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Ariadne hurried to the location Rafayel’s ping was coming from, driving as fast as she could on the nearly deserted late night roads, heart beating in her throat.
His words on the brief phonecall rang through her head constantly as she pressed her foot harder into the gas.
“Cutie…” A long pause, before there was a pained breath, then, “I…made a mistake. Need you… pick me up.”
She didn’t like that his location was so close to The Nest. She had no idea what Rafayel was doing out there tonight. She just hoped he would be okay when she got there.
She parked as close as she could to the ping and scrambled out of the car, making her way in what was hopefully the right direction.
“Rafayel?” she called softly, keeping an eye on her surroundings to make sure no one nefarious was around.
Something shuffled behind a dumpster causing her to startle and Ariadne reached for the gun at her hip, approaching cautiously.
But as she rounded the dumpster, she found a familiar figure slumped against the wall of the alley.
“Rafayel!”
She holstered her gun again and ran the last few steps, falling to her knees beside him, reaching out to take his lolling head in her hands.
A soft moan escaped him and his eyes fluttered, blinking up at her. “Cutie…you…came.”
“Of course, dummy,” she replied, hands searching him, finding a warm, wet spot on his side. She pulled his jacket open to reveal a worryingly large patch of blood. “Raf, this looks really bad.”
He made a sound of discomfort, shivering under her touch and reaching out to grab her hand. “Take me…home…”
“Honey, you need a hospital.”
He shook his head. “Can’t. They’ll…take me away; lock me up in one of their…” He trailed off, slumping forward against her chest, body heavy and lax with unconsciousness.
Ari swallowed down the panic threatening to choke her and got her arms under Rafayel, lifting him with some difficulty. She staggered to the car with his dead weight but managed to get him lying in the back, digging through her emergency first aid kit and grabbing a compression wrap to try and slow the bleeding from his wound.
As she got back in the driver’s seat and started the car, she called Zayne.
“I can’t imagine you have good news calling me at this time of night,” his voice came over the line, worry tinted by exasperation.
“Are you at the hospital?”
“I just got off. You’re not hurt, are you?”
“No, not me. Can you come to my apartment? Bring medical supplies and…maybe blood if you can. I can’t tell how much he’s lost. He’s B+.”
“Ariadne, come to the hospital.”
“I can’t, I just need you to trust me,” she said. “It’s Rafayel…”
Zayne didn’t reply, but she could hear him shuffling around on the other end of the line. “I can’t do a blood transfusion at your apartment, but I will come and look at him. I’ll be at your place in fifteen minutes.”
Ariadne nodded in relief. “Thanks Zayne.”
She ended the call and focused on driving.
Zayne was already in the apartment parking lot by the time she got back and one look at Rafayel still lying unconscious in the back of the car had his mouth pinching in disapproval.
But he didn’t ask questions, he simply helped Ariadne carry the wounded artist up to her apartment and lay him in her bed once Ari laid out several old towels.
Zayne pulled his shirt open, loosening the makeshift bandages, and finally revealed a deep stab wound in Rafayel’s side, just under his ribs. Ari couldn’t help but gasp.
Zayne probed the wound briefly, feeling around the area. “It seems to have missed anything vital, but it will take quite a few stitches to close.”
He administered a topical anesthetic and Ariadne watched as Zayne worked swiftly and efficiently to suture the wound closed.
Rafayel whimpered and shifted, seeming to be coming around again. Ariadne held his hand and tried to soothe him, stroking her hand through his hair as Zayne worked.
“Well, I’ve closed the wound, but I still recommend going to a hospital,” Zayne said as he finished and taped bandages over the wounds.
“I just don’t think it’s possible.”
Zayne sighed, and started to clean up, taking his soiled gloves off. “In that case, when he’s conscious, bring him to Akso next time I’m working. I will see to him myself—off the record.”
Ariadne gave Zayne a grateful look as he placed a small bottle of pills on the side table. “He’ll be in a lot of pain when he wakes up. Give him two of these every six to eight hours as needed.”
“Thank you, Zayne,” Ari said sincerely.
Zayne nodded. “Call me if you need anything. I’ll let you know when you can bring him to the hospital.”
He headed out, leaving Ariadne alone in her apartment with her wounded Lemurian and a million questions as to how she had gotten here.
She made herself busy, looking through her clothes until she found a pair of sweatpants that were a little large on her and carefully changed Rafayel into them before tucking him into bed, keeping him warm.
She ducked into the bathroom to clean herself up and change her own clothes, realizing she had some of his blood on her.
By the time she came back out, she was surprised to see him stirring, a moan on his lips as his eyes fluttered.
“Rafayel?”
He blinked his eyes open, the irises dull with pain as he turned to look at her, reaching for his side.
“Don’t.” She stepped in and stopped him. “Dr. Zayne came to stitch you up—don’t worry, he won’t tell anyone.”
Rafayel frowned, but seemed too exhausted to worry. She hurried back to the bathroom and poured a glass of water from the facet, bringing it back to him and taking out two of the pills Zayne had left.
“Here, do you think you can take these? They’ll help with the pain.”
Rafayel silently opened his mouth and she slid an arm under him to prop him up, slipping the pills into his mouth before holding the glass of water to his lips.
Rafayel swallowed them down and sighed, leaning against her shoulder.
“Stay with me,” he begged.
“I was planning to,” she said.
She set the glass back on the bedside table and turned the overhead light off, crawling into the other side of the bed.
Rafayel instantly curled against her, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.
“Thank you for coming for me,” he whispered.
“Of course, Raf,” she said, slightly incredulous, holding him close as she stroked his hair soothingly.
She paused a few moments before she asked, “What even happened?”
He was silent for a long second before he replied, “I made a mistake. Trusted the wrong person.”
She waited for him to elaborate, but it took him a while to continue. “I was looking for information about someone. I guess I underestimated certain people’s loyalties.”
Ariadne didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t sure she really wanted to pry. She knew Rafayel had his secrets, and she wanted to wait for him to be ready to tell her himself, even if she suspected what they were.
He pressed his face against the underside of her jaw and she could feel his long eyelashes tickle her skin. A deep sigh escaped him, the weary sound accompanying his body growing heavy as if he didn’t have the strength to hold himself up.
“Did you ever believe in something so much, only to wonder why you do it?” he asked.
Ari frowned slightly. “I don’t know. I’m not really sure what you mean.”
He didn’t really elaborate, but he spoke softly. “I just sometimes feel like I’ve been fighting so long, but it’s like trying to stop the tide from rising. And I can’t help but wonder if what I’m doing is even worth it anymore?”
“Rafayel?”
She pulled back to see him staring at the wall.
“I know I have a duty to fulfill, but sometimes I want to be selfish and forget about it. I just want to lie here with you like this, forever, and forget everything that came before. Start something completely new.”
She cupped his cheek, tilting his head back to meet his eyes. “We can, Rafayel.”
He gave her a small smile. “I know, Cutie. But the reality is, I don’t have the luxury of being selfish. My duty is important and I need to fulfil it, no matter how long it takes me.”
He pulled her closer, resting his forehead against hers. “But tonight…tonight I’m going to be a little selfish and just enjoy this, until I can find the strength to continue my mission.”
Ariadne didn’t reply right away, she simply held him, showing him that he was loved and wanted. She shifted slightly to kiss the corner of his mouth.
“Whatever you need to do, Rafayel, I will always be here to support you.”
“Even if you don’t like who I might become?”
“I could never hate you, no matter who you become,” she promised and kissed him more pointedly.
His eyes fluttered shut again and he let out a pent up breath, curling his arms tighter around her. “Then stay with me. Forever?”
“Forever and always,” Ari replied softly.
Rafayel settled fully against her and finally seemed to be drifting off. “Forever and always—I’ll hold you to that.”