AN: I feel like this chapter is a little boring. Maybe it's because i'm used to writing so much action. I don't know. Please let me know what y'all think.
~
In the depths of Daemon's mind, she knew she was somewhere else. Somewhere far away from the schooner in which her body lied.
And sitting just across from her, in a chair all his own, was Kirigan. Blackened scars still raked down his face and his dark eyes peered into her own with such grace that Daemon remembered he was once considered a respectable man. A general.
Daemon was curled up on the floor, knees pressed tightly to her chest and arms against her sides as she pressed her hands up to her ears. Her father had yet to speak, but still she did not want to hear his voice.
But even through the barrier of her flesh, his deep voice echoed.
"There's nothing that can hurt you here, little one."
Daemon shook her head, "You're dead. Not real."
"I'm as real as you make me. Daemon, was it? Or should I call you Clarissa?"
Daemon just pressed herself tighter back, "Leave me alone."
Kirigan leaned his head against his hand, "I'm not the reason I'm here. You are. If you really wanted me to leave you alone, I wouldn't be here."
Daemon shot up to her feet, "That's not true! I don't want you here! Go away!"
Kirigan remained unphased by her sudden outburst. He was almost...patient.
Daemon shook her head, tugging at her hair as his words were forced to go around and around in her head, "I don't. I don't. I don't. Why would I want you here?"
"You tell me. No one can figure that out except for yourself. Why is it that you can't let go?" Kirigan wondered, brow raised.
Daemon sat down once again, her voice small, "I don't know."
~
Nina's hands were shaking as they worked over Daemon's wound. Their Daemon. Their precious little sister, best friend, lover, fiance. She was so many things to so many people. It was devastating to have to keep it all together and remember that she was the only thing that could keep Daemon alive.
The knife had been worked in very close to her heart. If Daemon had been at just a slightly different angle when it was thrown at her, she would be dead by now. And if she wasn't as strong as she was, she would have died within minutes.
"Please don't die, Dae. We can't lose you. I can't lose you," Nina whispered, pressing a kiss to Daemon's forehead when she finished closing up the wound.
"She won't die here," Jesper's voice echoed in the room as he stood in the doorway.
Nina turned around to stare at him, trying to blink away the tears from her eyes.
"She can't," Jesper insisted, "Daemon's too good to die here."
"Jesper..."
Jesper stood up straight, looking more serious than she had ever seen him, "Daemon wouldn't do that to us. Not after everything...She doesn't deserve this."
Nina's shoulders sagged, "I know. Out of everyone, it had to be her."
"She's had worse. I mean...she went against Kirigan. She went against one of his best Heartrenders and stayed standing. If she can do that, she can live through this. She has to. She has to," Jesper repeated himself, trying to sound convincing.
"Did you need something?" Nina asked, desperate to change the subject.
"Just trying to find some shackles for the Fjerdan."
"None in here. We can trade if you want."
Jesper stared down at Daemon's unconscious form, "...No. I can go find them."
Before she could get another word in, Jesper had already left, "At least get Kaz down here! He should be the one to come see her. Shitty fiance."
"At least I didn't get her sent to prison," Kaz pointed out as he walked in, now clean of blood.
"Of course," Nina scoffed and turned away from him, "What do you want? She's fine."
"You're the one who was just calling for me to come down here. You can go. I'll watch her for a few hours."
Nina wasn't foolish enough to think this was him being nice and letting her get rest, "Fine. But anything changes, you call me immediately."
Kaz just waved her off, ignoring her muttered curses in his direction as she stomped out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Kaz watched Daemon with guilt building in the pit of his stomach. He approached the table, his gloved hand coming to rest on the top of her head. Her hair that she had been so proud to keep tidy and braided these days was a mess. Of all the things he could focus on, that was it.
Kaz saw an extra bucket of water in the room and pulled it close before he slowly slipped off his gloves.
Kaz slowly began to unravel the first frizzy braid on her head, raking shaky fingers through the tangles and washing it before braiding it once more. He had watched her do this tedious routine every few days in their room.
She would sit cross legged on his bed and slowly braid her hair. Kaz could remember every movement vividly. He remembered the one time that she taught him how to do it. He hadn't dared to reject her teachings. She had been so excited to do so. She had smiled and laughed and talked him through it all. It had looked quite atrocious in the end, but Daemon had kept it anyway, more than happy to show off that he had tried.
Soon enough it had become a sort of loving routine. The action of doing one braid in her long hair. He had gotten much better at it too.
How embarrassing it would be if any of the others knew about it. Jesper would certainly tease him to no end, and Nina would laugh right in his face. Wylan and Inej would probably be the only ones to coo at the action like he was some sort of child. He'd probably stab all of them.
Kaz continued on with the routine, falling into step until the time began to pass quickly. He didn't even realize how many hours had passed by the time he had completed the task. The once clear water was now tinged red with blood. And Daemon's hair was once again as it usually was.
Kaz emptied out the bucket of red water, getting a new one and bringing it in with a cloth. With tender hands, he washed the blood from her skin. He felt almost foolish doing such things when she was unconscious. Things that he was afraid to do when she was awake. Things that would usually make him hyperventilate. His bare fingers brushing against her scarred skin.
If tears could come to his eyes, they surely would have fallen by now. But Kaz had stopped crying a long time ago. All that was left was guilt and anger. He should never have let her go on her own. Never should have told Daemon to leave his side.
His pity was soon ripped away at the sound of movement on the table. Daemon's brows had furrowed as let out a pained sound before her eyes fluttered open.
"Daemon," Kaz put his hand on her shoulder.
"Everything aches," Daemon said softly.
"You were stabbed. I'd imagine that might bring a lot of pain."
"Oh...right," she said before pushing herself to sit up, "Are you ok?"
Kaz frowned at the sudden switch from her voice to sign language, but didn't say a word about it. He was just happy to see she was still alive.
"You're asking if I'm ok?"
Daemon nodded and gave him an odd look, as if his question was the outrageous one.
Kaz scoffed and pulled on his gloves, "I'm fine. I'm not the one who got hurt."
Daemon reeled back, mistaking his voice for a scolding one, "I'm sorry. I'll do better next time."
"No..." Kaz paused to take a breath, "That's not what I meant, Daemon. It wasn't a critique. You're just too selfless sometimes. It's aggravating."
Daemon raised her hand to sign an apology, but was stopped when he grabbed her hand.
"Don't apologize. I'm not-" Kaz took another deep breath.
Daemon felt laughter catch in her throat before bursting out loudly. The sight before her, of Kaz too confused and tongue-tied to even speak was rare. It had only ever happened once or twice before, and it was always because of her. It always ended with him declaring...
"You are such a confusing woman," Kaz snatched his hand away, "I'm going to get Nina."
Daemon smiled after his retreating figure. His presence did well to take away the lingering pain and fear. He could be so daunting and menacing to the world around them. An intimidating figure with a demon's eyes. It's what got him his reputation in Ketterdam. But Daemon never saw him that way. She never could. All she could see was her saving grace.