Chương 85: 085

The soft rush of the river hummed around us as we pushed through the trees. A ribbon of blue cut through the dense foliage, winding away into the distance. Dying sunlight scattered across the surface, turning the current into a stream of tiny jewels. Vibrant trees leaned over the banks, their branches heavy with blossoms, while bright flowers dotted the ground like spilled paint. It looked like paradise. The scars under my robe itched.

Just like that, the beauty lost its edge, the persistent sting dragging my thoughts back to what waited ahead.

"You sure you're alright with this?" Dura's voice broke through the spiral before it could deepen. I glanced over to find her watching me closely, brow furrowed, concern darkening her eyes. Some of the tension in my chest eased. I forced a half-smile.

"Yeah. I'm sure. I'm just… not used to anyone seeing me half naked." Not after the last time. My last one-night stand had nearly fainted when she saw the scars. To her credit, she'd apologized. Seemed genuinely sorry, even. Didn't stop the sting of watching her go from tearing my clothes off to practically sprinting out of the room. But isn't that the point? The nasty little voice in the back of my mind slithered in. If she reacts the same way, better to know now. Before anything grows.

Before it would actually hurt to watch the interest die. I shoved the thought away, though the hollow it left behind lingered like a bruise. Dura didn't look convinced by my answer, but she didn't push. Instead, she dropped down beside the riverbank and patted the ground in front of her.

"Alright," she said.

"Let's get started." I moved over and lowered myself down with a quiet grunt as every muscle in my body reminded me exactly how rough the day had been. Dura waited until I settled before reaching for the hem of my shirt. I helped pull it over my head, then fixed my gaze firmly on the river ahead. Her stare drilled into my back, making seconds crawl like hours. The hollow in my stomach deepened, growing heavier with every silent moment that passed.

My fingers twitched toward the shirt beside me, half tempted to grab it and end this. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Until her fingers touched my back. Gentle fingertips traced along one of the longer scars that ran down my spine. Slowly. Carefully. As if she were mapping them out. She followed its path before drifting to another where it crossed the first.

Her touch remained light, almost reverent, moving across the tangled lines etched into my skin. Eventually her palm settled over one of the deeper mark. The ugly, rectangular scar left by a belt buckle. I went completely still. Waiting, listening. Expecting the sharp inhale, the uncomfortable pause. The shift in breathing that always came right before someone tried to pretend they weren't horrified. But it never came. All I heard was her heartbeat. Slow and steady. A quiet rhythm behind me. A full minute passed.

When she still didn't move, I cleared my throat.

"I can still handle this myself if you've changed your mind," I said quietly.

"I know they can be a lot for people-." Her arms wrapped around me from behind. The motion was sudden enough to steal the rest of the sentence from my mouth. She pulled me back against her chest, holding me firmly as warmth seeped into my spine. Her chin rested on top of my head, and when she spoke her voice was barely more than a whisper against my hair.

"I'm going to fucking kill whoever did that to you." The words were soft, but the fury in them burned like wildfire.

"I won't ask for details," she continued.

"Not until you bring it up yourself. But if we ever run into them?" Her arms tightened slightly.

"They're mine." Protectiveness poured off her in waves, fierce and unwavering. Like she could somehow shield me from the past if she just held on tight enough. The last of the tension drained out of me. I leaned back into her without thinking, a small smile tugging at my lips.

"Noted," I murmured.

"If we ever see them, I'll point them out." She grunted in response but didn't let go right away. The quiet stretched between us, warm and strangely comfortable. Eventually she sighed and pulled back.

"Alright," she muttered.

"Before I conveniently forget about it for the next few hours, let's deal with that shoulder." My smile widened as I squeezed the arm still wrapped loosely around me.

"We're sharing a bedroll tonight," I pointed out.

"So it's not like you won't get another chance." Even if we weren't, all she'd have to do was ask. I'd forgotten how nice it felt, having someone close like that. If she wanted to repeat it, I wasn't about to complain. Dura hummed thoughtfully.

"Oh, I'm definitely taking you up on that." A grin crept into her voice.

"Fair warning though, I'm a cuddling menace."

"I'll take my chances." She chuckled softly before dipping her hand into the river. Cold water splashed over my shoulder as she rinsed away the dried blood and bits of moss clinging to the wound. I stared out over the water, ignoring the chill as droplets slid down my side. Her fingers followed them, chasing away the cold as she cleaned the last of the grime.

"Alright," she said after a moment.

"You're clean." Bandages rustled as she pulled them from her pack.

"Now we wrap." Her hands moved with confident precision, winding the cloth snugly around my shoulder. Within a minute she tied the final knot and leaned back, clearly satisfied with her work.

"Good thing batboy's little stunt wasn't worse," she said absently.

"That bite almost hit your soulmark. Would've sucked if it damaged it." My thoughts slammed to a halt. The words echoed through my head like a struck bell, and I twisted around to stare at her.

"…I have a soulmark?" Just when I thought the day was done throwing surprises at me.