Kaleb keeps his promise and calls just before lights-out. I answer the room com but can’t tell if he’s pleased or disappointed at my involvement. His voice is firm, formal like those first couple of weeks when he fought our friendship. It hurts, his return to soldier-supervisor, but I understand as he recites the facts of his update.
Fact: Vi is going to be okay but needs surgery and more tests.
Fact: She’s asleep at the moment.
Fact: He’ll let me know when she’s finished and stable enough for visitors.
I thank him and ask to be woken up as soon as I’m allowed to see her. He does his normal supervisor protest but finally agrees, thus ending the conversation of facts as Lance Corporal Novelli.
My roommates receive the news about as poorly as I expect. I’m sorry to leave them alone with their drama, but I’m too drained to be a support system right now. Instead, I bury myself in a journey through weathered ceiling lumps.
The giant serpent is strong and horrifyingly resilient. I scream as Kaleb slashes at its crown of heads, only to be driven back by instant regeneration when he hits.
“I’m coming!” I call out.
“No! Stay away, Andie!”
But I only succeeded in distracting him. He turns back to the battle just as black fangs sink into his arm. A sickening crunch drags him down, and venomous saliva mixes with Kaleb’s blood. He struggles to tear away, but a head latches onto his other arm and locks him against the stone. His sword clatters across the floor.
“Kaleb!” I rush forward but can’t cover any ground. A third set of fangs crush his side. A fourth. And a fifth. My cries echo throughout the endless cavern that refuses to surrender any distance. His eyes turn on me, apologetic as the life bleeds from them. I keep running, fighting the darkness, but the distance never shrinks. I can’t get to him. Why does his relief match my panic?
“No!”
His expression is so sad, so soft as he releases his final breaths. “It’s okay, Andie. You don’t know what I am.”
“Andie. Andie, hey.”
I’m still dreaming. A tickle on my arm, no wait, a poke. It jabs harder and I swat it away.
“Andie!”
I groan a warning at the pest, but it keeps stabbing, hissing its annoyance, and I roll toward it. My eyelids flutter open to meet a dark figure materializing beside my bed. Oh shit, the serpent!
I gasp and bolt from the pillow. The shadow chuckles, and I squint into the dim light streaming from the living room. I curse at Kaleb’s smile.
“What the hell?”
“You told me to wake you.”
“You could have just called.” I climb from my bunk and ignore his attempt to help. I guess I’m still mad at him for not abusing his position of authority after Vi’s fall. And maybe for sacrificing himself to a stupid snake in my dream.
“I didn’t want to disturb your roommates in the other room. Vi is cleaned up and fully alert. Come on, I’ll take you to her.”
“Oh, thank god. Let me change first.”
He leans against the bedframe as I grab a sweater from my drawer. I turn to scold his lingering presence, but the critique dissolves into horror. He’s still covered in her blood. My breath catches at the sight, and his scars suddenly seem to bleed through the stained uniform. It may not be his now, but it was then. It was Kaleb on the pavement eight months ago, enduring whatever it was that required extensive therapy and reconstructive surgery. It was Kaleb writhing, screaming for mercy, fighting—
“You look awful,” I whisper. I swallow the true depth of my reaction. He wouldn’t like it any more than I do. “No! Wait, that’s not what I meant. You’re still attractive, it’s just…” I turn away, face on fire. I feel the blood pounding through every artery above my heart.
“Uh, thanks?”
My blush deepens. “Never mind. Are we going or what?” It’s the perfect moment to pull my sweater over my head.
“I don’t know. I kind of want to continue this conversation about how attractive I am.”
His smirk makes it worse, but I still manage an eye roll. “You would. I’m sleep-deprived and delusional. Calm down.”
He grins and leads me toward the door. “Whatever you say.”
I don’t understand how anyone could ever hurt this man.
Not knowing the way to the infirmary doesn’t slow me down. I’m three steps ahead of Kaleb as we make our way through the sleeping building. Sure, it’s excitement at seeing Vi, but it’s also freedom, the empty halls providing a break from the masses.
I peek back at Kaleb to find a cocky smile on his lips. Of course he’s still in his glory at my slip. Even worse, the boyish charm sneaking past his typical severity wreaks havoc on my insides. He’s so desperate to make a liar out of me with the taunt in his gaze, but I refuse to give in. Engaging him would just invite more teasing, more hot cheeks and awkward explanations, because the truth is, it wasn’t midnight madness. Even certifiably conscious I think he’s attractive, extremely attractive, and the closer we get, the more beauty I uncover.
It’s his smile, his eyes, and the way I can sense the layers that would consume me if he let me in. There’s something exceptional inside of him. Something intelligent, kind, resilient, loyal and selfless. Kaleb Novelli is magnetic, hypnotic to me, and I thank my lucky stars I didn’t use a more incriminating word in that moment. It could have been a lot worse.
We finally reach the infirmary, and I run toward the dark head poking through a mound of blankets. Vi smiles up at me, looking like this is just another day in the life of Viktoria Callahan.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Kaleb says.
Relief spreads through me, and I suspect it’s from more than the smile of my injured friend as I drop to the chair beside her. “It’s about time, Callahan.”
“Well, if it isn’t my knight in shining armor.”
“Oh, please. I stuck my jacket under your head.”
“The docs said you probably saved my life.”
“Really?”
“No,” she snorts. “But still, I appreciate what you did. It took guts to jump into a mess of blood and you didn’t even hesitate.”
I breathe a sigh and squeeze her hand.
“I like the new hair,” I say, and she rubs her shaved head.
“Yeah? Me too. I’m thinking I might keep it.”
“You should. You have the features to pull it off. Think of all the time you’ll save in the morning.”
“You may be convincing me.”
I’m not being nice. She looks great. Her sharp cheekbones and dark eyes could carry any hairstyle.
“How’s the pain?”
“Fortunately, it’s bad enough that I get plenty of those awesome drugs they save for times like this.”
I can’t help but grin. “Look at you, Miss Optimist.”
“I’d laugh at that, but I’m not supposed to move my head.” Her face changes as her eyes search mine. “Seriously, though, thanks for coming. I know I haven’t been the best roommate.”
“It’s okay. We’ve all been struggling to adjust to our new lives.”
“I know, but I envy your ability to pick out the good in people.”
“I’ve learned that most people aren’t good or evil, just adapted to their circumstances.”
She stares at the vacant doorway. “About Kaleb. I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time.”
“He might be one of the rare all good ones,” I return, only half-joking.
“You know, he’s stayed with me every second he could? I was so scared and he… He’s been an angel.” Maybe we can blame her tears on the meds, but I never thought I’d see her cry.
“He cares about us. He’s different.”
Her gaze wanders as she raises a free hand to wipe at her eyes. “I’ve always hated soldiers. They were animals who harassed my mother. They’d call her a ‘slut’ and ‘whore’ and even physically assault her.”
My heart breaks as her tears return.
“I’m so sorry, Vi.”
“See my father was some big-shot officer. A major or colonel or something. Mom was his civilian secretary and apparently he deemed her worthy of a fling. When she got pregnant, he humiliated her to save his own ass and sent her to 12 to disappear. Everyone knew her story though, and she was never able to recover from it.”
“That’s awful. No wonder you were upset about my assignment.”
She meets my eyes again. “I thought you were being naïve. I thought you’d be used the same way my mother was. That’s what they do, use us and throw us away. But… it’s different now.” She releases a half-smile. “I get it.”
She smacks the air with her hand. “Shit. Listen to me sobbing and preaching because some soldier was nice to me.”
“I think he changes people.”
“Yeah, well, as long as I don’t start planting flowers and writing poetry.”
I laugh. “You do work in the greenhouse.”
“Whatever.”
A light knock on the wall draws our attention, and my cheeks warm at the presence of our favorite building supervisor. Even from this distance I’m affected.
“How’s it going, ladies?” Kaleb asks, joining me by the bed.
“You look like you spent the day on the battlefield,” Vi says, her eyes scanning Kaleb in amusement.
He grins. Dammit. Leave it to the person who hates people to be so much better with them.
“I don’t know. I’ve been told it’s a good look for me,” he teases, and my blush ignites in full furor.
“Really?” Vi replies, brows raised.
I smack his arm. “I was half asleep.”
“Just reporting the facts, Sorenson.”
“Whatever.”
“Whoa,” Vi scoffs. “I think I need to take back everything I said.”
“Huh?” Kaleb glances between the two of us.
“Never mind. Your ego needs no help from us,” I say. “We should probably let this patient get some rest. I’ll see you soon, Vi.”
“You better. Hey!” She calls to Kaleb who has already moved toward the door. “I better see you soon too.”
“You’re going to be sick of us,” he assures her with that smile that changes rules. She relaxes and closes her eyes.
“Your visit go okay?” Kaleb asks when we’re out of auditory range.
“Actually, it did. Vi even—“
“What the fuck is this?”
We freeze, and Kaleb turns first since I can’t move.
“Just escorting a resident from the infirmary, sir,” he says, voice calm.
“She doesn’t appear ill.”
“Her roommate was involved in the incident in the yard.”
“She’s out after curfew.”
“Yes, it was the first time the patient was allowed to have visitors.”
I finally manage a look and find a man I don’t recognize. His face burns with the fire in his voice.
“She loses rations for a week.”
“What? Sir—”
“That’s the penalty for breaking curfew.”
Now it’s Kaleb’s eyes that ignites as he casts me a warning look. As if I’d be able to move or speak anyway.
“A word, Captain?” he says, and the man gives me a hard stare before allowing Kaleb to lead him down the hall. My blood is sludge in my veins, pumping memories of fear and hunger through my nauseous stomach. A week? Even at the hardest times I never had to go a week without food. Tears ache in my chest, and I force them back down. I will not cry.
Facts.
Their discussion is short, animated, with horns locking and macho posturing on both sides. Then, it stops. Both parties calm as Kaleb says something that removes the aggression from the other officer’s stance. The man still doesn’t seem pleased as he retreats out of view, but Kaleb looks relieved.
He offers a brief smile as he returns to me and motions us forward.
“Am I losing rations?”
“No, of course not,” he says.
“But how—”
“I worked it out.”
“Worked it out how?”
I get the stop asking unless you want a lie look. I concentrate on the floor.
“I’m scared, Kaleb. What if—”
“You’re tired. Get some sleep and you’ll feel better in the morning. Everything is fine.” He reaches toward me but his fist clenches and drops to his side instead. “See you tomorrow.”