I return the favor.”
“Three times.”
“Huh?”
