Page 97 of Catatonic


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“What?” He nearly jumped away at my command, but I closed my fingers around his.

I explained, “You’ve cut the threads, but they are still there, just smaller. Now you need to pull them through my skin to really cause damage.”

“I’m not sure–”

“This is all part of training.”

Lips pursed with frustration, Zaide concentrated on my palm yet again, and my teeth ground together as the blood pushed through my skin and spurted out. Zaide flinched as his cheek and my chest were splattered in red.

At that moment, Clawdia flipped open the tent opening, a huge grin on her face until she noticed us. "Zaide, what are you doing to him?"

She hurried over, concern darkening her eyes. A puzzled smile appeared on my face as she grasped my hand and immediately started looking at the damage. I enjoyed her fussing, but it wasn't something I was used to.

"He told me to do it, Little Cat," Zaide spluttered, defending himself from the glare she was sending him.

He looked at me pleading for support, and I smothered a laugh. "I did tell him to."

"Why would you tell him to do such a thing?" She turned her sharp eyes to me, frowned as she healed my hand, then smoothed her fingers over the now unblemished skin. "Why did he do it?"

I closed my hand around hers and stroked a finger down her face with my other hand. "Because he needs to practice manipulating blood threads on someone safely. As do you. I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You lost blood. Don't you need more?" Her big eyes were wide and innocent as she offered me yet more of her life force, but the blush on her cheeks told me how much she liked doing it and how it affected her as much as it affected me.

My grin widened. "I'll be fine for now without a few drops of blood. And as much as it pains me to turn down your delectable blood, Sunlight, we need to finish training." I planted a gentle kiss on her lips, thrilled I could do so, and turned back around to Zaide.

He was frowning. "I forgot that you can't create your own blood. I'm sorry."

I took his hand. "No apologies necessary. I'm fine, and you can use my threads. All is well." He nodded but still looked uncomfortable.

I started talking to Clawdia through the process of using my threads. She picked it up very quickly but didn't want to hurt me and so didn't cut or pull on the threads. She believed she was already able to if needed. I wanted to push her, to see if she could, but it had already been a long night, and they would need to wake up soon, so I let her off.

Instead, I asked, "Shall we finish checking on our patients?"

Her smile softened my heart as she took my hand and led me back into the tent. "There is only one left. The one with mental health problems, but I don't think I can help him. His line is green."

I stopped mid-stride. "What do you mean? They are gone?"

"They disappeared after I treated them." A line formed in her brow. "You didn't do that?"

"No," I said flatly, and my eyes began to scan the tent. Lincos sat patiently waiting on his bed, staring at us with interest. "I'm afraid this experiment has come to an end. My apologies we couldn't do anything to help you."

"Thank you for trying," he replied with an easy shrug and stood up from the bed, stretching his legs. "It was an honor to meet a soul pair. It gives me hope for the future of our kind." With a wave of a hand, he disappeared back to his own dream.

"Baelen, is everything all right?" Zaide asked quietly as Clawdia walked toward a closed curtain in which one of the patients used to be.

"I did not send those soldiers back to their dream. I don't believe we are safe here anymore." I took his hand and looked for threads, showing him the same. We turned in a slow circle, scanning the area.

"I can't see anything."

"Nor can I," I said through gritted teeth. I tried to wake us all up and was unsuccessful. That told me all I needed to know.

This was the second time my dream had been invaded, and it made me feel like an amateur. I did not train this hard to allow shadows to run riot over my mind. I would find them.

They will die.

I began making weapons, imagining them into existence, checking them over, and placing them on the table. A long broadsword, a spear, a dagger.

Zaide placed a hand on mine, pausing my rapid creation. He looked worried. "Why can't we just leave?"

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