Chapter 84 Eighty-Four.

Chapter 84 Eighty-Four.


KYLE’S POV.

‘Did you get a glimpse of the person who handed this to you?’ I sign. The bottle is now placed on my thighs.

Katniss shakes her head. “I told you I didn’t. Also, Toby isn’t aware that I have this, because that nutjob would have probably smashed it,” she cringes. “You need to use it so you can get healed quickly and we go rescue Olivia before her match against the Ripper Ghost.”

I say nothing to her words as I look back at the bottle. It feels weird. It is also a bit cold against the duvet covering on my body, but it isn’t the temperature that stops me. I pick it back up again, and this time I undo the small cork stopper and lift it to my nose, breathing in the scent.

Sandalwood. Rich, heavy sandalwood mixed with a distinct, crackling hum of pure Fae energy.

My brows knit together. I focus deeply on that energy. It definitely isn’t from my sister, and even without my Fae energy I can tell it belongs to a Fae and it is more powerful than anything I have ever felt even as a kid living in Eris.

Now that I think about it, I do not even tie a distinct scent to Olivia. All I know is that her scent reminds me of the rain.

I sniff the bottle again, the sandalwood scent is more prominent. Definitely not Olivia’s. But then, if Olivia didn’t make this cure, then who did? Who in this Kingdom is running around carrying bottled antidote with Fae energy and giving it to Katniss in secret?

‘I don’t trust this,’ I sign, placing the cork back in. ‘We don’t know what it is.’

“Kyle, you are literally shivering,” Katniss snaps, snatching the bottle right off my lap. She yanks the cork out herself and shoves the glass rim directly against my lips. “Drink it. Right now. If it’s poison, at least it’ll stop you from violently vibrating the bed every five seconds.”

I glare at her, but she doesn’t budge. With a frustrated sigh, I tip my head back and let the liquid slide down my throat. It tastes like winter rain and… scent leaves.

The moment it hits my stomach, a blanket of darkness pulls me under.

•••

When I gasp and open my eyes next, the room is flooded with bright morning light. I blink, sitting up quickly, expecting the blinding, splitting ache of my migraine to crash into my skull. But the pain is entirely gone. My head feels perfectly clear, and my muscles feel completely refreshed, buzzing with a clean, light energy.

“Oh, Gracious Cessi,” Katniss breathes from the chair right beside the bed. She looks like she hasn’t slept a wink, her face pale. “You’ve been out for nearly twelve hours. I was starting to worry you wouldn’t wake up at all.”

I look at her, a faint smirk playing on my lips. I raise my hands and sign quickly, ‘If I died, who else was going to make fun of Toby’s hair with you or burst into the palace on a grand rescue mission for Olivia?’

“Shut up. Can’t believe you called me an idiot when you’re the real idiot here.”

My smirk drops as I suddenly feel remorseful for calling her an idiot earlier. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry, Katniss.’

Katniss lets out a dry choke of a laugh, throwing the now empty bottle of antidote straight at my chest. “Dumbass. I’m not angry. Now get up, we need to leave.”

I catch the bottle, my smile fading into a serious frown. I lean forward, keeping my voice down as I sign, ‘Leave? How? Helios and Toby are guarding the perimeters. And what about Orion’s deal?’

“What about it?” Katniss scoffs, standing up and checking the window.

‘He promised to save Olivia and me if we work with him,’ I tell her, my fingers moving sharply. I tell her everything he said to me about Olivia having not awoken her Fae energy, about King Sven being a Fae, and him also being my sister’s mate.

“No fucking way,” Katniss says once I finish telling her. She turns around to face me. “This would be the bomb of the millennium if it’s true, but I am sure it isn’t because Faes are pretty distinct.”

‘No one realised me and Olivia weren’t Omegas though,’ I sign.

“Are you trying to imply King Sven might actually be a Fae? Do you plan on cooperating with Orion?”

We’ve had this conversation before, and my answer remains the same. ‘No—”

“Kyle, look at me,” Katniss says, her expression entirely serious. “Do you really think we can rely on Orion? He is the leader of an uprising. He hates King Sven. Who is to say he won’t just kill you or hand us back to the guards the second he gets whatever evidence he wants? To him, we are just political pawns. OH — you said no. Sorry for ranting.”

‘Apology accepted. So what is the plan?’ I sign.

“We slip through the back hatch while Helios is doing the sweep of the cabin perimeter,” Katniss whispers, walking over to the wardrobe. She throws me a new cloak — which I quickly wear – then reaches deep under a pile of old blankets and pulls out a familiar object.

My eyes widens. She holds her steel sword, her oversized butter knife, the blade gleaming sharply in the candlelit room.

‘You hid that in here?’ I sign.

“Of course I did. I don’t go anywhere without my baby steel,” she says proudly, running a thumb along the flat of the blade. “Helios thinks we’re compliant. Toby thinks we’re asleep. We move now, make it through the mountain fissure, but the only problem is making it into the palace. But we will figure it out. We just need to leave this cabin prison first.”

I stand up from the bed, my legs steady and strong beneath me. I stretch my arms, feeling lingering cramps. I look at her sword, then down at my own bare hands.

‘And if we get caught by the guards patrolling?’ I sign, a sudden wave of anxiety hitting me. ‘What if we also get cut down before we even reach the gates?’

Katniss stops, looking at my hands, and then smiles like a crazy person. “Then you just do your Fae energy magic thingy. You know, the loud banshee-like scream that blew up Nico and his squad.”

‘Banshees are folklores.’

“Well whatever it is you did, just do it again. Simple.”

I stare at her, my expression completely blank. I deadpan, my fingers moving with flat, rhythmic precision, ‘I cannot control it. I don’t even know how I did it back then.’

Katniss doesn’t even blink.

She casually swings her sword through the air, the steel letting out a sharp, clean whistle before she slips it back underneath her cloak.

“Well,” she smirks, pulling the cloak over her shoulder as she heads for the door. “Then it’s a good thing I have my huge ass butter knife. Let’s go.”