14

~Aspen

"I can't believe Kastriv is being so nice. I never expected that from a Noble," Kaia says.

I stare down at her arm, winding a bandage around it slowly. I've dressed many wounds before, although never on someone else.

Seeing the gruesome graze Kaia now sports from being pushed down by Oliver makes my stomach churn.

He did this to her because of me...

"It's because he wants me to do this job for him. Don't confuse it with anything else," I mumble distractedly.

"Consider me confused then, because I don't think that's his single motivation."

Sighing through my nose, I raise my gaze tentatively. "Don't say it..."

It's the last thing I need to hear. The more Kaia talks about it, the more she encourages my own thoughts, which have a tendency to sabotage me.

"What? I think he may feel bad that you've been abused all this time. But I'm sure he wanted to do more than just save you," Kaia muses, wincing as I accidently press upon a tender area on her arm.

"He may have wanted to save me, b