Sleight of Hand

Chapter 26

Kurtis stopped Trebor in the doorway when he was done with his shower.

"Everyone else has gone back to bed," he said quietly. Trebor nodded and made to step around him, but Kurtis blocked his path.

"Are you okay?" he asked, fatherly concern etching in his wrinkles.

"I'm fine," Trebor replied, though it wasn't exactly the truth. He was still rattled from the events of the night, every part of him tight with unease. The stench of Aivilo's blood lingered in his sinuses, giving Trebor a headache. His mind throbbed with unwanted memories. His body ached from taking the brunt of Aivilo's raw power. And he was tired.

"How's Aiv?" Trebor asked.

Kurtis said, "Hanna would know. I haven't seen her since she went to her room."

After a brief pause, Trebor assured, "I'll check on her."

Kurtis bid him goodnight as he descended the stairs. Truth be told, Trebor had planned on checking on Aivilo anyway.

Trebor tiptoed down the hallway, rubbing the towel over his damp hair. Some of his locks had started to curl under his ears and at the nape of his neck and around his forehead; it tickled when it brushed against his skin.

He stopped at Aivilo's cracked door, reaching out a hand to push it open slightly. He'd planned on just peeking in and seeing her sound asleep. What he didn't anticipate was hearing soft crying. Trebor's hand froze before it met the door.

Should he go in?

He studied the floor for a moment, indecision rooting him to the spot. Finally, sighing through his nose, Trebor knocked softly on the door and stuck his head in. Aivilo was sitting on her bed, back against the wall. She clutched a pillow in her lap, her loose hair curtaining her face. When he poked in, she straightened and wiped at her eyes.

"Hey," Trebor voiced, taking a step into the room and freezing. Though he desperately wanted to hurry over to her and cradle her in his arms, Trebor made himself stop before he could.

"Can I come in?" he asked. Aivilo nodded, and he walked in, closing the door behind him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, turning back around. Physi­cally, she looked better. She had changed into pajamas, and no longer had a haunted look in her eyes. She just looked sad. Her eyes and the tip of her nose were red from crying, and there was a slight flush on her cheeks and ears.

"Not really," she admitted, and her voice was nasally. "But I will be," she added when she noticed his drawn-together brows.

Trebor removed the towel from around his neck and hung it over the desk chair in the room. Then he padded over, climbed on the bed, and plopped down next to her with a heavy sigh.

She wiped at her eyes again and released a long breath. They sat in silence for a while, Aivilo's stuttered breathing and sniffling the only thing breaking the silence.

Finally, she said, "Thanks."

Trebor looked over at her, and she was studying her bandaged hands.

"Anytime," he responded.

"So, your mom taught you how to do this?" she asked, running her fingers over the gauze.

"Yeah. It has nothing to do with my power. I'd wit­nessed her do things like it countless times, and when I was old enough, she taught me some basic medical training."

Aivilo studied him.

"You miss her," she said, and it wasn't a question.

Aivilo had lived with them for a while. Knew what his family had been like.