Page 16 of Blood of the Fallen
He pulled back a bit, reluctant for a moment, then seemed to realize there was no way around it, and allowed Ila to place one thumb under his lower eyelid and another above the upper one. She slowly pried them open to reveal a clouded eye like that of a very old person.
I pressed a hand to my mouth, unable to hide my reaction from Kall, who glanced in my direction and hung his head in disappointment as he understood the lack of good news.
“There’s still a chance to heal a bit more,” Ila said, her voice full of compassion.
Kall sat up on his haunches, raising his head high, ears standing at attention. He was trying to appear aloof as if the loss didn’t matter, but I could tell it did.
“I will talk to Bethel,” Ila said, doing her best to sound upbeat. “She might have some ideas.” Gathering the bloodied piece of cloth she’d used to clean Kall’s face, she rose to her feet and turned to me. “C’mon, Sheela, I’ll get you something to eat. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
I nodded once and kept my chin down, avoiding Kall’s eye contact at all costs. I didn’t want to make him feel bad with my own sorrowful vibes. Quickly, I followed Ila out of the tent, telling myself that it would be good for Kall to have some time alone.
Outside, the entire pack was moving around, gathering their supplies, and getting ready to leave. Since the Lux Academy guards had spotted me at their first camp, we had been on the move. This would be the third time in a few days, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the pack hated me for causing all this unrest. Surely, I was a bigger headache than I was worth.
The sky was painted in shades of pink and blue as the sun rose. Birds chirped and a few flowers sprouted at the edge of the camp, a sign that spring would soon be here in full force. As I glanced at a passing fluffy cloud, I had to stop and shut my eyes. A dizzy spell had come over me, and the world seemed to cartwheel for a moment.
“Are you all right?” Ila asked, gesturing toward the hand I’d pressed to my stomach.
“I just got a bit dizzy.” Maybe the strength that Bethel and Ila had passed on to me as they healed me was finally wearing out, and some of the effects I should’ve suffered last night had decided to finally show up.
A deep line appeared between Ila’s eyebrows as she looked at me. “Maybe you’ll feel better once you get some food inside of you,” she suggested, though she didn’t seem so sure.
As everyone milled about getting ready, Ila led me toward a still-smoldering fire, where the children were gathered, eating. Nirliq blinked several times, seeming to pounce on her heels as I squatted next to her. She looked like someone biting her tongue, eager to say something.
“Good morning, pretty girl,” I said, giving her a wide smile that I hoped let her know I wasn’t mad at her.
She returned my smile right back and offered me a dry corn cake. I took it and started nibbling on it.
“Terit!” An angry voice exclaimed, calling the little boy next to Nirliq. “Get off your bottom and help! Not everyone in this pack is as privileged as the next person.”
I glanced up to find Desna. She glowered at me, making no bones about who she thought was privileged. As the boy huffed and rose to leave, Desna opened her mouth to say something else, but when she sensed movement behind her, she sealed her lips and glanced over her shoulder.
Kall, Maki, and Novuk stood behind her, all in their human form.
The kids around the campfire jumped to their feet and ran to the triad, whooping and laughing, running endless circles around them.
I slowly stretched to a standing position, the corn cake forgotten in my hand, my mouth frozen half chew. Kall’s normally golden skin looked sallow, and a pink scar caught from the top of his eyebrow to his cheekbone. One glittering green eye and a white clouded one watched me.
He wore tight pants that hung low on his hips, but his feet and torso were bare. His massive chest barely rose and fell, as if he were holding his breath, holding his entire self. But from what? His smile to the little kids seemed forced, though not unkind. He rustled their hair and patted their backs as they ran off.
“Souring people’s breakfasts this early?” Maki asked Desna with a scowl.
“Watch what you say to me, pup, or when I’m your alpha, I’ll make you lick my boots.”
“I’d rather lick other parts,” Maki retorted, running his tongue over the corner of his lip.
I was surprised to see Desna blush. The color rose from her neck quickly and blossomed in her cheeks.
“Maybe I’ll just have you cut your filthy tongue out,” she growled, her rage so abrupt that it made me suspect she’d used it to hide her embarrassment. Whipping her many braids over her back, she marched away. It was a move I’d seen countless city girls make—one I never thought I would see from someone like Desna.
Maki chuckled and elbowed Novuk, who only shook his head.
“Can I talk to you?” Kall asked me once the dust of Maki’s crude joke had settled.
My stomach clenched again, and the sky seemed to swing like a pendulum. I staggered forward and hid my faltering by taking a few steps in Kall’s direction.
“Um, sure,” I said.
Maki and Novuk moved closer to Kall, flanking his sides.
