Page 47 of Tell No Tales
"I erased the memory of Delilah's letter and the journal so Coryn wouldn't suspect anything." Vadim tensed. "I'll never be ready, but if it will prepare us to rescue Hugo, I'll face it."
Nola extended her hand to Vadim. He placed his gloved hand in hers and they shook. "Good."
Klaus didn't know what they were preparing for, but it couldn't be anything good.
Thankfully, there were kittens in a box on deck to take his mind off the secrets hidden in Emperor Hesse's journal. He and Hannah kneeled on either side of the box and petted their mama while Vadim disappeared into the hold.
"Devon, you're in charge," Nola called over her shoulder. "Try not to wreck her this time."
Devon was less than Stan in every way. Not as tall, not as dark, and not as handsome. Come to think of it, Klaus hadn't found anyone quite as handsome as Vadim since they'd met. The death weaver wasn't even conventionally attractive, with the scar over his eye, but it served to make him look even more dangerous and powerful. Klaus was starting to recognize he had a type, and Vadim definitely fit.
"Oh, no." Hannah pointed to the corner of the box closest to Klaus.
He glanced down at what he'd first thought was a scrap of blanket, but when he looked closer, he saw it was a tiny, unmoving kitten. It was much smaller than the others. Klaus stroked it with a finger, and it wriggled against him.
"Oh, shit. It's sick." The baby was hot to the touch, and when it turned its little head toward Klaus, its eyes were crusted shut. He had to do something, but he didn't know who to turn to or what to do. Vadim still didn't know much about his healing power, but he was on the same ship, at least. Niall was most likely in the captain's cabin, passing time before the evening meal.
"Vadim! I need you!"
"What do you need?"
"There's a sick kitten!"Klaus didn't send any other words. He assumed Vadim would know he needed to heal the baby. Klaus kept stroking the soft fur, and the baby tucked further into the corner.
"Yvette has tried to heal the smallest kitten, with no luck."Klaus didn't want to hear the next words in his head, and they filled him with fury."All I could do is ease its suffering. I'm so sorry, Klaus."
"No!"
"It won't be long, regardless. It hasn't had any nourishment for over a day."
Rage overpowered Klaus like the fog. Instead of dulling everything, it made his skin feel too tight. He felt helpless against it.
"I hate you!"
If Vadim said anything more inside his head, Klaus didn't hear it. He walled in his thoughts with his pain and his disappointment, cutting off all communication. Then, he focused only on the struggling little kitten in the corner of the box.
Was he prolonging the baby's pain? The reaction to his touch became more and more like shuddering, or maybe convulsing. Gods, what if Klaus's touch was killing it? He pulled his hand away.
"Honey, no," Hannah whispered. "Keep doing what you're doing."
"But it's getting weaker because of me."
Hannah nodded. "It will be lonely if you leave now."
Gods, that was an even worse thought. He didn't want the tiny creature to be alone in its final moments.
They sat on the deck, Hannah playing with the other kittens and petting the mama cat, Klaus stroking his little furball until there were no more shivers, and then until the fur wasn't warm beneath his finger.
At first, he thought the kitten was healing, going back to its normal temperature, but then he reached out to pat another kitten's head and found that kitten was now far warmer than his little one in the corner.
The first tears splashed against his hand, and a tiny droplet landed on the kitten's soft fur between its ears. "Godsdamnit, Vadim," he muttered. "All that talk of healing and balance, and for what?"
Hannah grabbed his hand, still hovering over the kitten, and pulled him to his feet. They gripped him tight in a hug. He was glad they couldn't see his face. Sobs wracked his body, and he tried to remember how to breathe around his rage.
He'd been small and sick, and a healer had helped him! Many fucking healers had helped him. He was lucky to be alive. Was it too much to ask for, that this kitten could live, too?
"Come on," Hannah said. "Let's get you back to the ship. It's time for the evening meal."
They were right. He was suddenly self-conscious, though he didn't know why. Hannah had never made him feel like he needed to explain his actions, but he found himself apologizing, anyway.
