Word Count: 1872

~Akara

I groan, shifting uncomfortably, blinking as I finally wake.

A healer is leaning over me, checking my vitals as I struggle to come to terms with where I am, with what happened. I've been shot, evidently, my shoulder burning with pain. Thankfully, the arrow has been removed, and I can feel the thickness of the bandages wrapped around me, restricting the movement of my arm.

The healer rattles on to me once I'm fully conscious about what happened, and how the arrow could have killed me had it hit a few inches to the right, before explaining how long it is going to take me to heal from this.

Not as long as I thought, thankfully.

The moment she leaves, Tai comes in, clearly having been told to wait by the healer until I'm fully conscious and able to sit up against the wall.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, rushing to my side.

His expression is painted with concern, looking over the state of me. He looks like he wants to grab me, to touch me, but seeing me smothered in so many bandages has him thinking otherwise.

"Lucky to be alive," I mutter, resting my head back. Lucky doesn't even begin to cover it. Someone was trying to kill me, and had I been turned another way, or had their shot been any better, they would have been successful, which is a horrifying thought that I can't dwell on. It's not as if I haven't nearly died enough at this point, anyways.

"I'm sorry. I know apologising isn't going to mean anything to you, but I couldn't be more regretful," he tells me, worry creasing his brows.

I sigh. "Doesn't matter..."

"I know," he winces, pain tormenting him as his gaze sweeps over me. He may have done terrible things, but I don't doubt that seeing me this way hurts him, and that he does care. "I'm never going to put you in a situation like that again. I knew people wanted you dead, so I should have never brought you in front of them."

Grey didn't need to do any scouting. It's been made clear to me that people want me dead, and there is no more doubting Tai. I just don't know what I'm going to do, especially once I escape here...

"So it's true. People really do want me dead," I whisper. All because of technology I didn't even create. I'm an alien, an unnatural disgrace. But I also have something they want, but may never have...

Tai bows his head, emerald eyes flickering closed. "I'll protect you, I promise."

"I don't know why you bother trying to be sweet to me. You poisoned my friend, I have no desire to ever trust you again," I remind him. He loves me, is hurt seeing me hurt, and yet is so willing to torment someone close to me, just to make his point clear. His moral compass is severely flawed.

"I'm only doing this for your safety," he exclaims. "If you retaliate, you will unknowingly hurt yourself."

"You think I'm a fool, don't you?" I snap.

"Of course not," he contends.

"How is your sickness? Seems to have disappeared," I sneer. I've been wanting to bring it up since I saw him again, but it never compared in relevance to everything else. But now I look at him, as the liar he is, I must know, because him and I suffered together. And now, he has shown no signs that he is unwell.

He looks away, sweeping a hand through his sable curls. "I...Well, I made an antidote."

"When?"

"A while ago. Before we fought back against Vaia," he murmurs, reluctant to tell me, even now, the truth being a hard concept for him to understand.

My mouth falls open. "When we were together?"

"I wanted more of a motivation for everyone to fight. If they thought I was sick with no cure, they would want Vaia gone far quicker," he explains. I'm so stunned I would collapse if I weren't so diligently tucked into this bed. With every lie that Tai uncovers, I'm as genuinely shocked as the last.

"More lies," I snap.

He leans forward, leaving me unable to back away from him. "But I'm telling you the truth now. I'm trying to prove to you that you can trust me now."

I twist my head, staring at all the other beds in the infirmary, all entirely empty. "Just leave, Tai. I can't look at you anymore."

He sighs.

"Next week, we are having dinner with an important person. I hope you will be willing to maintain the appearance of our relationship then, for Marek's sake," he mutters coldly, before striding from the room.

***

Thankfully, it doesn't take me too long to get out of bed and start walking around. After a few days, I'm going about my days relatively normally, with my arm in a sling.

Now, on the tenth day of healing, I'm off to meet Marek, which I have been anticipating since the moment I woke up in that infirmary bed.

Sure enough, as Marek promised, he was waiting for me on the tree line.

As I approach him, I can't help but glance back, looking at the dimly lit porch coming off Tai's manor. Marek and I used to spend so much time there, practicing combat together, but also having conversations that led to us falling in love. It's time I would never take back, yet as I look back at that porch, something feels a lot different.

Marek's expression is unreadable as I approach, his eyes revealing all.

Anger. Pain. Worry and sympathy.

"Are you okay?" He asks softly.

"I'm feeling better. Don't look so concerned," I say, standing before him. His tension is obvious, the sight of my arm in a sling having a similar affect on him as it did on Tai. I feel the same, looking at him, knowing his body is full of Tai's poison, ready to be triggered if I make the wrong move.

I know I can't tell him. He will do something foolish, like put himself in danger for my sake. For now, I have to work on helping him without him knowing.

"Of course I'm concerned. You were shot," he breathes. He reaches out, grabbing my face as he continues to look over me. I rest my hand on his, having missed his affection, his attentive gaze. Tai may think he loves me, but I know he's never felt anything as pure as what Marek and I have.

"But I survived," I assure him.

"You could have been killed. And there was nothing I could have done to protect you." He pulls away from me, sweeping his hands through his hair in large strokes, pacing back and forth between the trees.

"You were still there...I can't believe you came." It didn't cross my mind that he would be present, that he would be watching. Tai's guards were so close, patrolling the ground. It was a danger for him go, but danger has never really fazed Marek.

"Of course I came. You really didn't think I wouldn't be?" he asks.

"I should have known," I affirm.

"I was standing in that crowd. I should have seen who did it," he mutters, still pacing incessantly. I see the guilt wrecking him, and my heart aches because of it. Him just being there was enough. He didn't think something like this could happen either, I mean, how could he? Even Tai's guards weren't looking for someone who could possibly assassinate me.

"Don't blame yourself. No one could have thought that would happen."

"Has Tai found them?" he demands.

"No. They don't have that much intel, apparently," I mutter. Tai has continuously been apologetic about that fact, but has insisted his guards have been working tirelessly to find who did this. I believe him too. He was bested, and I know he isn't going to allow that to happen again any time soon.

The ghost of Marek's old self suddenly flickers across his face, looking like a troubled hunter who has failed to bring back his bounty. "This is beyond frustrating."

"Marek...You've done so much already. You can't put anymore blame on yourself," I assure him. He can be so hard on himself, thinking that he needs to protect everyone at all times.

His expression is tense as he looks at me. "I love you so much."

I smile, as his strides swallow up in the space between us, and he grabs me, tugging me in to kiss him.

Nothing matters anymore. Not even the slight twinge of pain in my shoulder. All that matters is Marek's lips pressed against mine in a passion fuelled kiss, his arm wrapping around my waist, keeping me pulled up against him.

With my one good hand, I hold the back of his head, letting my fingers twist through his hair. I can feel the desperation through his kiss. Being apart is hard, but after my happened...it makes me realise who little I want to be away from him.

The kiss suddenly intensifies, as Marek pushes forward, leaving me to take a few steps backward, until my back is pressed up against the tree.

I can feel him everywhere, as his hands run down my waist, body settling between my legs. Our hurried breathing echoes through the forest, but I don't care about anything. All I can think about is the man pressed against me.

Before I can wind my good hand through his belt to tug it off, he pulls away, leaving me breathless and frustrated, the cold night air biting at my flushed cheeks.

"As much as I want you right here, right now, I don't think it's such a good idea," Marek murmurs, his own grimace of pain from having to tear away from me evident on his face.

I tip my head back against the head. "Why not?"

"Tai's guards are patrolling the area. I would hate to know what they would do if they found out," he says.

I know he's right, but it's hard to pull away. It's late, and I need to get back inside, but all I want to do is tell Marek to take me far from here. That's not an option anymore, not when Tai will spent the rest of his life hunting us, and these lands are only so big. And now, Marek is poisoned, and the antidote is with Tai.

There is always a chance he is lying, but it's not a risk I'm willing to take.

Leaning forward, I peck his lips one last time. "I'll see you again soon, okay?"

"I know. I love you," he murmurs.

"I love you too, Marek."

We stare at each other for a long moment, none of us moving. Both of us have so much to say that we can't, because it won't make a difference.

So without another word, I turn, and head back toward the manor. To Tai.

💚••💚

Remember that you can always find this story 10 chapters ahead on Radish (:

You will find it under King's Possession Season Three!!

~Midika 🐼💜