Page 62 of Obsidian Dream
She hesitated for a second before her training took over.She narrowed her gaze at the almost healed scar and began to cut, the obsidian blade effortlessly slicing his skin.
Talik didn’t move but tensed underneath her, his muscles bunched as he held his breath.
It took a minute but felt like a lifetime before she had removed the tip of the blade.At only a quarter of an inch, it looked inconspicuous—except for the venom-infused part.“Breathe...”
Talik slowly breathed out, releasing the tension in his shoulders.The venom was still in his system, but they had stopped more from releasing.After a few minutes, Talik’s body started to heal, the flesh slowly knitting itself together.His back was still unnaturally colorful, but no new lines had appeared.She’d found a clean piece of cloth in her bag, and was using it as a makeshift bandage, covering the wound to protect it from the dust and dirt while it slowly healed, before she forced him to put his ripped and bloody shirt back on.Talik needed all the layers of protection he could get.In case the creatures, or something worse, came back.
He rolled over to his side, moaning.His brows furrowed in concentration.His black eyes had lost some of their normal shine and were almost dull in comparison.“Your bedside manners are still atrocious.”
“I will work on it.”She touched his forehead again.Her heart thundered loudly in the agonizing silence.After only minutes, Talik felt even warmer than before.He was supposed to be cooling down, not going in the opposite direction.
“Kiki, if I knew you were going to be this nice, I would have gotten stabbed earlier.”
***
KHALIDA
Khalida sighed as shemoved to a kneeling position.They had been in the catacombs for over four hours, and Talik’s fever had barely broken more than fifteen minutes ago.
He had finally fallen into a fitful sleep.The damp cloth on his forehead covered half his face, but even in the dim light, the steam from his skin was hard to ignore.She was careful to ration the water, but she was going to need to find a water supply soon.The rise of his chest was steady enough that he wouldn’t go into shock or cardiac arrest.She leaned against the tomb, the stone digging into her shoulder blades as she continued to watch him, and brushed dirt off her uniform.Her nails were chipped and covered in mud from cleaning the rocks around Talik after he had gone back to sleep.Careful not to waste the water, she had cleaned the obsidian blade before returning it to her backpack.In her right hand, she held the small tip of the blade that had been in Talik.She stared at it for a minute longer before she buried it in the ground, deep enough that no one could accidentally be injured.
If she had been smart, she would have already begun looking for a way out.But she couldn’t drag herself away from him—had made up a dozen excuses because she didn’t want to be more than two feet away from him.Nor could she ignore the growing need within her to make sure he was going to survive.It had nothing to do with their lives being linked.In the quiet moments within the darkness, she had to face her own inner critic.And the emotions that she had long locked away.Maybe she didn’t hate Talik as much as she’d thought.Maybe she was just as much to blame for their history as he was.She had lashed out like he had and had honed the anger and grief of losing Sidra into a weapon.Not caring who she’d inflicted the pain on.Her old fears of not belonging and only being welcomed into the family because of familial duty had been a part of her for so long, she had never actually questioned why she still framed her world in that way.
She gulped, her mouth suddenly dry as she placed a hand on Talik’s chest, careful not to wake him, and in the silence, she let herself be comforted by the rhythmic beat of his heart and steady breathing.After a few minutes, she leaned forward, raising his shirt, angling it so she could see his sides, careful not to awaken him.The purple lines on his side had become dull—a sign that she’d gotten most of the venom out of him.
In the distance, the drip of trickling water continued to echo through the tunnel.It was growing incessantly louder and more persistent the longer they remained in their current position.She needed to find the source.Dante had said the running water had been the lifeline that had saved him and Idris.And hopefully it would be theirs.
Her swords were next to her, as was Blanche.The blaster’s charge had decreased further, sitting at twenty-five percent.At this rate, it would be as useful as a baseball bat in about an hour.She closed her eyes, letting her senses come to the forefront as she searched for any other signs of life.
No one but her and Talik.
After standing, she picked up the spare flashlight and placed it next to Talik.Next, she left both blasters and one of her iron-coated blades beside him, all within reaching distance.She double-checked that Talik was as protected as he could be.He had access to water and weapons.Staying put wasn’t going to help Talik.Or her.She didn’t intend to venture far, but she needed to find a way out for them.Waiting to be rescued was too dangerous.
“Talik,” she whispered as she gently shook him.“I will be back as soon as I can.Your blasters are next to you.”
He nodded in response, his eyes still remained shut.
She squeezed the hilt of her sword, using the hint of pain to anchor herself.In the quiet, she could admit to herself that beneath the burning rage that threatened to consume her, there was a sliver of fear.Fear that no matter what she did, she wouldn’t see a way out of this mess.But she wouldn’t surrender to death without damn well fighting it first.She glanced back at Talik, checking that he was still half hidden by the debris before she turned and stared into the darkness.
There was no obvious way out, except to go farther into the catacombs, into unchartered territory.Into the darkness.
She walked on.
