Something was wrong. I paced. What if he was hiding how badly he was hurt? Was he in there right now, suffering on the floor or trying to hold in the pain? I knocked softly on the door. I was the reason he’d fought and got injured in the first place.
“Viper, are you hurt? Is there anything I can do to help?”
“I’m fine.” His voice was rough and strained.
“I let you help me even though I didn’t want the help.”
“That’s because you needed it, I don’t.”
“So you’re going to stitch that cut above your eyebrow all on your own?” I folded my arms and pressed my forehead into the door. “I know how. I’ve stitched plenty in my life.”
“I’ll do it myself.”
I glared at where I imagined he stood on the other side of the door. Stubborn. “It’s fine to accept help once in a while. Even from your apprentice. Do you want clean clothes at least? I can get?—”
“No. Just leave me alone.”
My heart slowly sank. I heard the bathwater running and paced on my side of the room. My boots slowly tap, tap, tapping. Some people, men especially, hated accepting help, but this felt different. I knew he wasn’t angry with me, even if he sounded like it.
When he finally emerged from the bathing chambers, his hair combed back, still wet, and in only a pair of black pants, I stopped. He paused inside the doorway then cut to his side of the room. My boots hit hard with each step as I rounded the curtainand stood at the end of his bed. The yellowing bruise on his cheekbone appeared to be almost healed. A bandage covered the cut above his brow. There was some very minor bruising on his ribs but that was yellow as if it was days old.
“Viper, I—” He turned his head. “I wanted to say thank you again. You not only saved me from being lashed but you stopped Beast from slicing me up, and challenging Dred was more than I would have asked for. I hope someday I can repay you for all that you do for me.” I smiled, hoping to get one in return. “The training alone is worth so much.”
“Well, you never wanted to be here, and it’s my duty.” He tore his gaze away and hurried by me to his wardrobe. He rifled through his things with agitated movements and finally slid on a clean assassin top.
I swallowed hard. Duty. That’s all I was to him, and I had to remember that. Although I had expected a warmer response.
Next, he slipped on his boots and pulled up his hood.
“Did I do something wrong? I’m sorry if I did. I know I shouldn’t have hit Beast with that glass. But I couldn’t stand to see him bully Taewyn any longer.”
“You did good, Bonecarver.” His voice was clipped, like assuring me annoyed him, and he moved to the main door. “Stay here. I’ll be back.”
I took a step toward him, pulse thrumming. “Where are you going?”
“I—uh—I need to meet Commander Locke. He wanted to see me after the fight.” He threw open the door. “No one will bother you.”
I didn’t worry about anyone bothering me, not after Vander beat Dred and whipped Beast. But my intuition told me he was lying. Sure, Commander Locke was his uncle and would want to see him, but this was about more than the fight.
“Viper.”
He paused in the threshold.
“Will you please talk to me? Tell me what’s wrong. I know you said we’re not friends, but that was... before. I consider you my friend. You can talk to me.”
The door slammed. I jumped as the walls rattled. Tears burned my eyes. What had happened between the fight and now? I didn’t understand. Did he realize he’d have to keep standing up for me, and didn’t want to? Maybe he would ask, no, demand, that Commander Locke put me with someone else. Unless he was hurt more than he would say and needed the Commander’s help.
Chapter 16
Icouldn’t sit quietly in the room waiting for him to return. I was on edge and a slow anxiety crept up in my chest. I felt like I couldn’t take a deep enough breath. I stepped out into the half-open corridor, and a breeze hit my face. It was cool and crisp, the first sign of autumn was upon us. I peered over the balcony ledge, hoping to spy Vander, but he was gone.
The beginning of our mentoring relationship had been rocky, but I thought things had changed. He was friendly toward me, but I shouldn’t have assumed. My stomach ached thinking of the way he slammed the door in my face.
I couldn’t believe the rush of emotions he brought up in me. I was pathetically worried I’d done something to upset him. I went over everything from the moment I smashed the glass over Beast’s head until today. Vander never reprimanded me or even said I’d been in the wrong. He’d said the opposite. He was furious at Dred and Beast, not me. I was certain I hadn’t done anything to make him treat me this way.
So it had to be something else. My stomach knotted as I made my way to the courtyard. A few stragglers hung around, but when it wasn’t mealtime it was usually vacant. There was no sign of Dred or Beast, thankfully. I would think that Dred was laidup in bed after the beating he took, if not in the infirmary for a day or two. I hoped that the challenge changed things, that Dred would respect Vander enough to leave us alone from now on.
Beast, however, was a different story. After his quiet threat, our feuding wasn’t over as much as I wanted it to be. Although no one could take that many lashings and be fine. He must be in the infirmary as well. I wondered whether he’d accept it if I brought him a treat or something as a good-faith gesture, to try to squash our rivalry. I would be willing to let everything he’d done to harass and hurt me and Taewyn go, if he would. We were supposed to be on the same side. The vampires were our true enemy. But with his hatred for me intensified even more, he’d probably throw whatever I brought him back in my face.
