Ancient Wings : Book 1 - Aegis

12 - A Wall Between Them

= Khaius =

Khaius strode into Cidney's apartment.

Only Kraten was in the living room, reorganizing the med kit. Cidney's bedroom door was closed.

"He's in his room," Kraten announced, putting away the contents of the large first aid kit.

He walked further into the apartment. "His shoulder?"

"Fine. Probably won't even scar," Kraten stated as he straightened and slung the bag over his shoulder.

Kraten started for the door. When he reached him, he stopped, his entire body rigid.

"I told him."

His head snapped around and he growled, "Why?"

Kraten's jaw clenched and unclenched. "Because you need him." He left it at that as he strode out the door.

The apartment was silent.

Kraten told Cidney.

He bit back a curse.

If Kraten had just kept his mouth shut, Khaius could have taken Cidney back home and left it at that.

But now... now Cidney's going to ask questions.

He ran his hand over his face.

He went to his door and knocked. "Cidney?"

"Come in," he called.

He opened the door as Cidney sat up on his bed, tucking a stray hair behind his ear. It was such a gentle gesture that it caught his attention.

Changing the way he was thinking, he looked around Cidney's room to give himself a moment to recover.

The walls were a light lilac color. His dresser was on the other side of the room, old white wood with chips here and there. It matched his nightstands and headboard. A closet was on one side of another door across from his bed.

Khaius turned back to him. Cidney was sitting up against a mound of pillows in different colors; blue, lavender, white. The quilt over him was a pale green. His burgundy sweater was too big for him, sliding down his bandaged shoulder.

Finally, he looked at him again. Cidney wrapped his arms around his quilt covered knees.

"Have a seat." Cidney gestured to his bed.

He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat near the end of the bed, a safe distance from the boy.

"Are you alright?" he asked, trying for neutral when he felt anything but.

The urge to touch Cidney, examine every inch of him so he would know for sure that he wasn't injured anywhere else was nearly overwhelming.

Cidney sighed. "Yeah, I just miss my mom. I could use her advice right now."

"About?"

"You," Cidney said quietly before meeting his eyes. "Kraten told me about The Pairing, and what Mates are. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you didn't need to know," he replied, keeping his voice empty.

Cidney's eyebrows went up. "I didn't need to know?" he asked, his voice dry. "I meet the one person I can have a family with, and you don't think I need to know?"

"I didn't believe it was dire information with a demon on the loose. I was going to tell you when we headed home," he lied. He needed him off this topic.

"And if I didn't go with you?" Cidney asked, his voice sharp.

"Then that would have been your choice," he hedged.

"You would have left me in the dark?" Cidney demanded, his voice rising.

"You wouldn't have known-"

"Do you think that matters?" Cidney shot back. He shook his head, his midnight violet eyes glowing. "It was obvious to you that I had no idea what was going on, and you decided not to tell me even though it would affect the rest of my life. You don't get to make that decision for me."

"The Pairing is nothing more than nature making you vulnerable to a stranger and making you feel things you don't want to. And it doesn't matter. Right now, what matters is what happened this afternoon," he stated. "You and Aveo went after the demon alone and you got hurt because of that choice."

"I got hurt because it jerked in a different direction before it died," Cidney countered.

"You both could have been killed. It was reckless and impulsive," Khaius told him.

"You were stuck in that meeting that didn't seem like it would end before sundown." Cidney took a deep breath before continuing. "I didn't want to have to look into another chest cavity because of it. I needed to do something proactive."

The shadows in Cidney's eyes bothered him. His eyes should never be shadowed.

Damn it, I needed to stop thinking like this.

"Cidney, if I'm in a meeting and you want to tell me something, all you have to do is touch my shoulder to let me know you need to speak to me," he explained, his voice hard. "But going off like that, disappearing, is unacceptable. Do you understand?"

Cidney's eyes flashed at him as he continued to meet his gaze. "I understand I scared you. But I'm not a child to have to ask permission to do something, nor do I need you making decisions for me."

There it was, the ammunition Khaius needed.

He looked away from him to the lamp on the nightstand. "Don't act like a child and I won't treat you like one," he said, his voice as cold as he could make it.

His gut knotted, hating what he was doing, but it was necessary.

"Yes, I agree that I won't disappear like that again," Cidney said sarcastically, drawing his gaze back to him. His eyes were angry. "Next time, I'll just leave a note on my way out the door." He shifted to the other side of the bed.

"That is not what I meant," he said, almost growling, his temper waking up.

"It's what you asked for," Cidney said calmly as he pulled on his shoes. "Not to disappear. And I've agreed." He got to his feet and moved around the bed. "I'm going to head down to the Chinese restaurant on the corner. I'll bring back dinner for everyone." He opened the door and walked out into his apartment.

Khaius rose to his feet and went to the doorway. "You're not going alone."

"Watch me," Cidney called over his shoulder as he grabbed his coat then walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

Growling, he was across the room and in the hall in seconds. He slammed open the door to their apartment. The others looked up.

"He's on his way to the Chinese restaurant on the corner," he growled. "One of you go with him."

The others shared a look.

"Now," he ordered.

"Khaius, he might just need a few minutes to himself," Kraten offered. "He hasn't exactly been alone since last night."

He didn't care. At least that's what he told himself.

The other part of him was shouting to go after the boy and apologize. He ignored it.

"Qlide, if he's not back in ten, go get him. Carry him back if you have to."

He turned from them and headed down the hall to his own bedroom. He made a point to close the door behind him carefully.

He sat on his bed and fought back the rage that flowed through him.

He hated having to do that, call Cidney a child when he was anything but.

But it was what was best.

Cidney just kept getting under his skin.

Pain registered.

He looked down. His own talons had slipped out and dug into his thighs.

Khaius cursed, then went about changing.