A Bonds of Steel and Blood sequel.
Reinae Agnar thought she had left the darkness of the Underground City behind when she joined the Survey Corps, but some shadows refuse to fade. As she struggles to balance her duties with her burning vendetta and...
She didn't know when she lost consciousness. She remembered glimpses of being carried to a carriage, muttering to whoever was holding her to get the papers she'd hidden. She remembered swearing in agony as she drifted in and out of awareness when they disinfected and bandaged her torn wound in the carriage. And as soon as she felt a warm bed underneath her, she drifted into a dreamless sleep.
She woke up in a familiar room, surrounded by a scent she missed. Her lids fluttered open, and she turned her head to see him sitting in an armchair, his head tilted back to rest on the cushion. He was still in his suit, though the jacket was discarded on the armrest, and his shirt was unbuttoned down his chest as if he'd fallen asleep in the middle of undressing.
She watched his sleeping face for minutes. She watched how peacefully his chest waved with each breath. She took in every line of his body, engraving it into her mind. It helped her not think about the horrible outcome of the previous day.
The slightest shift of her body made him open his eyes. She stared at the calm grayness of them, then looked at her bloody dress that hung on the door of his bathroom.
"The dress is ruined," she said, pouting a little with genuine sadness.
Levi raised his brow and scoffed out a tired laugh.
"Of course, you're worried about the dress."
His voice was low and husky as if he'd been screaming.
Reinae stretched out her arm towards him, hiding the wince of pain. Levi watched her for a while, then slowly stood and walked to sit beside her on the bed. He moved a strand of her hair from her face, stroking her cheek. She saw the rage behind his tired, sad eyes.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, not knowing what else to say.
He shook his head, still stroking her cheek.
"No. I'm sorry." He took in a deep breath to calm himself. "I should've killed him the moment he approached you. I should've prevented him from..."
Reinae braced herself on her arm to sit up. She clenched her teeth when the pain shot through her.
"If you did, his men would hunt you down."
"I'd kill them too."
"And the whole military police with them?"
"What do they have to do with any of it?"
Reinae held his stare. He was holding back so many questions, so many worries. She rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb.
"Can you bring me a glass of water?" she asked quietly.
Levi did so. He sat back on the edge of the bed, and Reinae took a sip, resting her head on the headboard.
And then she told him everything.
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