I Am Seer - Book 3

Chapter 5 - Discussions

"We need to find the Eighth." I said, running my tongue over my teeth as my head whirled with thoughts I was struggling to contain.

Kotaro stiffened slightly. "Didn't you hear what Bohai said before?"

The words reminded me that Ayan and Bohai were present, and I looked up quickly, a heated blush coloring my cheeks. They were nowhere to be seen, however, and the room was utterly empty except for Kotaro and me. They must have left at some point, but I had been so absorbed in Kotaro's and my conversation that I hadn't noticed their departure.

A murmured exchange outside the door informed me that they were still close by, and I looked back to Kotaro. He was staring at me as if he never wanted to look away, and warmth flooded me. Reaching up, I brushed the hair back from his temples, and closing his eyes, he covered my hand with his own.

If we could have sat like that forever, it wouldn't have been long enough. For this brief moment of time, it was as if we were the only two people in the world, but rather than filling me, it left me empty and hungering for more. We'd dallied back and forth for so long, and now that we'd finally found one another, it felt like our time was ruthlessly running out.

A light tap on the door indicated my feelings weren't ill-placed. Kotaro opened his eyes and looked into mine, and I could see he shared my wish that we could shut out the rest of the world for a little while longer even while we knew how truly impossible that actually was. There was also a hint of a question in his expression that told me he was willing to follow through with our desires and ignore the interruption.

"Kota, you little beast. If I have to stand out here holding this tray for another minute, I'm going to skin you and hang your corpse out for the wild animals." Martimus' muffled voice met our ears, and a smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

"He's brought something for you to eat." Kotaro murmured. "I suppose I should let him in." He still sounded reluctant, and I nodded slowly in agreement.

He got up, and I pushed aside the blankets. It was bad enough that I had collapsed in front of all of them and then cried earlier, and I didn't want to look like an invalid now. As I uncovered my legs, Kotato's hands cupped my cheeks, and before I realized what was happening, he pressed his lips to mine again. The kiss was gentle, but it was tinged with need that left me breathless as he pulled away and opened the door.

"Well, it's about time!" Martimus glared at Kotaro beneath his brows. "The soup was getting cold."

He trundled over to the bed and set a tray of food down in front of me. There was a bowl of steaming soup in the center and a cup of tea which looked particularly inviting. As unfortunate as I felt it was that they'd interrupted Kotaro and I, I was rather glad to see the food.

"After what happened, you should be resting not necking." Martimus snorted. "And what's this they're telling me about going to find another tribe? I thought this one was the last of them."

As perturbed as he sounded, he didn't seem overly upset at the idea of continuing our journey, and I remembered our exchange when he'd dressed me up for the last time. For him, this was a chance to continue his work, and in the midst of all my uncertainties and fears, that knowledge, at least, eased a little of my anxiety. Perhaps my fate didn't have to be all bad...if I could just convince all of them that finding the Eighth was the right thing to do, maybe we could avoid the path Azrul and the other tribes had laid out as my only option...

"I think we all were under that impression." Ayan snorted.

"I did not ask you for information." Martimus seethed. "Hearing from you only ever results in the loss of my precious brain cells."