“I’m only here because Thalaena ordered me,” Kaevin proclaimed, lifting his tattered tunic to display his wounds. “These cuts have barely nicked the skin. So if you’ll give me the word, I’ll be on my way.”
Laethan’s firm grip on his arm propelled him inside the healing house. “At least two of these injuries will require my sewing skills, so the two of you are not escaping yet. You’ll simply have to remain calm.”
“Alora doesn’t need to come,” Kaevin said, hoping to drive her away. He was too angry to deal with her. Angry and humiliated that she had so little faith in him.
“I’ll just wait out here,” she said in a weak voice, lagging behind.
“Nonsense. You’re more hurt than he is. I must tend to you as well.” Laethan glanced to the side, where several curious onlookers had stopped to watch the commotion. He muttered, “Inside, beyond prying eyes.”
Alora stumbled, and Laethan swept her up, cradling her in his arms and kicking the door open with his foot. He gently laid her on the nearest bed. Laethan’s action pricked his conscience, and Kaevin kicked at a nearby bed frame, slamming his shin in the process. He gritted his teeth, refusing to react to the self-inflicted pain.
Alora moaned. “Please, Kaevin. I’m sorry for everything.”
“You don’t have to feel his emotions, Alora, even when they are aimed at you,” said Laethan.
“I’m trying, but I can’t block him. I can block his pain, but not his emotions.”
“Kaevin, I’m sorry to do this, but you are causing grievous injury to your soulmate. She’s shielding you from her pain, so you have no idea.”
Kaevin’s anger vanished.
He felt nothing but an eerie sense of calm. He ought to be mad at Laethan for manipulating his emotions, but he couldn’t drum up a single bit of irritation.
The sigh Alora released must have indicated relief. Kaevin wondered, in an odd disconnected way, if he ought to feel remorse for the pain he’d caused her.
“We’ve stopped the damage, for now, so let me attend to these cuts,” Laethan told Kaevin. “This one has reopened your previous wound.”
Stripping off his tunic, Kaevin sat on the opposite bed, watching Alora, who stared at him with tears in her eyes.
Laethan worked quickly, his movements seeming rougher than usual. “This will hurt, Kaevin, for it’s all I can do to protect Alora by removing your emotions. I can’t lessen your pain as I normally would.”
“So, all those times in the past, when I thought I was immune to the pain, you were softening the effect?” he replied, not the least bit anxious in anticipation of the pain to come.
Laethan grunted, banging his tools on the table.
“Alora,” Laethan said, “you told me you could block yourself from feeling his pain, so you need to do that now.”
Alora nodded, turning her head away as Laethan poured some brownish liquid on his cuts, the sharp sting eliciting a hiss from his lips.
“This one is just a scratch, but the other two are deeper. Here, can you keep pressure on this rag until the bleeding stops? And while I sew these cuts, you can tell me why you became so angry with Alora. You’ve about undone our morning’s work, you know.”
Kaevin gritted his teeth to keep from flinching, wishing Laethan was using his gift on his pain rather than his emotions. “I’m not... sure I can... talk right now.”
“I can tell you, Laethan,” said Alora, though she kept her eyes averted. “Kaevin, just correct me if I get anything wrong.”
Kaevin pressed his lips together, hoping that would suffice for an answer.
“I’ll start at the beginning. At lunch, Kaevin found out I’ve been practicing with Jireo to learn how to fight and use weapons.”
“I see,” said Laethan. “And Kaevin wanted to teach you himself?”
“No. Kaevin didn’t want me to learn at all.”
“Why not?” Laethan paused in his stitching, obviously expecting Kaevin to answer this one.
“It’s my responsibil
ity to protect her. She’s not gifted in weapons or agility so she can’t fight against anyone who’s gifted anyway.”