Playing With Fire *COMPLETE* (Obi x OC)

Not Living For This Anymore, You Want A Fight I'll Bring A War

Chapter 17: Not Living For This Anymore, You Want A Fight I'll Bring A War

I think Sobynne wants to curse me even more now. As expected, Mitsuhide was horrible at keeping her occupied so within ten minutes of me getting into the room, she came in ready to murder me. Of course she couldn't disrupt Loxley so all she could do was whisper threats of dismemberment if I tried anything stupid before leaving. Mitsuhide got the worst of it from what I could hear through the door. That's alright, he could use some curses in his life.

I've barely left Loxley's side in two days. She hasn't woken up fully yet and every time she starts to, Sobynne puts her back to sleep. She said that she can't let her wake up because of the pain. I know she needs to heal but it would be nice to be able to talk to her as well. Part of me wants to prolong her waking up because once she's awake and able to move freely, Mitsuhide and I have to follow through on the job we were sent on. I'll have to bring her in to Wistal Castle...

"O-Obi?"

I jolt and turn my attention to Loxley. Even when the medicines started to wear off she never spoke. Was I just hearing things? She's awake, at least partially. Her green eye is opened into a small slit, the brown one is still closed.

"Oh you're awake! That's great, but Sobynne says you need to sleep more because of the pain. Let me go get her."

I get to my feet but before I can leave the bedside, her hand reaches out and grabs my wrist.

"No."

I nod and sit again. "Tired of sleeping?"

She nods slowly, cringing slightly at the movement. I help her sit up slightly before pouring her a glass of water.

"I'm... alive?" She finally whispers, her voice sounding slightly less hoarse than before.

"Mitsuhide said at the last moment I was able to grab your hand and he dragged us out of the house right as it collapsed."

"Lex?"

I tear my gaze away from hers and sigh. "Unaccounted for."

"You're injured."

"They're minor, really." I shrug. "You're pretty messed up according to Sobynne."

"Gee, thanks." She chuckles but it turns into a wracking cough. "How bad is it?"

"Your whole upper body is burned, I'm not sure of your legs, and there's a patch on your face that is burned as well."

"Great... What about lackey?"

"He's alright, just subject to witchy torture. I've got a question, if you're willing to answer."

"What is it?"

"When I encountered Lex, he said you were his sister... Is that true?"

A strange expression crosses her face before it turns back to her resting indifference.

"N-No of course not."

"You're lying."

"You have no proof."

"Loxley-"

"Obi."

"Perhaps I should go fetch Sobynne and have her knock you out again-"

"I hate you." She scowls.

"I just need to know what I'm dealing with."

I'm struggling to process what exactly I'm hearing. It took a lot of threats to rat her out to Sobynne before I could finally get her to speak. Apparently Lex is her older brother but up until the time of the accident, they'd been apart for years. Lex left their home when she was young and ended up on the seas as a pirate and she eventually left and took on her life of an assassin. She glossed over the job that started the fire and the rest of her life over the years so I don't know too much about her beyond that. When the house went up, she was trapped inside and was left unconscious. She woke up a few days later in a cottage with Lex caring for her and he used the fact that he saved her and the familial connection to force her into working for him. When she started to act against him he began using her new-found fear of fire against her.

As she finishes her explanation, I open my mouth to attempt to make words come out but I'm saved and cursed by Sobynne opening the door. She greets Loxley with a smile before swiftly smacking the back of my head and yelling at me for not alerting her to her waking up. I know she'd redirect her wrath to Loxley if I rat her out for not letting me go so I cast a wink at Loxley before telling her that she's a poor healer if all her time is spent harassing the injured.

I've been barred from visiting with Loxley anymore during her healing. Once Sobynne looked her over and gave her some medicine for the pain, I was unceremoniously shoved out of the room so she could be bathed and have her wounds redressed. I guess I'll just have to hang out with Mitsuhide then... I find him outside in the gardens about to touch a plant with poisonous qualities if absorbed through the skin. That sounds about right for him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, otherwise you'd die or worse, we'd be stuck here with Sobynne even longer."

"What, why?"

"That's poisonous when touched."

I didn't think I'd need to further explain when I mentioned the fact he'd die for touching it but here we are...

"How's Loxley? Did you confess? I heard she woke up finally."

"She's hurting but alright. There's nothing to confess. She is awake though and I've discovered more about her master."

"You're lying through your teeth, but it's good about the other things. So, when are we leaving?"

"That's what you and I need to discuss... Since she is technically awake, we could leave at any time and we can return to the castle but there's still the danger of Lex trying to come for her and putting the castle at risk."

"Staying here can put Sobynne at risk as well though. There are more people to defend Wistal than there are here. If he catches wind of us being here, that'll be the end of her home and likely her life as well as ours."