Deadly Obsession (The Darking x Oc)

Chapter 6: The Inner Circle

"Oh come on, 'Rina, this is the third time this month you've been asked to heal the general." Maria groaned from the other side of my room as I slipped my kefta off, placing it back in my wardrobe. I rolled my eyes and turned back to my friend, giggling at the image of her sprawled out on my bed. "That means nothing, Maria, I was simply the highest ranking healer available." I said, moving across my room and joining my friend on the bed.

"You may have been three months ago, but since your boss returned, he's the most qualified, yet the general still calls upon you." Maria said, wriggling her eyebrows at me suggestively. I rolled my eyes again, and decided not to comment, wanting this topic to disappear.

It was a conversation I had avoided many times over the past few months, with many of the other healers, as well as my friends questioning why I was being called in to heal the general more and more often. It was a topic I generally tried to avoid, simply because I was still processing everything as well. I truly didn't understand why he kept calling upon me, but had gotten used to an oprichnik coming to find me any time the general was even vaguely injured.

At first, we barely spoke when I went in to heal him, with only a few passing comments, but I had found myself getting more comfortable around the black general. He often recommended a different book to me every time I went to see him, and I became more and more interested in his private collection of books, thoroughly enjoying everything he suggested. I found myself smiling more and more around the general, and I thought I had caught General Kirigan giving me a genuine smile as well.

I had also noticed subtle changes to his office each time I went in there. I had mentioned once how dark it was in there, and how his eyes must strain so often to simply read the papers he was writing, and the next time I entered the office, his curtains were open for the first time. I hadn't commented on it, but the general had watched me more carefully than normal, as though he was trying to gauge my reaction to the change.

The room was also kept much neater after Kirigan had rooted through a few piles of papers in order to retrieve the latest book he'd recommended, and I had suggested that he try and tidy up a little bit.

It was odd to see the general so often, but I actually liked being in his presence, there was a certain warmth to him, which I knew was possibly just the amplifier within him. But it was strange to feel so protected, when he was one of the most feared men in the country. Power radiated off him, no matter if he was standing beside the map of our country, or sitting in his chair, complaining quietly about whatever pain I was there to heal.

"Ooh, you thinking about the general?" Maria questioned teasingly, breaking me from my thoughts. My cheeks grew warm at the correctness of her statement, nothing more, and I gave the fabrikator a pointed look. "Can we please stop talking about the general, let's talk about Ilya, when was the last time you heard from him?" I asked, knowing that I had been receiving regular updates from the inferni who was fighting on the front lines at the Shu Han border.

"Not recently, what about you, any news from him?" Maria asked, thankfully dropping the conversation of Kirigan and I. "I got a letter last week, and he thinks that he'll be promoted again soon, but you know him, he's probably milking it. I can't believe he's already a sergeant major." I said, and Maria nodded. Our friend had done so well in the past few years, the only issue was that we barely got to see him at all, and there were times where there would be weeks between his letters, which was terrifying, seeing as he was nearly always fighting.

"Yeah, kinda glad he isn't here, not sure I could bear the bragging." Maria said, and we both let out a half hearted chuckle, both being lost in thoughts of Ilya. "Okay, shall we steer this conversation away from depressing subjects, and talk about something else." I suggested, and Maria nodded. "Definitely." She said, and we began to chatter the night away, enjoying the time we were able to spend together.