19. Amends
Amends
Knots
Two more students went MIA after Rez left the party, and the Gauntlet hasn’t even started yet. Can one die of sheer anticipation of fear? Is that even a thing? Though meeting Rez has brought on a whole new fear, I wouldn’t trade it in for anything else.
I do wish I could protect her better, though.
I feel extremely stupid for allowing Cain to goad me into that attack.
I knew what he was doing and still fell for it anyway.
I have to admit, his counterattack has gotten stronger; I’ve lost one family to him, and I gave my all to protect them, and that, more than ever, scares me to death.
What if I fail Rez and the rest? Now with my memories restored, my encounters with him will probably haunt me.
But that is for another time to worry about.
L.A.M.B. is on his ass, and hopefully, they will find him while Rez rests for tonight.
I should also be resting, allowing my wings to heal, but I have to get things ready for tomorrow, Sunday, and everyone’s last day to prepare before the Gauntlet starts, and the only day I have to do what I need to for Rez.
That’s why I dressed up in this god-awful suit and came to this horrible party, and that’s why I’m back here after getting my ass kicked by death himself.
“Aww, Knots,” Dr. Steinbeck calls out. “I was hoping to see you here. I didn’t see you at the dorms. Are you okay?
I didn’t get a chance to look you over. I heard you were with Rez when she faced…
um… Well, him,” he says carefully, not wanting to freak out the students who are still enjoying the meet-and-greet.
I’m pretty sure everyone knows, though. Astaroth wasn’t subtle with his announcement earlier.
“Just some broken wings, but they will heal with sleep. Thank you for checking.” I smile politely.
“Okay. Let me know if you need anything. I have studied angel anatomy extensively,” he tells me before turning, but I stop him.
“Dr. Steinbeck. I was wondering, have you seen Delvin?” I wonder. He’s the person I need to talk to.
“Um…” He pushes the glasses up his nose, covering his wide eyes, clearly surprised that I’m asking for the mage. “Yes, I have. He’s over by the fireplace on the west wall.”
“Thank you,” I tell him before making my way to Rez’s father.
I find him sipping on a glass of fairy wine and looking out into the forest, and I lean up against the window facing him, close enough that he knows I’m here.
“Hello, Knots. What can I do for you?” he asks, without looking at me.
Great, straight to the point.
“I need your help to make tomorrow a memorable day for your daughter, and it has to be perfect.” I can be straightforward, too.
He finally turns to look at me, downs the rest of his drink, and sets down his empty glass.
“I’m listening.”
I’m exhausted, but staying up all night and working on my present for Rez will have been worth it if it brings her peace at all. She’s been running around all morning prepping for the Gauntlet, and she barely choked down a sandwich before heading to her next appointment.
“Knots, I already told you. You don’t have to walk me to the clinic. I know how to get back to the dorms.” Rez rolls her eyes at me, but I insist.
“Yep, but as your Knight, and the fact everyone has already gone, it is my duty, and I want to,” I reiterate as I open the clinic door for her. “Plus, the last time you were alone, you were attacked by Cain,” I add.
She sighs, but relents and grabs my hand. “Fine.”
As we walk into the clinic, she tries to check in at the desk, where two receptionists are working.
“Nere—”
“You’re checked in,” the fairy with the pixie haircut tells her.
“Don’t you need my name?” Rez asks, a little shocked.
“Oh, we know who you are. You were here all the time up until the portals were closed,” an older vampire says in a dismissive tone. She pauses in doing her nails and gives Rez a quick smile before going back to filing her nails.
“Yeah, you’re what we call a frequent flyer,” the fairy smiles.
“Ugh.” Rez ducks her head as she moves to sit in the waiting room.
“I’m sure it’s because of Ryker’s connection,” I try to reassure her.
“Thanks, Knots, but I know what frequent flyer means. It means I practically lived here,” she pouts as she looks for a chair to sit down on, but doesn’t get a chance as Dr. Steinbeck calls for her.
“Ahh, Rez and Knots, come on back,” he beckons us down the hall and into an exam room.
The room smells of bleach and is furnished with a simple patient bed, a sterile tray, and a couple of chairs. Rez automatically hops up onto the patient bed without being told, while Dr. Steinbeck grabs a stool to sit down in front of her and pulls out his notebook.
Maybe she has been here too many times. They move like clockwork.
“Okay, Rez, just a few vitals and a blood test before fitting, and activating your bracelet for the Gauntlet,” Steinbeck says as he quickly begins checking and typing in her vitals.
“Since not everyone will have cameras attached to their ass, we figured it was best to allow vitals to be displayed during the Gauntlet,” Steinbeck says as he cleans her arm.
“This way, some of you might actually have privacy to deal with obstacles that you might find along your way.” He ties a band around her arm before sticking her with a small needle and drawing a vial of blood, then dabs at the area before it slowly heals in front of him.
“You mean sex, like our nymphomaniac here?” I call out, chuckling as Rez’s jaw drops and her eyes bug out as she turns bright red, staring at me.
Dr. Steinbeck clears his throat as he wraps a thin black band around her wrist, clicking it into place.
“Frankly, I meant killing your opponents,” he corrects me, giving me a blatant look.
“You don’t want their family actually to see you do it, do you?
” he points out as he activates her bracelet.
Shit. He does have a point. It’s one thing to know your family member didn’t make it.
It’s on another level to know their killer and see how it happens.
“That would only put a bigger target and more arsenal on your back,” he states matter-of-factly as he checks her vitals on his system.
“There, you’re all set.” His work practices are efficient and practical, nothing short of what I would expect from the doctor who wrote an article on balancing procedures and precision, and limiting bedside manners.
He turns to me and gives me a bewildered look.
“Do you plan on going along with them into the Gauntlet, Knots?”
I had feared this question would be asked at some point; I should be honored that I’ve gotten this far at all, to be honest.
“If I don’t get sucked back into my post, yes,” I answer honestly.
“Good,” the doctor answers with a slight nod.
“I will feel better knowing you and Lynx are out there with them.” He turns back to Rez with a smile and gives her a hand down from the bed.
“Well, Miss Taylor. You are free to go. I will see you tomorrow before the Gauntlet, unless you need anything else from me?”
“Not in this lifetime,” Rez salutes.
That’s my girl.
As we walk out of the Medical and Science building, my nerves reach an all-time high as I start to sweat about showing her my surprise next. I run my palms along my pants before I reach out for Rez’s hand as we approach the path by the Greenhouse.
“Rez?” I ask, grabbing her hand and halting her progress. “Can I take you somewhere?” I swallow around the sudden lump in my throat.
She gives me a look of surprise, but she doesn’t say no, only squeezing my hand and smiling up at me with a nod.
As I lead her into the woods, I figure I might as well come clean and tell her how I feel.
I did my preparations last night, and I got lucky: this morning, everyone was busy getting their supplies ready for this afternoon, and Rez’s appointment was later.
So I’ve been allowed this small window, and I would be stupid not to take it.
“Rez, first of all. I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way I treated you in Hell and on the Trail,” I tell her, my voice barely a whisper.
I can barely bring myself to look at her as we walk over some foliage.
“I was so very wrong.” My voice cracks, but I continue. “I thought being a protector was the only thing I was good at. Or in my case, I was only allowed to be one thing, but once I reached the church, I was cleansed… up in the tower.”
Rez grabs my shirt and stops me in my tracks, forcing me to turn to look down at her.
“You had a change of heart all the way back after Level Two safehouse, and I’m just now finding out about it?
” she shrieks. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?
” She throws her arms up in the air. “What have I been yelling about? I swear, Knots, you’re just like the other guys.
You don’t listen, ugh.” With a groan, she throws her head back and closes her eyes.
“You’re supposed to be better, more worldly, but you’re just as bad. ”
I smoothly cup her face and pull her into a kiss to shut her up, and she melts against me as she kisses me back.
Her hands come up and rest against my chest, and I wrap my hand around her waist, pulling her closer.
I miss this feeling of holding her against me, of feeling powerful, and as she deepens the kiss, I feel something else stir within me, but I groan as I gently push her away.
“Well, that’s a first,” she pouts as her gray eyes search mine. “Why?”
“Believe me, I wish nothing but to take you against a tree right now and show you how much I miss you, but we’ll be late,” I tell her as I take her hand and lead her towards a distant sound of water. “And if I deviate from this plan, it’s a possible castration for me,” I mumble.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rez yanks on my arm, wanting answers, but I chuckle.