Dancing On Ice

Taking Sides

~ Double Upload, don't miss the chapter before ~

Kazimir slammed his bedroom door closed and collapsed against it, his chest heaving as he tried to drag breath into his lungs.

His body was still reeling!

All the way back to his room and his body was rocking, jarred and shaken to the core.

He had never, ever felt something like that before.

That intensity.

He had touched other's Hearts before. It was a never something one did without permission of the owner. The feeling was always intense.

But manageable.

It was expected. It was like seeing someone in their rawest state. It was something private and being allowed to witness such a thing was an honour.

That though... that Heart...

Another wave of sickness slammed into him, right in the gut and he put his hand to his mouth, staggering across the room and collapsing against the windowsill, shoving the windows open wide and a strong gust of wind washed over him, spraying him with rain.

Keeping his eyes tight shut, he breathed in deep and worked to steady his nerves.

He couldn't let Aeralie touch that thing.

No wonder his mother wanted it. It was... poisonous. There was a harrowing level of pain stored in that Heart. It wasn't something that could stay on land, away from its true place in the sea. His mother had always had a gift for handling and soothing Hearts – well, so he was told from people who reminisced about his mother before her banishment from the palace.

She had been after that Heart... to fail to bring it back...

Another wave of nausea struck him and he forced himself to not dry heave.

The gentle yet solid hand on his back should have startled him but he was too distracted with the effort of keeping his food where it belonged that he barely noticed it.

"Are you alright?" Cole asked, his voice soft as he leant forwards to see Kazimir's pale face.

"Fine," Kazimir muttered, his voice hoarse.

"Quite the departure. Are you still feeling that sick?" Cole asked.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with," Kazimir said and pushed away from the windowsill, leaning back, eyes openings as he tilted his head back to the ceiling. He took a long, slow, deep breath, releasing it, then looked at Cole and blinked. "You? Why are you here?" he asked, frowning.

"Hah! Good to know I have such presence," Cole said, pulling his hand from Kazimir's back and turning, leaning back against the windowsill. "You looked like you were going to faint like a little lady when you excused yourself just now. I figured that if you collapsed and banged your head off something, someone should know."

"I'm fine," Kazimir said.

"That so? So, you're not going to faint anytime soon and I won't need to find the smelling salts?"

Kazimir frowned at him. "Do I look so frail?"

"You are very pale," Cole pointed out, his hand coming up and fingers brushing along Kazimir's jaw until Kazimir pulled back.

"That's my normal colour."

"Really? You look so unhealthy!"

"You certainly know how to flatter a man."