Wolverton Falls

24. A Dangerous Argument

IT WAS A man's voice that work her up from her sleep.

"You did not see what I saw!"

Her ears had instantly picked up on the pure wrath in his thunderous voice. She felt her languid figure tremble beneath the cotton sheets. Her fingers twitched for a moment; her muscles slowly stirred as she began to gain consciousness.

She heard the rough voices of two people arguing entering her senses. A foreign language flittered by, a wave of animalistic growls and violent vibrations disturbed the room she was confined within.  

Her brown eyes finally opened.

She blinked a few times to rid the blurriness within her jarred vision. Her head ached painfully as she tried lifting it from her pillow. She managed to raise her arm; her fingers automatically flittered over her face drowsily. A small, disorientated moan escaped from her lips. She slowly inched her arms back, elbows digging into the plush mattress as she tried to sit her languid body upward.

Her cloudy stare managed to settle on the two unmoving figures standing by the end of her bed. They were frozen in place, like flawless granite statues.

As her eyes finally began to focus, her brows pulled into a deep, confused frown. She first noticed the male, who barely breathed as his own sharp gaze met hers. She carefully assessed his features. He had a dark beard closely shaven to his sharp jawline, dressed in dark understated clothes, long fidgeting fingers curling and unwinding by his side. His chest was impossibly still as his piercing russet eyes meticulously ran over her frame engulfed by sheets. From the bare skin of her slender shoulders peaking from the tousled shirt to miniscule cut healing on her rosy bottom lip.

All she could do was breathe his name, "Luka."

Silence followed once she spoke.

Her questioning stare quickly moved to the woman next to the soundless man.

Katya's facial expression was a one of shock as her lips parted with pure disbelief. She silently assessed Maggie's confused, bambi-like face. Her straight auburn hair was undone, tucked behind her ears and resting on her shoulders with small, thin tresses framing her bare face. Sweat had accumulated upon her forehead, face slightly flushed and the girl was dressed in an oversized t-shirt. Her eyes were slightly tinged red as translucent tears clung to her thick lashes. Her arm reached to her brother's clothed bicep, delicate fingers winding around the fabric as if trying to grasp the situation itself.

"Impossible," The Russian exhaled in complete awe. But her tone soon warped with foreboding trepidation as she whispered to her brother, "What dosage did you give her?"

Luka couldn't stop staring at the small human girl who continued to astonish him. His body hadn't moved from his position, unable to comprehend how the girl knew his name. With his mind running rampant for an explanation, it became suddenly void when he realised this had never happened before. The girl just intently watched him, her cheeks flushed pink and body trembling slightly. She recognised him. 

Feeling his sister tighten her grip on his arm, he finally articulated words.

"All of it,"

Katya crossly looked back at her immobile brother, "что? [What?]"

He didn't reply, still straining to clear his own mind to wrap around the situation. His chaotic mind could barely attempt to follow his regular processes – Maggie had completely stalled him. His mind was shrouded by an ambiguous voice and blurred images which caused a painful ache in his head. A aggravated huff of air finally escaped him as he was able to tear his eyes away from her.