Little Lightning

Chapter 4

Lyrical groaned, opening her eyes a sliver. A blinding headache pounded against her skull. She shut her eyes again. Every part of her body hurt as if she had been crush by a truck and somehow brought back to life. 

And it was hot. 

Hot like she was in the middle of a fire.

Hot like she was the kindle to a whirling tornado of flames.

She shifted, her muscles screaming, and realized there was some kind of heavy blanket on her. She lifted it, her arm muscles straining with the effort. Why was she so weak? Why was she here? What happened? 

It all came rushing back. Failing the test. The ship. The strange boy. The headache. All of it came back. She sat up suddenly. Dizziness washed over her like a tsunami, crashing into her and nearly making her throw up from sheer intensity. She sat there for a moment, waiting it out. Once it had passed, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, gripping the wooden bedstand beside the bed to steady herself. She let out a breath, willing her legs to stop shaking. They didn't listen. 

She wobbled over to the door frame, a deep blue cloth acting as the only thing that separated her from the next room.  She listened hard, trying to quiet the ringing in her ear. Surprisingly, the ringing did lessen. Muffled voices came from the next room. She leaned against the framework, careful not to touch the cloth and alert the people inside that she was awake. 

"...I didn't do anything. I don't think you and your men recognize the service I did you." An unfamiliar voice said calmly. 

"I don't see how making my pupil go unconscious is a service!" That was Kirtash. It was clear he was struggling to keep his volume under control. His normally calm voice was laced with anger and even a slight bit of... worry? He was worried for her? That was new. She blinked and tuned back into the conversation.

"...she was in pain. All I did was help her, something neither you nor your men were able to do." 

"Usually you get someone's permission before you do unknown things to them. That's how it works!" 

"Would it help if I asked her now?" The unfamiliar voice spoke calmly. Lyrical sucked in a silent breath.

"What good would it do? She's unconscious! She can't hear you, much less respond." Kirtash scoffed.

"I don't think so. Why don't you go check?" The voice said, a smile evident in its tone. The sound of Kirtash standing up reached Lyricals ears, but before Lyrical could hop into bed and pretend she was sleeping, Kirtash's hand brushed the cloth away and he saw her standing against the doorway. She flinched lightly, ready for the long lecture that she knew was due. Instead, soft arms enfolded her. She opened her eyes, surprised at the sudden hug, and hugged him back.

"I'm so glad you're ok." He whispered. She teared up despite herself and buried her face into his shoulder. This never happened. Was she really that close to dying? Close enough to make Kirtash open up like this for the first time in the four years she knew him? 

He released her and felt her forehead. "You're fever is down. That's good." She sighed, sensing a but coming. "But you should rest."

"I can rest later. Right now, we have to investigate that ship! And the..." She trailed off, remembering the unfamiliar voice in the other room. "He's in there, right? He's the one you were arguing with." Kirtash didn't respond, which was enough answer for her. Before he could stop her, Lyrical charged through the blue cloth.

It was him. He was sitting in one of the chairs in the corner of the room, the one closest to the fireplace. His eyes were just as bored as she remembered, and he lounged as if he was in his own home rather than in an unfamiliar place. A small smile graced his lips, and he opened his mouth and spoke two words that somehow shook Lyrical to the bone.

"Hello, Lyrical."