“We’re not a couple, asshole,” he snapped before spooning another bite of stew into his mouth. “He’s my brother.”
“Literal brother? I didn’t think the Legion let siblings stay together?”
“They usually don’t, but he’s my half-brother.”
I handed Kat some bread to mop up the last of his stew. His bowl was already nearly empty. He must have been starving.
“More?”
He shook his head, leaning back and sighing.
“Why did you help us, really?” His bright blue eyes searched mine, his doubt evident. Something in that suspicious look brought a smile to my lips.
“I didn’t lie to you, Kat. I need your help to win the war our people are fighting.”
“But how? If you’re stuck here, how can we possibly help the Illyrians?”
My watch dinged, the noise echoing in the room.
“Questions will need to wait. It’s time to give your brother another dose of antivenom,” I reached into the supply case at my side and pulled out the vial of medicine.
Kat bristled like his namesake and the vial went flying through the air into his waiting hand.
“No way you’re giving him anything without me checking it first.”
He began reading the vial label. I crossed my arms and looked at him. He read the label once. Then read it again. I doubted he had any clue what the medical jargon meant. When he finally looked back at me, I raised an eyebrow.
“If I had wanted you dead, I had plenty of opportunity before now. Does it meet with your approval, Dr. Kat?” I asked.
“I’m not a doctor,” he scowled.
“Yeah, well, Iam,” I walked over and plucked the anti-venom from his hands. I swear when our fingers brushed it felt like an electric shock ran through them, from my fingertips right to my groin. I had obviously been alone far too long.
“Let me do my job,” I finished gruffly, more than a little surprised by the contact. My magic seemed to heartily approve of this fierce man.
He stalked behind me as I went back to where his brother lay sleeping.
“You justhappenedto have the antivenom for that specific snake laying around?” he asked suspiciously, following me doggedly.
I ignored his question, drawing up the dose and injecting it into the IV line. I turned the saline drip up and waited a moment to make sure the line was running correctly.
“No,” I turned to him. “I had cobra antivenom. The snake you killed was a giant banded krait. It’s a relative of the cobra, so I took a chance that the antivenom would be effective for it, too. For what it’s worth, it appears to have worked.”
I fully expected him to start another argument, but his brother chose that moment to open his eyes.
“K-kat?” he whispered hoarsely.
Kat dropped to his knees next to his brother. Seeing them together I could see the resemblance now. They were both beautiful. They had the same nose, same chin, but their eyes were slightly different. Where Kat’s hair was dark black, Vlakas’ was honey gold. Kat’s was longer, and where he had only a slight wave, Vlakas’ seemed to have more curl. I was struck again with the feeling of familiarity as I looked at Kat’s face.
“Hey,adelfos,” Kat said, gripping his brother’s hand. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I got bitten by a giant snake,” Vlakas quipped, then coughed.
“I’ll get him some water,” I said, heading back to the main room.
“Who is he?” I heard Vlakas ask.
“He’s an Illyrian, supposedly,” Kat answered skeptically. I shook my head. He had to be the most suspicious man I’d ever met.
