Gwen had watched Verdan and the others work on Kai as they cut open his arm, taking out the shard that had been causing the corruption that had pained him so.

She was fairly sure that Kai had been hiding just how much his arm was hurting from Verdan, but they’d spent a lot of time together since they came back from the north and she’d got better at seeing through the facade he put up.

“He needs to rest now,” Verdan said, coming over to where she was waiting at the rear of the room. “Someone should stay with him to make sure he knows not to strain his arm and explain what happened. I can take the first shift if you want to get some rest yourself.”

“No, go and get some sleep. I’ll stay with him overnight,” Gwen said firmly. Verdan was exhausted, she could see that much easily enough, and she’d had plenty of sleep recently.

The Wizard protested a little, but Gwen got him out the door with a promise to send for him if Kai showed any sign of pain when he woke up.

A tap came at the window and Gwen walked over to open it, letting Kuzo hop inside. The raven fluttered up onto her shoulder and nuzzled against her for a brief moment before flying over to perch on the back of a chair.

Closing the window, Gwen dragged one of the other chairs over to sit next to Kai, wondering how she’d tell him that they hadn’t been able to fix everything.

Hours passed and Gwen had to fight to stay awake, but eventually Kai’s eyes fluttered open and he looked up at her with a confused expression. “Gwen? Where are we?”

“We’re in the workshop at the Crea Estate, you just had surgery for your arm, remember?”

“Right, yes,” Kai’s expression cleared as he sat up, only to wince as he tried to move his injured arm but couldn’t. “Well, the pain isn’t as bad, and feels a little different. I hope that means it all went well?”

“Yes and no. Verdan got the shard out that was causing the issue, but your bones in your arm have been changed by it. They took out the worst piece, which is why you’re strapped in.”

“Changed?” Kai echoed with concern. “How?”

“I don’t really know, but the plan is to wait and see what happens. Without the shard in you, hopefully everything else will sort itself out.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it,” Kai said darkly, rubbing at his shoulder with his free hand. “Did they say how long recovery will be?”

“No, but growing back bone will take time.” Gwen paused to take a breath. “You should stay here when we leave for the mustering point. If you push yourself like you did last time, who knows what could happen.”

“No. I’m coming with you,” Kai said, shifting on the table to face her. “I have over a week to rest, and then the travel time. I’ll be fine.”

“And then what, do you expect me to believe you won’t just jump straight into combat the moment it happens. One bad wound and you’re right back here, if not worse.”

“And what’s the alternative?” Kai asked, his voice turning brittle. “To sit here in safety while you… While everyone risks themselves?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want!” Gwen couldn’t help the frustration that slipped into her voice. “Do you realise how hard it’s been for me, watching this happen to you and being able to do nothing?”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t sit here while you are in danger. Not if I can do something about it.”

Gwen threw her arms up in with a growl. “Do you think I can’t look after myself? I don’t need you to protect me!”

“I know,” Kai said, a distant look in his eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I don’t know if I could take you being hurt when I wasn’t there.”

Gwen’s next words died before she could speak them and instead she stepped forward and took Kai’s hand. “Something eats away inside you, I’ve seen it before. Is this the same thing now?”

Kai looked at her with a touch of surprise before giving a hesitant nod. It took him a few tries to speak, his hand gripping hers tightly all the while. “When I was still in the Sect I found out about an illegal operation being run. They were taking people who were related to Sorcerers and using them as ingredients for a disgusting potion.”

“They used people as ingredients?” Gwen muttered with growing horror. This was like something the Cyth or Darjee would do.

She’d heard horror stories about the Sects in the far south, where they had the strongest control. This went beyond even those.

“Yes. A potion that would increase the strength of the Sorcerer who drank it. Foul and disgusting alchemy that should never be practiced.”

“So you found them and stopped them,” Gwen said, unable to conceive of the Kai she knew doing anything but that.

“I found them, yes,” Kai said, his grip almost crushing her hand. “But I knew one of the men involved. I thought he was a friend, and he promised they were simply executing criminals and scum who didn’t deserve to live.”

“But they weren’t, were they.”

“No. I let them convince me that what they were doing was for the greater good. I left, not stopping them, and went home to find my little sister, Min, was gone.”

A tear traced down Kai’s face as his expression contorted with rage and hate. “Her friend described the man who took her. It was my so-called friend. I later found out that he’d felt slighted by something I did, and so he took her for their ritual.”

Kai fell silent for a few moments, struggling with his words, but Gwen gave him the time, not daring to speak now and break him from this state.

“She was there,” Kai said in a choked voice after a few moments. “She was right there, and I walked away. I left her to die because I didn’t have the guts to push the issue. My baby sister, my only family, dead so some Sorcerer could try to become an Elder.”

“Oh, Kai, I’m so sorry,” Gwen said softly, her heart breaking at the raw anguish on his face. She’d known it had to be bad, but this was beyond that.

The guilt must have been eating at him for years.

“No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t burden you with this. It’s just that the Gormagyr reminded me of it all, and with this injury, I feel helpless.”

“Look at me,” Gwen said, catching his chin with her hand and lifting his head so she could meet his gaze. “She would be proud of everything you’ve done, but it’s time to let it go. You need to be here, in the present, not lost in the past.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Kai’s voice was little more than a whisper. “I’m a broken thing, Gwen. Hollow inside and not worthy of this, of you.”

“That is my decision, not yours, and you underestimate yourself,” Gwen said, moving closer and shifting her hand to cup his face. “You are noble, courageous and though you hide it, you are kind and giving to a fault. If you think you aren’t worthy of me, then I suggest you put the work in to make it up to me, because I’m claiming you as mine.”

“Is that right?” A touch of humour entered Kai’s voice as his lips quirked into a smile. “Do I get no say in the matter?”

Gwen smiled and shook her head. “No, foolish man, you had your chance to do this your way. Now shut up and kiss me.”

For all her talk, Gwen’s heart was pounding as she held her breath, waiting to see what he would do. This was the only thing she could think of to get through to him, but this was the part that only he could do.

She wanted everything that they could be, but she needed Kai to be with her for that, not lost in the past.

Slowly, Kai stood up, his face inches from hers as his left arm circled around her waist. “As you wish.”

Their lips met for the first time in a soft kiss that deepened as Kai’s arm tightened around her. They were both lost in it for a long moment, months of dancing around this tension between them coming together with a surge of hot passion.

When they eventually separated, Kai pulled back slightly to meet her eyes. “I’m sorry that I haven’t made this easy.”

“You were here for me, and I’ll be here for you,” Gwen said, relaxing into his embrace. “All I ask is that you try, and the rest we can figure out.”

“You have my word on it,” Kai said, leaning down to kiss her once more.