Page 75 of Emperor of Corruption
It’s dark outside; I must’ve slept away the entire afternoon. Slowly, I become aware of shouting beside the knocking. At first, I think Anna must be here to check on me—if she heard I got mugged from Sarah, she’d probably come straight over.
But the voice that’s shouting something unintelligible isn’t feminine—it’s masculine, and it’s a voice I’d know anywhere.
Killian.
I don’t have the strength to get up; the world’s spinning around me like a merry-go-round. Instead, I part my lips to call out for Killian to go away, but all that comes out is a wet, ragged coughing fit.
I’msick-sick. Sicker than I’ve been in years. I must’ve caught something in that fucking alleyway.
I hear a locking mechanism sound, and then, the door bursts open. Killian stands there, panting like a bull, along with mylandlord, who’s holding a set of keys.
Even in its fuzzy state, my brain manages to pick up on the fact that Killian called my landlord to get into my apartment. That makesme think I’ve been out longer than an afternoon, that I’ve missed something important.
“Oh, dear,” my landlord says, eyebrows raising. “Miss Stewart, are you alright?”
“Yeah,” I manage to say, but the word is scarcely a raspy croak. “Just sick.”
Killian’s frown morphs into a full-blown scowl. He glances at my landlord. “Thanks for the help. I’ll take it from here.”
My landlord doesn’t look even a little bit uneasy at letting Killian into my apartment. I guess I can’t blame him—Killian reeks of wealth, and has a way of making everyone around him feel like they’re privileged to be in his presence. My landlord slinks away, while Killian steps into the apartment.
I don’t even have it in me to offer him a wave. I stare at him through droopy eyes, while he watches me with that scowl intact. “I thought you were deciding to be a brat when you missed our appointment tonight.”
Tonight?Is it…Wednesday?
Holy shit, did I pass out for nearly30 fucking hours?I’ve never slept more than 10 hours in my entire life.
Then again, I’ve never run on a maximum of four hours of sleep and sheer stress for five weeks in a row, either. Not even college finals were as bad as the last month and change.
Killian strides over to me and presses his palm to my forehead. It’s cool, dry, andheavenly—I lean into it with a soft whimper.
“Fuck,” Killian mutters. “You’re burning up. I’m calling a doctor.” He whips his phone out of his pocket, clicks a few buttons, and holds it into his ear.
“Don’t,” I rasp. “I’ll befine—”
“I’ve been around many sick people before, Lyra, and you’re most certainly not fine. You should be going to urgent care right now. Lucky for you, I have a more comfortable option in mind.” He switches gears when whoever he’s calling picks up.
“I’ve got a friend who needs your services and your discretion.” He rattles off my apartment address. “Bring meds and all the tools you need with you—and tests. She’s in a bad state.” He hangs up without further ado. His eyes rake over the coffee table in front of me and the blanket on top of me. Thank fuck myotherphone and laptop are safely tucked away in their hiding place.
“When did you pass out?” he asks.
“Tuesday afternoon,” I rasp.
His eyes flutter shut. “It’s Wednesday. 9p.m. I’ve been calling and texting you for the last two hours. I thought you’d decided to be a massive brat, begging for a punishment.”
Fuck. We had an ‘interview’ scheduled two hours ago. “I was asleep,” I croak.
“I can see that. You’ve been asleep for over twenty-four hours.” He shakes his head and returns to his phone, clicking around on it. “You need to get fed and hydrated. Do you have tea?”
I nod. “Kitchen.”
He disappears through my kitchen door. I hear the electric kettle turn on, followed by the opening and closing of cupboards. Killian returns minutes later, holding a mug of tea. He takes a seat on the couch beside me and helps me sit up. “Here,” he murmurs.
“I…” I trail off with a wet cough. “I don’t think I can sit up.”
Killian’s brows touch. He sets the tea down on the coffee table, slides an arm around me, and carefully lifts me up. I feel as helpless as a toddler, incapable of doing even the simplest task.
I suppose the stress was bound to catch up to me sooner or later. I just wish it wasn’t in a way that gave Killian King a reason to invade my domain.
