Kara caught his jaw, forcing his gaze to hers. “You nearly died. Don’t tell me you’re fine.”
He opened his mouth–
“You should have woken me,” she said angrily, hitting his arm. Harder than she meant to.
He barely noticed. A slight frown appeared on his face. “You needed to rest,” he said. “Not be worried about me.”
Absolutely not, Thorne.
“And now I’m going to worry more,” she retorted. “Because apparently you’ll just bleed out in silence like some stoic, overprotective–”
“Okay, okay,” he said placatingly, raising his hands in mock defeat.
“You will never do that again,” she ordered. “Or I’ll kill you myself.”
His expression warmed at her empty threat, but she just glared at him.
“Fine,” he muttered, “the next time I am bleeding to death, I promise – you’ll be the first to know.”
He was trying to keep it light, she could tell, using humour as a shield. She wouldn’t let him. She stared hard at him, saw the apology there that he would never say, and nodded once.
He put a hand to his ribs to inspect her work. “Thank you, Kara.”
“After everything you just did for me... getting me out–” She looked him right in the eye. “You will never owe me anything. Ever.”
Sebastian was quiet for a long time after that. She could tell he had something on his mind – something that he desperately wanted to say. So she waited.
Eventually he said, “Back in the cell...”
When I told you I loved you.
“Yes?”
“Kara... what I walked in on–”
His hands clenched into fists, so hard that his knuckles went white and the tension rippled his arms.
“That hadn’t–”
He stopped. Swallowed hard, jaw clenched so tightly the muscle jumped. He took a breath, and slowly, carefully, uncurled his fingers one by one. She could see him trying desperately to control the rage underneath as he tried again.
“Had he done that before?”
Not where I thought you were going with this.
“No,” she whispered. “That was the first time.” She reached for his hand. It was shaking. “You stopped it.”
Relief flashed on his face and his whole body sagged with it. He exhaled slowly, like he’d been holding it in for hours. Then his expression turned cold. Dangerous. Distant. Both of them at that moment remembering exactly what he’d done to the man who had hurt her. And that he’d do it again. Without hesitation. He closed his eyes and took a breath. When he looked back the warmth had returned. He was forcing himself to stay present with her, instead of where his mind had just gone.
She didn’t tell him the rest. Didn’t say what had come before. She wasn’t ready yet. The pyre. Her forced to her knees, the ropes tying her to the wall. The whispers in her ear. The smoke in her lungs. She felt him watching her, he could see there was more.
But he didn’t push – and she was grateful.
“You don’t have to talk about it, not until you’re ready,” he said.
She squeezed his hand tightly, feeling the soft hum of their magic. “Thank you.”
Sebastian gave a small nod – his thumb tracing along hers absently, his shoulders rigid. “I know this isn’t the time. I’m sorry. But...” He exhaled and stared down at their joined hands, clearly conflicted. “There’s something else – uh – something I wanted to ask you.”
