Dark of the Tide [Shadow and Bones]

Chapter 13

I blinked my eyes open and shut them again as the sunlight streamed through the windows.

    A dark shadow blocked the sun and I opened my eyes back up, seeing Kaz crouching down to eye-level with me and smiling fondly.

    "Oh, shut up." I muttered.

    "I didn't say anything." He replied.

    "But you were thinking it." I said, looking behind me and seeing Jesper was gone. "Where's Jes?"

    "Inej is taking care of him. You two were pretty wasted when you came home." He replied, brushing my hair back. "And I'm going to take care of you today."

    I smiled. "Relax day?"

"Yes. You need it." He nodded, reaching over and grabbing a glass of water. "First, you need to get some water in you."

I groggily sat up and took the glass from him, drinking slowly. "Thanks, Kaz."

He came and sat next to me. "Well, I can't very well have you drunk when I take you on a date tonight."

I looked at him and smiled. "No pubs."

He laughed. "No pubs. Just you and me and the stars."

"Stargazing. I never took you for a romantic." I said, setting the nearly-empty glass down.

"Mmh, well, this is a special occasion." He replied, wrapping his arms around me and letting me lean against his chest.

"And that is?"

He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Nice try. But I'm not telling you that until tonight."

"Worth a shot." I said, forcing back a yawn. "Why am I so tired? I got . . . seven hours of sleep."

"Sleep, Bella. I'll be here when you wake up." He said, stroking back my hair.

    "Mmhm, 'kay."

———

I moaned softly and rolled around in Kaz's arms, opening my eyes and seeing him smiling at me.

"What you looking at?" I asked tiredly.

He chuckled softly and kissed my forehead, brushing aside my hair. "I'm just wondering how a girl like you could fall for a guy like me."

"That's easy. You loved me when I couldn't love myself. And you're not a psychotic mass murderer who created the Fold." I answered.

"Yeah, there's that. Can I ask you something?"

"You already did, but sure."

"What . . . what did you see in him?" He asked.

I looked at him. ". . . he wasn't all that bad when I knew him. He was kind and caring. But power always finds a way to corrupt us."

    He listened in silence, nodding. "Everyone has a weakness."

    ". . . yours is greed."

    He sighed softly. "I'm not proud of it. But, yes. For the longest time, I allowed my greed to control my life. But not anymore."

    I looked at him for a while longer, placing my hand on his cheek and running a thumb over his cheek. "Is this the part where you break out into song?"

    He laughed. "You won't have that privilege yet."

    "But I will soon, if I am hearing correctly."