Fire Breather

62.

   AFTER leaving my brother and Violet near our dragons back at the outpost, I found myself standing outside of Garrick's door, not even wanting to knock considering the last time I was here and found Beth in his fucking bed.

With anyone else, I would've just waltzed in and grabbed my shit. But this wasn't anyone else—this was Garrick. The idiot I still loved no matter how hard I tried not to.

Just when I lifted my hand up to knock, the door was pulled open and my eyes locked with hazel ones, his posture relaxed as he towered over me.

"I need my bag," I flatly said, lowering my hand. "And for you to tell me what Viscount Tecarus wants from my brother because I have a feeling it has something to do with me and Violet."

Ultimately, his face fell, and I knew then that I was right. "I think you should come in," he said, taking a step back.

I hesitated, moving my gaze away from his before I stepped into his room, moving straight to the window across from his bed. "Start talking before I leave."

He closed the door, leaning back against it while I leaned back against his window, crossing my arms over my chest. "What did Varrish do to you?" he asked me, taking me completely off guard. I did not come in here to talk about that. "Don't say it was nothing because when I watched you being hauled out of Ridoc's room, you didn't have three new scars."

"How the hell is everyone noticing that?" I grumbled, eyeing my pack beside him. "Garrick, I didn't come in here to talk about—"

"I'll answer any question you ask me if you tell me what happened, Blaine," he cut me off, his tone dropping with his eyes staring into my fucking soul. "Nim felt everything you went through which was a fucking ton of pain. Pain plus new scars means that Varrish did fucking something, and I need to know."

"You don't need to know shit," I countered, grasping my arms tightly in frustration. "The only thing you need to know is that I'm alive and fine. Now tell me about Viscount Tecarus."

"What. Happened," he bit out, pushing off the door and walking toward me. "Obviously the scars aren't from anything else other than interrogation, or you would've said that by now. And if it wasn't such a big issue, then you also would've told me what happened by now. That means something fucked up happened." He stopped before me, his jaw tense. "I need to know what happened to you. I need to know if your life is in danger. I need to know if there is any way I can help—"

"He reopened my scars, Garrick!" I snapped, furiously looking up at him while his lips parted in shock, his eyes filling with dread. "After he punched Violet's dislocated shoulder, he started on me, okay? He used a blade and cut open my scars because of the way Nim humiliated him on Conscription Day! I had to feel the pressure he dug into my skin—I had to relive through the pain. Happy now?"

Anger and defeat filled his eyes as he gently cupped the side of my jaw, unable to look away from me. "I should've come and got you," he breathed while I struggled not to lean into his touch. "I should've done—"

"Nothing," I quietly cut him off. "There was nothing you could've done to stop him, Garrick." Softly, I pushed his hand away from my face. "It was bound to happen one way or another."

"There is always something I can do," he gently countered. "Hell, we could fake your death here and then you can go back to Aretia, Blaine. You would be safer there than at Basgiath."

"It would never be believed. If I die and you're alive, they'll know I'm not dead," I dreadfully reminded him, because honestly, I liked the idea of faking my own death. "I just have to keep pushing through it and I will." I sent him a strained smile before sitting on the edge of his bed. "Now, tell me about Viscount Tecarus. I just want the Varrish shit left behind me."