9. Eyes on me.

Zayden's POV

Her hand trembled as she tried to force herself upright again. Every small movement pulled a heavy tired breath out of her. The sheet was stained with blood running down her leg. Still, she managed to sit straight and look straight at me, as if pain was something she could simply refuse to acknowledge.

“What did Nikolai promise you in exchange for me?” Her voice was still raspy, but steady. Her neck looked barely strong enough to hold her head up, yet she kept it lifted, her eyes locked dead on me.

The name still rang no bell. No memory or association. But when she mentioned the name, her voice was laced with fear and hatred, though it was tightly controlled.

When I didn’t answer, her shoulders dropped a bit, but definitely not in defeat.

Stubborn.

“Just kill me,” she said, quieter now “I won’t go back to him.”

The door opened.

Kael returned with a cup of water in his hand. He held it out to her without a word. The look on his face wasn't very assuring that he hadn't poisoned it.

She looked at the cup, then at him, then at me, with a coldness that could build a wall. After a moment she took it, and with what little strength she had left, she flung it toward me.

The cup hit the floor near my feet and spilled across the boards. The water darkened the woods.

Kael moved and grabbed her again. His hand closed around her throat and shoved her back harshly against the headboard. She choked hard, tears running down her face. A rough sound escaped her, but she didn’t fight against him this time. She simply closed her eyes, as if she had already accepted whatever came next.

“That’s enough.” I said.

Kael’s grip didn’t loosen a bit, he choked her harder, making her cough weakly, her fingers twitching against the blanket.

“She’s dangerous,” he said in a low voice. “Look at her. She freed herself, found a weapon, and the way she held that gun, she had done it for years. This is not a lost girl. She is a skilled killer. There’s no way she wandered into this forest by accident. She was with the rogues, definitely a bait. And giving her water is a mistake. She should be tortured and questioned properly.”

Rhett, still by the door, walked forward. “Kael-”

“You’re being too soft with her, Zayden.” Kael cut in, eyes still fixed on me. “That’s not like you at all. She’s already proven she can point a gun at your chest without shaking apart. That tells it all. Next time she might not miss.”

I didn't look away from the girl as Kael made his point, she too didn't look away either.

I scoffer, rising to my feet.

“ Out. Both of you.”

"No” He disagreed. ”I’m not leaving you alone with her.”

I met his stare directly. “Do you take me for an imbecile who can’t handle one injured human?”

A sharp silence followed.

Rhett heaved loudly, still at the door.

"C'mon Kael. Let's leave.” He said.

Kael held my gaze a second longer, his jaw tightly locked, the disagreement was clear in every line of his posture, then turned and walked out without a word.

"R”hett.” I called.

He paused at the door. “Yeah?”

“Bring me the kit from the back shelf. The old one.”

Rhett paused for half a second. His eyes flicked to the girl, then back to me. Without another word, he gave a short nod and left.

The room fell into suffocating quietness.

She managed to pull herself against the headboard, using one hand to brush her throat where Kael’s grip had been. Her breathing was uneven. And yet, her eyes fixed coldly on me.

There was no begging in them. No fear at all, just a tired wariness.

Interesting.

A minute later, Rhett returned, carrying a worn leather roll in his hands. He set it on the small table near me without opening it. Her gaze shifted from me, dropping to the roll.

“That’s all, you can leave” I said.

Rhett gave a short nod, glanced one last time at the girl with something closer to caution than hostility and stepped out.

The door shut behind him.

“Now,” I said quietly. “Let’s try this again.”