Blue Flames

Chapter 19

There is nothing worse than having to physically depend on others in even the smallest of tasks. Especially for someone who is used to being on their own.

It was exactly one week later that I could walk for five minutes without passing out. After Amanda had found me unconscious on the forest floor one morning, she made me promise not to work out when there was no one around. I thought it was a ridiculous request. I made the promise, nonetheless, because saying no to Amanda was like kicking a kitten; impossible to do without drowning in guilt.

So either Amanda or Irene would come by every morning, do a little light exercise with me before going to their job. Irene was still transitioning from the Order to being a member of Arthur's inner circle. She'd wanted to stay with me in the cabin at first, but understood my reason for objecting.

Wes kept me company for the rest of the day. I kept busy by playing fetch with the giant dog, or by cleaning the weapons and keeping my aim with the throwing daggers sharp. That did not count as an exercise in my mind, although my arm muscles felt like jelly by the time I was done.

Day after day, my stamina improved and my body's limits were slowly, but surely, going back to normal.

I was sitting on the front doorstep one sunny morning after Irene left, waiting for Wes to fetch a stick, when a familiar person walked through the thick trees around the clearing with a big bouquet of flowers and an even bigger smile.

"Hi, Corbin." I grinned at the boy with skin of fine chocolate and warm brown eyes.

"Elle! Hey." he jogged towards me. The bouquet of baby breath and light colored roses he held was breathtakingly beautiful.

I stood up and took the bouquet, my chest warming in response to the thoughtful gesture, "thank you, Corbin. This is really beautiful."

He flushed under the deep tan of his face, his smile widened, "how are you doing? The Sire wouldn't let us visit you right after you woke up, so I couldn't come."

I blinked, taken aback by his words. I hadn't expected Arthur to understand that I wouldn't want others to see me in my weakest, most vulnerable state. Come to think of it, Irene and Amanda were the only ones who dropped by, and even with them I felt embarrassed, sort of humiliated to display any kind of feebleness.

Irrational, but pride often is.

"I'm doing fine," I replied, "much better anyway."

Right then, Wes came running with the stick in his mouth, his tail wagging like crazy. Dropping the stick by my feet, he rubbed his length against my leg and gave Corbin the stink eye. I petted the dog's head.

Corbin wrinkled his nose. His brown eyes turned amber for a second.

"Don't like dogs?" I asked the leopard shifter.

He pointed to himself, "feline, remember? Although the animosity is not universal, I don't really like dogs."

Adorable, I thought, inviting Corbin inside. He pushed me down on a chair when I tried to make coffee and took over the task himself. We then drank in light conversation, Wes sprawled on the floor next to my chair. 

Corbin told me all about the time I was kidnapped, how they had to help evacuate the city. He told me about his training sessions, and about the difficulties he had with knife throwing.

I wondered if that was what it felt like to have a younger brother. It was nice, watching the youthful, innocent hope in his eyes. I wondered if mine had ever held the same.