37. Don’t let me leave you
37
Don’t let me leave you
Talon
I blinked as the first light started to cut through the fog.
“Shit,” I said. “We need to find shelter.”
Kaine’s eyes flicked up to the sky in fear, and I could feel his heart start to race.
“How much shade do you need?” I scooped up our clothes and started to run towards the cliffs. At the bottom were lots of uneven rocks, crags, and potentially caves. I wrapped my cloak around him as we went, and he pulled it tight, his breaths coming on sharp pants.
“I…need more than this cloak.” He croaked. “If we get in some deep shade, with this as well, maybe…”
We looked, scrambling up and down the rocks. Barnacles covered the surface of the rocks, and they cut my feet as I climbed, but I didn’t stop. The fog was thinning more and more, and Kaine’s breathing was getting more erratic.
There was nothing big or deep enough to hide him fully .
“Talon,” Kaine said, grabbing my arm. “It’s starting to burn.” His blue eyes were wide, and tears were welling in his eyes. The skin on his face was turning an angry red, starting to flake and blister.
I looked around desperately.
“In here,” I said, pointing down. It was a small crevice between two large rocks; this would have to do.
Kaine slipped in, pressing against the sides. I settled in above him, stretching out my wing to help block more light.
“How’s that?” I asked, my voice shaking. I couldn’t watch him die here. Not right after Nidori.
“I don’t know,” he said, wrapping the cloak tighter around himself and shrinking back. “It’s not… getting worse.”
“This will work, then,” I said firmly.
“You can’t stay like that all day.”
I adjusted, clipping my wing’s talon into the rock to help it stay put. “I won’t need to stay here all day. Just until the sun moves past the cliffs. Probably afternoon.”
He shook his head.
“Kaine.” I reached down, touching his shoulder. “I’m not going to leave you.” My heart sank as I said the words. That had been the plan; stay together until we got to the island. “Not until tonight, anyway,” I finished.
He stared up at me, pale eyes glittering in the morning light.
“You Paladins,” he said weakly. “What, are you trying to prove you’re better than the rest of us by doing something stupidly difficult and heroic?”
“My whole life, baby,” I replied with a grin.
It was difficult, propping myself up by the mouth of the crevice, keeping my wing extended. I was sweating and cramping, but I stayed and pushed through. It’s only temporary , I kept reminding myself. Kaine dozed, stirring every now and then to find my hand, clutching it tightly until he drifted off again. Every time he did, it kept me going, through the pain and exhaustion. I would be there, and every time he reached for my hand, he would find it. It became my marker for the passage of time— hold on until he stirs again, keep going.
Finally, I looked up, and the sun had passed behind the cliffs, sending the beach into blessed shadows. I moved, stretching my aching muscles, then lay down on the smooth part of the rock, finally succumbing to sleep.
I woke, groggily, to Kaine’s presence by my side, his hand on my shoulder. I smiled, pulling him closer.
“I need to heal. Can I have some of your blood?” he asked.
I nodded, not opening my eyes. I needed more sleep. He lifted my arm, choosing my wrist this time, and I felt the familiar icy pricks sink into my skin. I drifted off again.
“Thank you, Talon,” I heard him whisper, and he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I promise, it’s better this way.”
I grunted, drifting back off to sleep.