Page 113 of Wings of Ash & Flame
From the number of cards she sorted through, it was clear Kaia wasn’t the only one injured in the crucible—the only one attacked, Alaire was sure.
The metallic, coppery scent of blood stung her nostrils as she searched until she found Kaia’s.
Before she could reach for the curtain, a soulwarden stepped out and gave her a pointed look. “Not too long, okay? She needs her rest.”
Alaire nodded.
Satisfied, the soulwarden squeezed past her, moving on to the next patient.
“Hello?” Alaire called softly, not wanting to wake Kaia if she’d drifted off.
A throat cleared. “Come in,” Kaia said hoarsely.
Alaire pulled back the thin cotton partition and stepped inside. Her gaze swept over Kaia, checking for damage. Her skin, though pale, was free of the scrapes and marks from earlier.
Thank fuck. She’s okay.
She sank onto the small stool beside Kaia’s bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better, thanks to you.” Kaia managed a weak smile, her eyes alert. “I can’t believe that all happened. Everything is still so frazzled.”
“You scared the seven hells out of me. Don’t ever do that again.” It had been too close.
“Al, I’m okay.” Kaia tried to meet her eyes.
She swallowed down her emotion. “You’re not, though. We need to find out who did this.” Alaire leaned closer, making sure she couldn’t be overheard. “Do you remember anything about being attacked?”
Kaia’s brow furrowed. She closed her eyes and pressed a finger to her forehead. “Hadrian and I were so close to the finish line,” she murmured, voice distant, locked in memory. “I never saw their face, but…” She shuddered, fingers brushing her neck. “Something about them was wrong. They kept sniffing me, rubbing their nose along my neck, whispering like they were fighting their instincts. They kept saying they weren’t allowed to taste. Not yet.”
She drew a shaky breath. “They had a purple-black blade. As soon as it pierced my skin, I felt hollow, like it was draining something from me.”
Alaire’s heart cracked. “Kaia…”
“Whoever it was struck us in the air, catching us by surprise. I clawed and fought to keep my balance, but when I couldn’t hold on, I dragged them with me. I didn’t want them getting away.”
“Do you think it could be a vampire?” Alaire asked quietly.
Kaia opened her eyes, confusion clouding them. “A vampire?”
“What other creature would want to smell your neck?”
Kaia pressed both hands to her gut. “Don’t make me laugh. It hurts too much,” she said, shaking her head. “Alaire, there’s no way a vampire got past House Aetheris and House Vitalis’s defenses. And even if one did, why interfere with an aerial challenge? It doesn’t add up.”
“Nothing about this makes sense,” Alaire muttered, trying to block out the image of Kaia’s broken body. “Which is why we need to be careful. Extra careful.”
Kaia leaned her head back against the pillow.
Alaire lowered her voice another octave. “Do you remember anything else? Anything at all?”
Kaia’s eyes widened; her hand instinctively went to her ribs. “I was bleeding profusely. I couldn’t stop it. The world was hazy. Everything felt cold. Hadrian didn’t want to leave me, but I forced him to go for help. I tried summoning lightning…” Her voice broke. “There was nothing—like the blade took everything from me. Then there was numbness. No pain. No fear. Just stretches of nothing that felt… peaceful. Comfortable.” Her eyes fluttered open. “But then…”
What kind of weapon is that?
“Then what?” Alaire prompted.
“Then there was warmth. A flood of it chased away the cold. It felt like being wrapped in a long blanket, sitting all afternoon in the sun. And you were there somehow. I heard your voice telling me to hold on and stay with you. What did you do?” Kaia pulled up her thin gown; the gash that had once been puckered and raw was smoothed over, leaving only a faint pink line.
“We used an ember from Solflara to staunch the wound. It was the only option to stop the bleeding.” Alaire stared at the mark.
