"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."
"And you must take care of those precious two, mustn't you?" Ayan cooed.
"Yes, Bree thinks we should go to find the Eighth." Kotaro spoke up before the situation became even more convoluted.
"So we're leaving?" Martimus looked at each of us in turn, his rough attitude dissipating as a hint of excitement sprouted in his eyes. "I can't say I'll be sorry to leave this place." He added when no one said anything. "The soup was entirely lacking."
"We haven't decided on it yet." Kotaro said slowly, and I looked up to find him staring at me. "We still have things to discuss." There was a war taking place behind his eyes. "And I think—"
A knock on the door interrupted him before he could finish his sentence, and his expression changed. There was a hint of anger but also of resignation, and behind that was a burning desire for more time which masked my own. I wished we could shut out the world for a little longer and relax without worrying about interruptions.
"If we're quiet enough, they won't know we're here." Ayan whispered.
Kotaro didn't turn away from me, and I could tell he was willing to ignore whoever was out there if I wanted him to. Of course, I didn't want to see anyone else right now—especially if it was Azrul coming to try to make amends in some form or fashion. A second knock—this time with a little more force—informed me that there would be no ignoring this intrusion.
"Lord Kotaro?" The voice was hesitant as if whoever was outside the door was uncertain of what he was doing. "Lord Azrul has asked if you are free to speak with him."
Kotaro stiffened at the words, but he still made no move to open the door. Bohai shifted in the background, and his sudden movement caught my attention. His gaze shifted between Kotaro and the door, and I read thinly veiled fury in his eyes as if he would be willing to take it on himself to dispense without our unwanted guest if Kotaro said the word.
"He asked me to come, because he thought you wouldn't want to listen to him after your...altercation yesterday afternoon which is why he gave you the entire night to calm down following my lady Seer's collapse." The voice continued.
I hadn't even thought to ask how long I had been unconscious, but hearing that it had been a night and a day didn't surprise me. No, the word that caught my attention was the mention of an altercation. There was no way...my eyes widened.
"He asked that I apologize for sending the request so late in the evening, but he didn't want to leave it for another night." The words were a drone in the back of my mind as Kotaro's eyes shifted away from mine.
"Did you fight with Azrul?" I whispered, shooting a glance at the others in the room when he failed to answer.
Bohai looked like a wild animal ready to let loose at any moment while Martimus appeared entirely bored. Only Ayan met my gaze, and he was wearing a psychotic smirk which did nothing to encourage me. Kotaro must have been near to losing his mind after my vision took me out of the realm of consciousness, and my imagination was all too quick to supply me with the scene which might have taken place between the two of them.
"Lord Kotaro? What shall I give as answer?"
Kotaro remained utterly still.
"Kotaro!" I hissed. "Did you fight with him?"
Finally, he looked at me, and I could read a certain wildness in his expression which told me all I needed to know. He wasn't sorry, either. In fact, something about the arch of his brow told me that Arzul should be grateful he was still breathing.
"Kotaro, we're still at their mercy! If you beat Azrul, you risk the entirety of the Third turning against us." I was sure he understood the possible implications of what he'd done, but I couldn't stop myself from uttering the words.
"They should be glad, my lady, that it was his hand and not mine that did the damage." Bohai growled. "I would have torn the bastard's limbs off and hung him until he bled dry."
I looked around again—almost as if some part of me hoped to discover someone in the room agreed with me, but the expressions around me were a stark reminder that I was surrounded by trained killers who felt no remorse for doing what they thought was the right thing. The reminder was overshadowed by guilt, however, as recognition set in that I was the cause of Azrul and Kotaro's ruined friendship.
"Lord Kotaro will be there in a moment." I said loudly, looking at Kotaro pointedly.
"I don't want to talk to him." Kotaro said flatly.
"He's your friend..." I protested. "And we're at his mercy. You should sort out your problems instead of leaving it like this."
"He's not my friend, and whatever happens, we'll be leaving soon anyway." He was utterly immovable.
I looked to the others for help, but not even Martimus seemed to think any attempt at reconciliation was necessary. They all thought of Azrul as a monster who had asked me to die for his people, but they didn't realize how much more to it there was. How could they understand the utter seriousness of the visions I had been cursed to see?
"Kotaro?" Azrul's quiet voice outside the door saved me from trying to come up with something to say. "I know you're in there, and I know you don't want to talk to me after what happened between us. Honestly, I don't blame you, and I would gladly continue to give you your space if not for a bit of concerning news I overheard your men discussing outside the kitchen a few moments ago." A brief moment of silence passed as if Azrul were hoping Kotaro would be enticed into opening the door. "I heard you were discussing the possibility of going to find the Eighth?" Kotaro looked at me as if to gauge how I was taking the turn in the conversation. "Please, come out here and talk to me before you make any rash decisions. You must know that trying to find them can only result in all of you dying."
I folded my hands and looked down at my fingers. If Azrul, was against me going to the Eighth, too, could my vision have been wrong? A quiet stirring in the pit of my stomach answered the question with one of its own: Has it ever been wrong before? Besides, there was too much at risk for me to ignore what I'd seen this time.
Kotaro sighed heavily. "I'll go talk with him." He said, and I looked back up at him to find his attention directed toward Ayan and Bohai. "Stand watch in the hall. Don't let anyone come in here." His voice was harsh, but his hand lingered gently on my back. "Eat what Martimus prepared for you and get some rest. I'll be back as soon as I can, and we'll discuss everything together, promise?" His fingers combed through my hair, and I nodded mutely.
With a final sigh, he turned and opened the door, and I caught a glimpse of Azul's downcast face before Kotaro, Ayan, and Bohai blocked my line of sight as they stepped into the hallway. Without looking back, Kotaro closed the door securely behind them, and as the latch clicked into place, something like regret pierced my heart. Staring at the closed door, I found myself longing to get up and chase after him for one more hug as if that would somehow make all of this all right.
"You heard what he said: eat up!" Martimus' voice broke through my foolish thoughts.
Almost physically shaking myself, I began spooning the warm soup into my mouth. Of course, I was being foolish. Nothing would happen in the space of the night, and tomorrow, Kotaro and I would talk about going to the Eighth. Besides, there was no way Martimus would let me get up and leave.
Despite these thoughts, I couldn't shake the lingering feelings of dread welling within me, but as I mechanically ate, I felt my eyes drifting closed. I tried to force myself to wake up with a reminder that I'd slept for hours already, but apparently, waltzing through the horrors of my visions hadn't been restful enough, and sleep inevitably overtook me without taking into account my desire to talk to Kotaro when he got back.
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So what do you think of that? Kotaro and Azrul got into a fight, but Azrul is willing to mend their differences in order to warn them not to go to the Eighth? Could going there be a really bad idea and Bree's just being stubborn? What about her feelings watching Kotaro leave? Is there any merit to them?
Thanksgiving break is much needed...It's truly the best, but I'm not looking forward to all the studying and exams facing me on the other end of it ha ha (kill me now!) I can't believe the semester is almost over, though! It's really exciting, because I absolutely love Christmastime at home! What are you looking forward to most over the holidays?