The world is heavy, thick with air and cold heat, burying voices and memories in a dark silence of nothing. It’s dark, but bright. The air’s heavy; but not so much so as the blood. The world tips on the edge of wrongness, but also on the edge of normal.
It’s a glass snow globe, the outside polished and clear, appearing as if the little house on the other side is complete and normal. Inside the house is in shambles, broken furniture on the roof and the doorways lined with jagged grinning teeth and the carpets a wet tongue lolling around uselessly.
Kiera feels like the house, at once perfect, and yet destroyed. Whole and ruined.
Her mind claws for purchase on the world hovering just out of reach. She needs something physical; some sound, a touch, even a little bit of light to burn away the crawling darkness. Anything real.
For what feels like hours, Kiera floats at the edge of consciousness, grasping painstakingly at things that dissolve before she can get to them, before she can pull herself out of the endless pit.
Something within her stirs, awakening from some deep slumber within her, forcing her need to wake fully. It’s not pain, nor it pleasure, but a weak, frail presence.
The next time something remotely real creeps into Kiera’s void, she attacks it with her weak mind. She forces through the endless drift of black until finally red seeps into the oblivion. Some distant part of her realizes its light.
Next comes the pain, a lingering spectacle.
For a moment, Kiera hovers on the edge. The heavy, endless darkness calls her back, slowly wrapping around her limbs like living creature ready to consume her. To move forward will surely bring back the pain.
The darkness becomes more insistent to the point where Kiera can’t feel her hands or feet, an insistent numbness taking over again.
The light’s low in the room, but still harsh to her eyes. She blinks away the blank world of darkness and white light, two sorely contrasting plains in her minds set. The pain she’d expected doesn’t ravage her strait away, which she’s thankful for. Instead the pain stays a weak shadow.
Her muscles tense as adrenaline pours through her veins; if she’s in pain, someone hurt her.
The room is empty, completely made up of white and middle toned greys except for the wall opposite her which is a pale olive green.
Before Kiera can think of struggling out of the bed her memories return.
She relaxes slowly. The people who put her here didn’t hurt her. Kadar appears again; teeth bore in a wicked wolf grin.
Other glimpse come back, these one’s clearer then the over exposed, blurry shapes like when she was running, but hazy in a way as if at the time her brain couldn’t hold ever piece of information and had discarded or locked up details.
First she remembers a mental jumbled of voices, someone pleading and lots of yelling. Hands grabbed her, pulling and moving her as pain shatters her very being.
Next she’s screaming, but she doesn’t know why. Someone’s hovering over her, holding something at the time that must have been terrifying, but now is missing from her memory all together. Chase is holding her down. Somewhere beforehand she’s shifted from wolf to human, and she keeps crying something her brain won’t come to terms with.
Before she can linger on anything else she’s back in the darkness and flailing. Panic. Pain. Fear. Suffocation. It’s dark and light again, both assaulting her as she struggles. For what? She wants it to stop, it all to stop. A small prick in the arm and the world falls black again; endless.
She pulls back into reality. The dimly lit room is more comfortable then the horrors in her memories.
Kiera struggles to sit upright in the bed, but freezes before she can put her right arm on the bed. She doesn’t feel the pain but a warning stabs at her mind anyway.
Carefully, she wiggles up using only one arm, leaning heavily onto the pillows which threaten to swallow her. She examines her arm to find only a simple bandage wrapping from halfway down her forearm to her thumb. It’s simple, much less complex then she’d feared for the warning going off in her head.
Carefully she pokes at her wrist. There’s no more pain then what’s already creeping through her.
Kiera assess for any other wounds. Her body seems fairly fine, except for her neck which feels like it’s been glued shut and filled with something thick and yuck. She struggles around in the bed, searching for a glass of water. It’s on a white and green bedside table.
She glares at the glass.
Of course, it’s on her right side, the same side to her bandaged wrist. She doesn’t think it will hurt to grab it, she suspects she’s been heavily drugged; she can smell the chemicals.
She twists on the bed, using her left hand in case she drops the glass while using her right. The warning at her back of her mind goes off, but she ignores it again.
The waters good, but she nearly chokes on it several times. Whatever’s in her throat doesn’t seem to want to move, making the water burn a trail down and almost come up again. After the first three times of nearly throwing up all over herself, Kiera finally learns to drink slower. It’s a bitter sweet feeling, nice and cool and quenching her first, but burning and choking her at the same time.
When the glass is empty she sets it aside again.
Kiera glances around, unsure what to do with herself until finally she tosses the blankets off and carefully steps out of the bed. Pain laces through her elbow sharply. Kiera pauses, not quiet in pain, but aware that it should hurt. The clear tube’s still strapped to the inside of her elbow. She glimpses, feeling sick at the thought of it being inside her. Quickly she pulls at the tube, tearing away the clear tape with it. She stares at the metal object for a moment. It’s not a full tube, only a needle end attached to the tube that dribbles clear liquid through it. She drops it.
The rooms small, scarcely decorated. It’s so far from the Alcrest style that Kiera’s sure she’s with the Revokers; though her haze memories make it clear.
The Alcrests have so much in the rooms it’s like trying to make the house looked lived in. The infirmary is large and spacious, but still filled to the brim with decorations and furniture; Fresh flowers, hanging paintings, simple couches, tables and small statures of wolves and naked people without arms or legs all stuffed in every available spot that didn’t stop people from moving.
The revokers have nothing in comparison. A lonely bed, bedside table, a small standalone wardrobe and one tall potted plant sitting in a corner next to a door which Kiera assumes leads to the bathroom.
Next to the other door, is a window that looks more like a mirror then glass. It reflects the room, but a shadow moves behind it, and a second later Corinth steps through the door with an audible sigh of relief. “We didn’t think you were going to wake up. If a human went through what you did, I don’t think Travish would have bothered. If I was bitten…let’s just say I wouldn’t be alive. But you’re already walking around….which you shouldn’t be. Sit down.” She motions vigorously at Kiera.
Kiera shakes her head. “I feel fine.”
Corinth looks ready to force Kiera back onto the bed, but relents. Kiera’s glad, because she doesn’t feel ready to show the girl whose boss, but will if she has to. Instead Corin only motions to the bed. “Please. Travish will be here in a moment and it’s easier to check your healing if you’re sitting.”
Kiera growls softly, but sits back on the side. Instantly the world seems to straighten from its odd tilt.
Corinth eyes the clear hose, but says nothing about it. She leans against the wall. “So what did you do to this…Kadar, was it? Chase said he was at your house and attacked you… He was terrified you would die, you know.”
Kiera doesn’t understand why Corin would mention Chase’s feelings like that. She doesn’t say anything about it though and thinks about the rest for a moment. She doesn’t really understand why Kadar cared that she wasn’t inside the compound; once he found out she was a traitor, she could understand perfectly. Why he was outside waiting for her, why he waited so long, why he needed to know; she can’t figure out.
The other girl sighs. “Kiera, you said you were on our side, that means you have to-“ Corinth starts.
“I’m thinking” Kiera murmurs absently. A moment later she sorts her thoughts enough to speak. “Kadar found the way we were getting out...He confronted me about it, but didn’t like the answers I was giving him. He got angry, I got angry. The next thing I know…he’s attacking me. “
Corinth looks grim, but her eyes are almost sparkling with something Kiera can’t decipher. “Great, that’s great.”
Kiera frowns. “Weren’t you listening? I said he found where we were getting in and out, he tried to-.”
The blond girl rolls her eyes. “It was sarcasm, Kiera. Of course it’s not great; it’s the opposite of great.”
She purses her lips. Corinth seems to like adding ‘Kiera’ to every sentence; as if she likes to say her name. She doesn’t know which is more likely.
The door opens again.
As if the action is hotwired into her, Kiera tenses. It’s only a Revoker, wearing a long white jacket that Kiera eyes wearily. It looks like something someone will wear to hide a gun or to blend into the snow; or to look ridiculous. She doesn’t recognise the man more than from a brief glimpse from the memory where she was screaming.
A faint reminder of panic flickers through her.
She’d been petrified of something he held then; should she be scared now?
“Good to see you awake, although, I must say those sedatives should have kept you under for a few more hours.” Travish isn’t a menacing man, but Kiera feels vulnerable at the memory. He’s not tall, barely an inch taller than Kiera herself. He’s much more tanned, with hair that’s unsure whether it’s black or dark brown.
“I don’t like being sedated,” is all Kiera snaps. She suddenly fears he will put her under again, losing her within the empty darkness. The thought’s terrifying.
Travish glances at her from where he’s looking at the plastic tube and bag. “It was only a precaution. You were too aggressive when Chase brought you in. You gave Corin a good reminder not to get to close when your half dead.”
On cue, Corinth pulls her sleeve up. Her upper arm is a pretty patch of blue, purple and green from her shoulder down.
“I’m pretty sure you got Chase too, but it’s hard to tell with already so many bruises. We had to keep you under to assess your wounds. You shouldn’t have taken out the IV, by the way”
“I don’t like people sticking things in me’” Corinth mimics Kiera voice horribly. She flashes a grin. “Don’t worry about it doc, she’s already healed. Just look at her. She was standing up when I came in”
Travish grumbles as he moves the IV stand and tubing away, fixing it all up. When he comes back over he leans down, touching Kiera’s chin firmly. “Tilt your chin up.”
Kiera growls, but the sound’s odd and painful. The memory of Kadar’s attack is too fresh, and Kiera can hardly think about exposing her throat to another man. She clenches her jaw but does as he says. Her wolf stirs in her, furious to be so bare.
Travish’s fingers are warm, prodding her neck gently. “It’s a good thing you heal pretty fast. It’s only been 36 hours, and all you’ve got is a few red marks and probably what will be a scar.” He pulls away. “How’s your throat.”
“Gross”
Corin barks a laugh. “Good old Kiera won’t admit to anything that will make her feel weak.”
Travish sends the other girl a glare, but talks to Kiera, “Your wrist was fractured. I was going to put it in a support, but I figure with your healing it’s almost healed. I’ll run another x-ray in a few hours, but I suggest going easy on it for now. We gave you a bunch of morphine too, but your body likes getting fixing itself quickly. I put a little in the IV so that you constantly had a small dose. I figured you fight it off too fast to do any good otherwise.
“Chase is in the cafeteria by the way. If the pain starts coming back, find me and I’ll get you some painkillers” Travish nods a final goodbye before leaving.
A few minutes later, Kiera’s at the cafeteria with Corinth at her side. Despite her stomach demands for food, Kiera’s bladder had been more important. She couldn’t believe how badly she needed to go after 2 days of being unconscious. She’d taken a quick shower, since regardless the others attempt to clean her, she felt dirty all over. Dry blood was under her nails, caked in her hair and odd dry flakes on her chest, neck and arms, not to mention making her clothes crusty.
She’d checked her neck. It was already healed, but pink all the way around the front, with red lines where Kadar had torn. She can faintly make out where his teeth were. It was a horrible reminder, and most certainly would scar in the worse parts.
Corin had thankfully brought a spare change of clothes, which Kiera is thankful for.
The cafeteria is nearly empty. Raymond glances at Kiera sharply, but most of the malicious intent isn’t in his eyes; he still doesn’t look anywhere near happy though.
Kiera crosses the room to Chase whose back is facing her. She drops onto the seat, realizing for the first time how weak she feels.
From the speed in which Chase turns his head, Kiera’s almost surprised his head doesn’t fly off. The skin under his eyes is bruised, and his hairs messy, but the grin he gives is almost heartbreaking.
His body follows his head, but he stops before throwing himself on her. For a moment he seems locked in place, hesitating. His grin drops slightly, but he doesn’t look any lease relived. “Thank god” he whispers. His eyes look wet as he stares at her. He touches her face gently, making sure she’s real. His hand slips lower to her neck, where his touch burns the raw skin.
Kiera pulls away slowly, not because of the pain, but she doesn’t want to remember how close she’d come to dying. “Do not cry on me,” she says forcefully.
Chase laughs. “Can I hug you, please can I hug you?”
She scowls without pause, offering a soft growl of displeasure. “I’m not your pillow.”
He laughs again. “Oh I missed you.”
“Don’t get mushy on me,” Kiera smiles to herself faintly, but her tone is firm. After a moment she leans into Chase, resting her head on his warm chest. His arms snake around her. She allows him to hold her for a minute, allows herself to just relax and let his presence be comforting. “You too” she whispers so softly she doesn’t think he can hear.
If he does, he says nothing.
When she pulls away a tray of food is sitting in front of her. She glances at the Revoker across from Chase, wondering if he had gotten it for her. Corinth is halfway across the room with Raymond; she doesn’t think it was either of them.
They turn to their food. Chase’s plates practically full and Kiera realizes he probably hadn’t been eating when she’d walked in, but playing with his food instead.
Halfway through the meal she pulls back. Without bothering to ask Chase, she lifts the back of his shirt. At first she wonders if she was wrong about him being hurt. Maybe it was all Kadar’s blood?
Then she gets to his shoulder blades.
A long pink line curves down his shoulder, twisting under his ribs like three hooks dragging through his skin. She can see the edge of a bite mark on his shoulder. She glances at Chase watching her over his shoulder, looking almost scared that she will do something, say something. Kiera turns her eyes to Chase’s back again. She wants to lean in, kiss the scar like Bree had done when Kiera was a kid. Instead she runs her thumb over the wound lightly. She drops his shirt, but doesn’t turn away.
“Thank you” she says softly. Saying it out loud is worse than it was in her head, as if she’s finally acknowledging what she wants to forget. She nearly died. She would have died.
She would be dead; but Chase was there.
“Don’t get mushy on me” Chase teases, grinning at his own joke.
Kiera says nothing about it; instead she leans in for the second time today, this time squeezing under his arm on her own accord. He pulls her close, and she realizes three things as she finds comfort in Chase’s embrace.
First; she is no match against males. How many more times does she nearly have to be killed before she learns it?
Secondly; Chase seems to be feeling pretty good about himself despite the fear she’d die; after all, he’d just earned his first scar and beat Kadar in a fight. She hopes he’s dead, but doesn’t hold her breathe.
Lastly; …She can no longer deny that she has feelings for Chase.