Chapter: 29
Kalila's POV:
Everything felt cold to me for some reason as I shiver underneath the covers that I had over me. I had awakened a couple of times before closing my eyes and resting some more. I don't get what happened to me. I was perfectly fine one moment and then the next I ended up blacking out. What strange thing had happened to me? A soft sigh escape from my lips while I opened my eyes to the sun that was blazing in through the arch windows. It seem that it was a warm day, but I couldn't feel the warmth. I was so cold as I curled up on my side.
The door had opened as I lay there on my side facing the arch windows. The blue skies were overhead while the sun's rays were washing down on the city of Acre. The more time that I waste here, the more time those Templars were going to get away, but at the same time. I had to keep a low profile thanks to my Uncle's goons. Someone touched my shoulder and I was startled out of my rest. Not realizing that I closed my eyes again. I look over at the person who had startled the crap out of me and see that Altair was there with Malik.
"You look worst than before..." Malik murmured with concern.
Altair had a deep frown on his lips as his eyes met mine and confusion washed over me. There was worry in those eyes of his. Was I dreaming all of this right now? Altair look away from Malik while I curled up underneath the covers some more. Malik spoke softly, "Kalila, I need you to drink some water and eat something. You had been sleeping non-stop."
I didn't feel like eating anything at the moment and I could feel that Altair was watching me again. I gaze up at him again as he looks at Malik once more, so I did the same as well. He was worried too and I rasped out, "I don't think I have the energy to sit up."
Altair immediately slipped in behind me and gently push me up into a sitting position while my back was pressed against his chest. I felt like one of those rag dolls and I look over at Malik to see him grabbing the water first. He handed me the cup, I reach out to take it and bring the cup to my dry-out lips. The water was refreshing as it went down my dry throat and he took the cup away from me before handing me the food, but I made a face at it.
My stomach rolled at the sight of it as I breathed out shakily, but with the help of Altair. Somehow, I was able to stomach the bowl of whatever Malik had managed to whip up. It wasn't too bad and it was easy on the stomach too. There was only half of it left and I didn't want to finish it, but it seem to satisfy both of the men in the room. As Malik murmured a few incoherent words, he was up and walking out of the room. Altair hadn't moved from where he was sitting behind and for some reason, this was nice. "Why is this happening to me?" I groan softly.
"Exhaustion lays heavy on your shoulders. Neither of us saw how much we were pushing you until your body gave out on its own." Altair explains in a soft voice.
"Why are you being so nice all of sudden?" I sent him a suspicious look up at him.
To my amazement, he gave me a crooked smirk as his dark eyes glimmered with some unknown emotion that I couldn't decipher. Everything was humming softly inside of me and it was because of that little smirk of his. He spoke softly, "I am not angry all the time. You have a knack for getting underneath my skin."
"Likewise," I muttered.
A deep chuckle went through his body while I felt him rumbling against my back, but for some reason. It brought a smile to my lips and it didn't feel forced. It felt natural. A soft sigh escapes from his lips, "Yes, it seems that way, huh?" He murmured against my ear and the way that his breath brushed against the shell of my ear had my stomach in flutters. Something like a twinge happened as I look up at him and to see that he was gazing down at me, his hand pressed against my forehead, "It seems like you're still running a fever." His voice was rough sounding to the ears.
My eyes flutter shut for a brief moment as I reopen to see him move from my forehead to my cheek, "You're cheeks are still rosy as well." His voice had definitely dropped into that rough delicious tone that made my toes curl up.
He brought the blanket up and wrapped it around my waist, his hands brushing my sides. His lips were so close to mine, his eyes blazing with confusion. His thumb tracing my jawline making my body heat up and my chest was beginning to feel heavy, I couldn't breathe. All I wanted from him was more of this-whatever this was. His thumb came to rest on the corner of my mouth, as we stared at each other. I wasn't sure where I was as my surroundings were spinning around and around.
I lean heavily against Altair and it seems to snap him out of whatever state he was in. I was way too dizzy for this. He brought the blankets up more as he didn't say anything and it was silent between us. He didn't let me go but wrapped his arms securely around my waist. My head was underneath his chin and slowly, he relax against me. The door opened and he went rigid again, but I didn't move at all. I stay there against him as my eyelids were closing shut once more as Malik's voice drifted over my ears, "Is she asleep again?"
There was a pause, but I didn't open my eyes as Altair answered hesitantly, "I think so, but she is lightly sleeping right now."
"Damn." He cursed some more under his breath while adding, "I was going to have her drink something."
"Thank the heavens, she is sleeping now." Altair huffed at that. That made me confused. What did Malik want me to drink? Everything was beginning to go fuzzy at that point as I felt safe and secure at the moment.
"Shut up. It would help her faster than anything else that I have right now." He pointed out and Altair was saying something back to him. The darkness took me away from their pointless bickering once again. The last thing that was on my mind was the fact that Altair hadn't let me go the moment that Malik had returned. So, what did that mean?
-(-
As the days passed by, I had gotten a lot better and was able to do some things on my own, but under the supervision of Malik or Altair. So, that was always fun. They were so worried that I was going to drop any moment on them. I probably should have, but then that would earn me another night in my bed. The last thing I want to do is to be laying down. So, I have been doing some reading, and techniques with aiming and throwing daggers. Altair hadn't picked up the wooden swords again as he was too worried about what might happen again.
His worry was not necessary, but it seem that he was insisting that he didn't want to push me even though Malik was agreeing with him. It was rare for those two agreed on anything, but at the same time. It gave me the distance from them to work on my own and to build up my own strength too. I had gone a little bit out and back to the search circles again. This time. I hid in the shadows while taking notes and lean back with my eyes close. Just listening to the people around me. The noise, the chattering, the background noise, I ignore all of them while selecting to hear certain conversations that were nearby.
A smirk spread across my lips when I finally got enough information about Ehsan and where his stronghold was. There was supposed to be a meeting that will be held between him and one other Templar of the city. The Templars have ceased in their search for me as well and now Ehsan was holding a meeting to proceed with their next plans. It should provide some information for me before I decided to slit his throat. That would be incredible to finally end his life for what he had done to my parents. He won't know what will come to him, but something caught my attention.
There was movement coming from further down the alleyway. I was on the edge of it and casually leaning against the wall of the alleyway. Now, my attention was diverted by the sudden presence of someone else. Maybe, it was a figment of my imagination. A soft frustrating sigh escaped from my lips while I look around again before moving on to the next search circle. That was odd. With a shake of my head, I managed to find the next circle of interest. It was a little bit dull this time, but it didn't provide any information at all. How dull.
Soon, I was able to move again. I walk through the alleyways as I was taking my time in getting back to the bureau. The walking did me some good as it along my mind to settle for a moment. I imagine myself being a normal woman living that happy life of a typical woman at this age and being fore to marry someone that I wasn't attractive to or even what anything to deal with, but that was how life worked. Women didn't get a choice and I was ahead of my time. I had an attitude, a mouth, and a mind that works quite well.
No man would have shut me up. Not unless I was dying or tied up. With a roll of my eyes, I couldn't help, but notice that there were some rare cases like my parents had found each other. That they had started a family and lived a happy life, and then tragedy struck them. It was a fear of mine that I was walking their path, but would tradegy strike me as it did them? I honestly didn't know at all as it was something to ponder, but nothing to act on right now. As I was going down another alleyway, there was movement out of the corner of my eye again, and as I move to look behind me. Someone had dropped down in front of me and with such a fast reaction, I had the person against the wall with a small dagger against their throat.
"Altair?" I spoke in a breathless tone.
He was taken aback by how fast I had moved and even had his hands raised as well, "Well, I can say that you can look after yourself now." He breathes out while asking me, "Mind moving that dagger away from my throat before you actually take me out?"
I did. I move away from him and sheath the throwing dagger away once more. I gave a breathy sigh of relief while shaking my head at him, "Was it you that was following me?" I asked him.
He seem surprised, but shook his head, "No, I was wondering where you had gone and was searching by the rooftop." He pointed up above his head to the roofs as fear struck me and I look around slowly again. I was seeing no one there, but I felt Altair's fingers grip my chin as it took my breath away. There was an intensity in that dark gaze of his while adding, "You are still a troublemaker..."
Altair was so close to me that I didn't know whether I should breathe or not while looking up at him with surprise. He lean in close to me as his arm came around my waist my body was utterly paralyzed in his grasp, "Follow me, Kalila."
He spoke my name in such a soft way that it sent a shiver down my back. What the hell was going on here? I didn't know. He had released me and I was able to suck in some air. Not entirely sure what had overcome me, but my cheeks were aflame with heat. I didn't say anything as I made my way up the side of the building and up onto the rooftops with the help of Altair. Soon, we were jumping from building to building and making our way back to the bureau once again.
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