The Thought Keepers: Ability

Chapter 12: On One Condition

I laid there without saying anything, hoping he was wrong. Taking my silence as assent, Carson sat up, clutching his stomach with a low hiss. I stared at the dark shadow of his back, concerned.

"You won't be able to do anything in that condition," I said. "Did you bring your sword?"

"I always have my sword," Carson reminded me, lifting his hand so I could see the gleam of ruby on his finger. I looked down at my necklace, wondering if I could use the lapis lazuli for something more than comfort and light.

"How are you able to detect Shades? Do Unnormals have some kind of Shade detectors or something?" I wondered. He always seemed to know when Shades were near. That was the only way he could have found me in the parking lot that day, and again in his house when I wandered off alone.

"It's one of my abilities," Carson admitted. "I can sense Shades, especially powerful ones."

"Can you sense what kind of Shades they are?" I asked. Because I was really hoping that these weren't made of ice.

"Nothing that advanced. I can tell how many Shades there are if I pay attention to the amount of shadow energy. But then, it could be a single Shade if they're powerful enough. It's not a foolproof ability. It's more like a warning than anything," he explained, still holding his stomach. I could hear his low breaths in the dark as he tried to hide the full extent of his pain.

"Alright, enough of this," I said, sliding off the bed. I stalked over to the lamp and turned it on. I was going to look at Carson's injuries whether he liked it or not. I rushed over to examine Carson's wound, ignoring the mutinous look he was giving me.

I hovered over him with a prominent frown, gingerly touching the hand that covered his stomach. I was close enough to hear his soft intake of breath, to feel him staring into the side of my head. For some reason, Carson didn't take his own health seriously. I wanted to make sure he didn't die in my room out of pure stubbornness.

Carson slowly lowered his hand, allowing me to see the gashes hidden beneath his tattered shirt. It was clear that he had been run through with knives, not once but several times. Just what the hell kind of training did he and his father do, that resulted in Carson nearly dying? I couldn't imagine the brutality of it. The aftermath of their fight was awful enough.

He hissed when I brushed my fingertips against his stomach. Instead of feeling ribboned skin as expected, I felt smooth abdomen instead. The slick of blood wet my fingers, but I didn't feel anything else. 

"The surface wound is gone," Carson said, quirking his lips up into a smug grin. "I told you, a crystal wound will heal in full darkness."

I looked up at him, narrowing my eyes. Even now, he seemed to be taking this all as a joke. "You still should have gone to a doctor. I don't know why you came here."

"To check on you," he answered simply, repeating himself. "Your life is still in danger, remember?"

With everything going on, I nearly forgot the reason we were brought together in the first place. Even now, the Shades that Carson sensed were trying to claim my life as the others had failed to. He and Jade promised to keep me safe until I could defend myself properly. Even if that was the agreement, Carson didn't have to come by himself when he was clearly injured. 

"You're reckless," I reprimanded. "Why didn't you bring Jade or Dante with you?"

He slightly rolled his eyes, like yeah yeah. "I can handle this much on my own. Now, let's check on your uncle. I have a bad feeling about this."

I looked Carson over one more time. Even though his skin had healed, I knew the pain was still there. From experience, the flesh wound healed much faster than the sensation. He wasn't in his best condition, no matter what he said. I noticed the way he hunched over, still holding his stomach lightly.