Chapter 10 #2
Rin was suddenly wide awake. "Oh, sorry," she squeaked, backing out of the bathroom. She tripped on the door frame and nearly fell, but strong arms wrapped around her waist.
Cyrus held her close to his chest, the water clinging to his body getting on her shirt and leaving a damp patch, sticking to her overheated skin.
Droplets fell from the tips of his dark red hair, sliding down his exquisite cheekbones.
He stared down at her. "If you wanted me to hold you, you could’ve just asked, doll. "
Rin stepped out of his arms, locking eyes with him so she wouldn’t trace the shape of his body.
"I tripped," she said curtly, turning to leave.
"Hurry up. I have to get to training soon. I can’t be late.
" Keir was waiting, along with Wyla Iris, the only other girl on Alpha Team.
Like everyone, she feared Rin—the Nova inside her.
Wyla was trained in sword combat, so they were going to meet and get in their training hours together.
Rin had splurged on an Echosword, like Director Ilsa had mentioned once, and she wanted to get the hang of it before she took another assignment.
She was returning to routine, even if a part of her hated that the world kept spinning.
That was life. It went on. And would keep going, even after she died.
"We could always save time and shower together." Cyrus’s words cut through her melancholy, making her turn to him.
"Rule number three," she prodded, arching a pale brow.
Cyrus smirked. "It doesn’t have to be feeding, doll. I can make you feel good, remember. And this time, I won’t be so consumed with hunger." His voice dropped to a growl.
"N-no, thank you." Rin turned, fleeing the bathroom. She could do without a shower today.
The Echosword gleamed in her hands, and she stood with her feet apart on the mat, shoulders back and chin held high.
"Good," Wyla said calmly. She was tall and lithe, with platinum hair.
Rin struck out again, feeling the zing of the blades meeting travel up her arms. Her body twisted at the perfect angle, years of honed grace behind every move, making sword-wielding appear effortless.
Her Echosword had a sleek black pommel, the tiniest of diamonds glittering in the hilt—a soft bit of beauty among the lethality of the silver blade.
When her arms shook from exhaustion, sweat pouring down her back, Rin dropped the sword.
Wyla wiped sweat from her brow. "Good job, Vesperin. Maybe you’re not so bad," she joked.
Rin got the feeling the girl wasn’t talking about her swordsmanship. "Thanks for meeting me, Wyla."
"Anytime. Not many use Echoswords. It’s nice to practice."
Every time Rin held her gun, she thought of Kit. How he had bought her first gun for her, taking her to the range when they were younger and teaching her how to shoot.
On the other side of the training room, Keir pummeled a black punching bag, sweat drenching the back of his Academy-issued shirt. His grunts filled the room.
Wyla and Rin walked to the benches. Rin grabbed her water and sat with a sigh. She desperately needed a shower.
She hoped Cyrus wasn’t in there again. It was hard enough to keep her privacy, let alone trying to shower when he seemed to love the water so much, pleased to lie in the cramped bath for hours. He was lucky she didn’t have to pay the water bill.
He had been staying with her for almost a week now. It was nearing the weekend, and her appointment with Lucien was tomorrow.
She grabbed her phone from her bag, taking a long drink of water as she scrolled through her notifications.
One missed call from Sabine. Rin grimaced. She’d been avoiding her adoptive parents since her return from her mission—really, since she left to stay with Lucien. Maybe she resented them—couldn’t look at them without thinking of Kit.
Her lower stomach flipped when she saw a message from Lucien. Have you eaten yet? And taken your pills? Don’t forget, you have an appointment with me tomorrow. The message was strictly professional, save for the small heart at the end.
Yes and yes. Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow. Rin added her own heart at the end.
The stethoscope was cool against her bare chest.
"Breathe deeply for me," Lucien murmured.
Rin did, the exam bed crinkling beneath her thighs as she shifted.
"Again," he prodded. Her next inhale made her chest catch. Lucien stilled, green eyes peering at her from behind his glasses. "It’s a little irregular. I know the answer, Vesperin, but you’ve still not been sleeping well at the dorm?"
Rin shook her head. He did know—but not why. It was hard to sleep when harboring an incubus Prince…
All pretenses of professionalism went out the window as Lucien settled a hand on her bare knee.
Her dark skirt had ridden up, revealing pale skin.
His gaze dropped, hand enveloping her knee entirely, and she shivered at the feel of him.
How long were they going to dance around each other and pretend they didn’t want more?
"It’s an open invitation—you can stay at my apartment. Call me anytime, and I’ll come get you. I know your roommate hasn’t been staying there. I cannot imagine the quiet has helped you," he observed.
But it hasn’t been quiet. Not with Cyrus.
But she couldn’t tell Lucien any of this.
"I’m only there to sleep. I’ve been working hard on my training to make up for all the time I missed." Rin trained constantly, always sore.
"Another thing. We already discussed this, Vesperin. You’re to pace yourself.
Your body isn’t up to task the same as your peers.
I know you hate to hear it, but it’s a fact.
It’s not weak," Lucien added when he saw the way she stared at her knees.
His finger notched under her chin, lifting her face to his. "You’re the strongest person I know."
"You’re a good liar." She smiled, but it felt wobbly.
His thumb stroked over her bare knee, his other hand still holding her chin.
Her check-ups weren’t routine anymore—they were a way of getting a fix of the man who had stitched up her broken, bloodied heart.
The tension was thick; it should’ve been stifling, but Rin loved it.
It made a tiny part of her perk up, feeling… not quite dead.
"Sweet girl," Lucien sighed, "what am I going to do with you?"
Rin swallowed. "I wish I knew."
The rest of her check-up was charged, the desire filling the air and refusing to leave.
It clung to her as she left Solar City General, promising Lucien that she would take it easy until he would pick her up for dinner tomorrow night—at his apartment. She had kept him away from the dorms so far, but she couldn’t help but feel his and Cyrus’s collision was imminent.
That evening, when Rin opened the door to her dorm and heard a voice inside, her whole body went cold.
"Xara?" she called, stepping into the room.
The girl in question sat at the kitchen counter, Keir by her side. Their heads were bent over a laptop, soft pop music pouring from a speaker set on the edge of the counter.
Xara’s straight brown hair fell over her shoulder as she lifted her head.
"Vesperin!" Xara stood, eyes sad as she walked closer and wrapped Rin in a fierce hug. "I’ve missed seeing you. I’m so sorry.
" She pulled away, holding Rin at arm’s length as she stared at her.
"Things have been so hectic. I’m going to be spending more time at the apartment now.
All this time out of routine has been messing with my performance. "
Keir leaned against the counter as he crossed his arms. "Anything you need us to do, you let us know, okay?"
Rin stepped out of Xara’s hold, not liking the feel of her hands on her.
The touch was unwelcome after having Lucien’s plastic, glove-covered hands prodding her body at her check-up earlier that day, his soft murmurs in her ear.
"I’m fine. Thanks," she said coolly. She wasn’t fine. Not at all. For so many reasons.
They weren’t pestering her about why there was a man in her room, so she assumed Cyrus had been hiding well. She didn’t know what she was going to do if Xara started staying here regularly. Fuck this. This was what she got for harboring the Prince of Sibeth.
Stiffly, Rin inclined her head to the laptop. "What are you doing?" she asked, turning to the fridge and opening it, the cool air rustling over her thighs and making her skirt flutter. She grabbed a bottle of orange juice, twisting the cap and taking a shallow sip.
The sugary taste filled her mouth. As she drank, the darkness speckling the edges of her vision abated.
Lucien had told her to eat. He had been worried about her riding her motorcycle back to the dorm earlier, but she had lied and told him she’d stop and get something at a cafe downtown before leaving.
Her appetite was nonexistent. The only time she ate regularly was when Lucien was watching her, making sure her plate was emptied.
"Keir’s helping me with an assignment. It’s been killing me trying to understand." Xara shook her head, blowing out a breath.
"I’m not helping. I know fuck all about this," Keir intervened.
"You know better than me, especially because you were an engineer in our last life."
Xara’s ease of bringing up their past life memories made Rin ill. If Cyrus was telling the truth, Rin should be able to casually bring up their shared history with a smile and flutter in her stomach. Not grow sick with nausea.
Rin set the half-empty juice down, too sick to finish it.
She wanted what they had—the ease, the lingering touches, the way they could communicate with just a glance. She had had that with Kit. Before it was taken too soon.
They bickered lowly, while Rin stared at the countertops. Her eyes settled on a small white bottle, a generic label wrapped around the front, reading, Somnocept. Rest. Reset. Repeat.
The bold letters on the label made her throat close up. Where had she heard of that before? She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing at her temples.