Page 110 of The Blackened Blade

Just as I’m thinking that, Gadriel shows up, holding a large black duffel bag.

He kneels in front of me and pulls out wipes, ointment and lots of gauze. I hope he didn’t think I needed that much. That amount would probably wrap the torso of a guy twice my size and still have some to spare.

He leans toward me but then suddenly stops, an awkward look on his face as he flickers his gaze toward the medical supplies in his hands before meeting my eyes.

“I need to…touch you to help. Is that okay?” His nose scrunches slightly with his words, and the small expression has a smile stretching my cheeks. It was an expression I’m sure he would never show in class. Something more casual,cuteeven.

I stifle a laugh and give him a small nod, his own face softening with my grin.

He wipes away the dried blood and dirt around my legs, cleaning them with some disinfectant. His touch is slow and careful, and gentle so as not to hurt me. But concern pinches at his brows with each new mark and wound he finds.

He takes my hands in his, cleaning the small scratches around them but his movements quickly freeze when he reaches my wrists.

Tension radiates from every pore on his body as he goes rigid. His eyes turn cold and hard, with a darker look in them than when he first found me.

He gently pulls my cuffs up further and I flinch.

I had forgotten about the rope marks and how raw my skin was from them. They looked almost blistered now with small parts of my skin peeling from the friction of forcing myself free.

I try to pull my hands away, but he takes them in his, gently cradling them in his large hands. His fingers gently hover above the raw skin before his gaze turns up toward me, his forest green eyes turning a darker shade as he grits out, “Who?”

The anger in that one word has a shiver rolling down my spine. He must notice, because a moment later he releases my hand; his chest slightly swelling and deflating as a look of confliction wars within his gaze. He turns back toward me with a look of almost desperation etched in them as he opens his mouth again, but I cut him off.

“I’ll be fine. By tomorrow there won’t even be a mark.”His brows slightly furrow with my words before quickly straightening out again. His stare falls toward my wrists and feet again as I continue. “Everything will be okay–”

“No.” His face hardens again as he shakes his head. “Whoever did this to you can’t be let off.”He leans in toward me again as his fingers gently brush along my wrists. The contact sends a small tingle down my back. “Anything…anythingcould have happened to you…”

The thought seems to take a little breath from his chest as his eyes close for a brief second before opening once again.

“I’ll never go down without a fight. And I’ll make sure they can never do this to me again.” I meet his deep green eyes, “You may not want to hear this as a teacher…”

He gently takes my wrists in his hands and turns his gaze to the forest beyond us.“With what I feel right now, I would do things a teacher shouldn’t…and not regret them.” He turns his gaze back to me and freezes.

I hadn’t realised I had leaned in closer when he turned away, our faces now sitting just inches from one another.

I feel the slight inhale of breath he takes as our eyes meet, something quickly flickering across his face before he turns away.

“I’ll help.” Before I can protest his words, he pulls himself away and stands. “I’ll train you so that no-one will ever be able to touch you, let alone hurt you like this again.”

* * *

Gadriel wasn’t kidding with the training. If I thought he was pushing me before, I was wrong. Now it was like he was in constant battle mode with endless sparring sessions, only stopping to eat or sleep.

He had also stayed in the academy over the weekend, training with me all day and even having our meals together. I think he might have been worried about the chance of another attack happening and was keeping an eye on me, too.

Truthfully, I enjoyed his company. There was more to him than just the ‘Defence teacher’or the ‘Elven instructor from the Valor clan’.And with each training session and meal, he showed me a new expression; a small smile, a slight chuckle or a soft gaze, things I’d never thought I‘d see on his face or directed toward me.

A small smile stretches my lips remembering I have Defence class as my last lesson today.

I make my way through the corridor as more glares and whispers are directed my way. You would think they would get bored of this shit already, but it just seems to have gotten worse lately.

I meet each glare with a smile of my own, and by the change in their expression, it's not a pleasant one. But I wouldn’t be holding back anymore, even for those that just look or glare at me.

I make my way to the Music room after just finishing ‘World History’ with Mr. Finch. He had been harping on about ‘student conduct’ and ‘proper education’, his narrowed gaze turning back toward me repeatedly in class.

Ever since Annex and Mallyn hadn’t been showing up to his class last week, the ego-ridden fart seems to have a larger pep in his step and boost to his annoying voice.

I head into the classroom, a small headache growing as I make my way toward my seat and notice silence falling from around half the room as I walk in.

---