❝i want you to touch me there make me feel like i am breathing, feel like i am human ❞
𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇...
on the alter of the devil, up
is down, pleasure is pain,
darkness is light, slavery
is freedom, and madness
is sanity
𝐎𝐑...
𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧�...
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THE AIR IN THE CARRIAGE WAS quiet, except for the occasional groan or hiss that escaped Verena's lips. The blood had stopped flowing from her lip and ear, but Verena's brow still bled. Verena kept her eyes glued to the small pocket mirror in her hand as she slowly dapped the blood away from her pale skin.
Kaz sat across from her, his eyes narrowed as he mentally prepared a lecture on Verena's choice to stay and fight off a Squaller. Although Kaz was fuming with anger, like an inferno had erupted inside of him, he couldn't help the grief took jabs at his anger.
"You were stupid and reckless," he spoke in a firm tone, his voice raspy.
"Save the lecture, Kaz," Verena scoffed, keeping her eyes on her reflection as she placed the stained cloth on her forehead.
"You were nearly killed, Verena," Kaz snapped, his eyes narrowing into slits as he leaned forward.
"So did you. If Inej wasn't there, you'd be turned to ash right about now," Verena snapped back in a low and threatening tone. "But here we are. We're alive, we're together, and we have the target. It was a good day."
"But look at what happened to you," Kaz's voice was laced with concern as he changed his demeanour. Kaz couldn't help the soul-eating guilt that chewed away at his insides. He could've stopped it. He should've been there with Verena. Verena wasn't the stupid and reckless one, it was him.
"I'm fine. It's not as bad as it looks," Verena said, but Kaz knew it was a lie. Verena's neck was dried with blood, an array of blue and purple bruises formed over her skin, and her ashen-grey hair was stained with her blood. "Don't worry, it's not all mine," Verena reassured as she caught Kaz studying the blood caked over her skin.
Kaz remained silent as his eyes closed and opened, his eyes darting to the cloth that Verena wrapped around her thigh. The cloth was white, except for the small patch of blood that oozed from the wound on her leg.
"Kaz, I'm alright," Verena repeated, their eyes meeting in a long hold. The emotion that danced in Verena's eyes told Kaz the truth. Verena pursed her lips together and mustered up a pathetic smile that was filled with pain as her jaw began to ache.
Kaz's lips separated like he was about to say something, but before he could, the carriage came to a halt and Jesper banged his fist on the wood to signal that they were stopping.
Inej opened the door as Jesper held his arm out for Verena to take. "There you go, love," Jesper smiled sweetly as Verena took his arm and he gently placed her on the gravel below. Kaz followed shortly after, his eyes on Verena as she leaned against Jesper for support.
"Here," he offered, holding out his cane.
"Kaz . . ." Verena trailed off, giving him a knowing glance. Kaz had walked on his limp for hours and had barely had time to rest his leg.
