Kings Game

Chapter 71 - Still Alive

(1)

Kell woke up lying on her back. She was on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. She felt hot and sticky, and there was a weight pressing down on her stomach. Glancing down, she found Karyn laying across her, fast asleep. Kell would have found the image sweet if Karyn hadn't been covered in blood.

Everything was covered in blood; Karyn, the floor, half the nearby furniture, and even Roran passed out nearby. Though none of them were covered in half as much blood as Kell was. She was absolutely saturated in the stuff. It was as if she'd been the source of the macabre scene. Then she remembered that she had been.

"Finally awake?" asked Nul.

They were sitting at the dining table, sipping a cup of tea while they watched her.

Kell grunted in response.

"You almost died," Nul said, their voice even.

"Wouldn't be the first time," Kell said, though her words came out in a croak.

"How does the hand feel?"

Kell looked down at the hand. It was once more a stump, now a little shorter than before. Apparently Kell had missed the scar and severed off a little more than just the foreign hand. A latticework of gossamer covered the shortened appendage, gently pulsing in time with Kell's heartbeat. The wound was completely sealed and there wasn't even a hint of pain.

With a sigh, Kell said, "Better. Much better now."

"I saved the hand if you-"

"Get rid of it! The damned thing was a mistake. I should never have gotten it in the first place."

Nul shrugged and said no more.

Karyn began to stir, slowly rousing herself to stare at Kell with bloodshot eyes.

"Hey," Kell said softly.

Karyn blinked at her, then said, "I hate you," before pressing a kiss to Kell's cheek.

"I hate me too," said Kell. "Please don't tell me you're the one that found me?"

Karyn shook her head. "Roran did."

"So I owe Roran my life now, eh?"

"You owe Sarah," Roran mumbled, his eyes still closed. "After I found you, she went to fetch Nul while I tried to stop the bleeding. After she told Nul that you were dying, she came back and slowed the process until they could get here."

"I guess being friends with Death has its perks," said Kell. "Where is she anyways? I thought she would be delighted to scold me for this."

"She's resting," said Roran. "Keeping someone from the brink of death takes a heavy toll on her."

Kell grunted. "It sounds like we all need rest. You should go get some sleep."

"I was sleeping just fine until you woke me up," said Roran, his voice sassier than usual.

"Well you're full of piss and vinegar tonight."

Roran let out a sigh. It was the most he'd moved since Kell had woken up. "I've had a long day."

"I know the feeling," Kell muttered.

"Want to talk about it?" Roran asked.

Kell scowled and fell silent.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," said Karyn. "You can-"

"The hand was messing with my head," said Kell. "I couldn't stop thinking about the person that I'd taken it from. I couldn't stop thinking that I'd forced someone else to take my fate. It wasn't my hand and nothing was going to change that. I guess the constant doubt was starting to weigh on me."