I lightly set my hand on the back of Suki’s forehead as she remained asleep on the bed, and I pulled back a little when I found it was still heated, but not as much as before.
The ice certainly helped, and so did the pain medicine.
It also had been one night, and she looked as if she was slowly getting better.
She coughed again, making my lips thin when she parted her lashes and gazed up at me lazily.
“I want to go home,” she said gently.
I shook my head. “No, you’re going to rest.”
“I don’t want to stay here,” she stated boldly.
“You’re going to have to deal. I’m taking care of you. Deal with it.”
She just sniffled. “Why? Do viruses make blood all gross or something?”
My lashes lowered.
Yes, they made blood taste absolutely disgusting.
She coughed again and closed her eyes. “Thought so.”
I watched her for a moment, and she breathed shakily as she remained under the covers.
“Do you regret our agreement?” I said then.
She gazed up and me and shook her head.
“No hesitation?” I said with a smile.
She shook her head again.
“May I ask why?”
She sniffled, once more. “I want to find who killed my sister really badly.”
I just sat on the bed. “Aren’t you afraid to die?”
“Yes,” she said honestly, “but I accepted my death the moment I came here.”
My lashes lowered then, and I adjusted the covers more over her. “You are a curious person, indeed. Usually, people don’t want to die.”
“I am no different,” she stated gently. “I fear death. I’m not sure if it’s the act or the place I go after, but… I fear the pain of death.”
I smiled. “And yet you chose a vampire to kill you? One that tears into your neck and drinks blood?”
“I hoped that… you’d send me to sleep before,” she said quietly.
I watched her then, and my lashes lowered. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Yes,” she said truthfully.
“Why don’t you act like it?” I wondered then.
“I fear you, but I trust you,” she explained quietly. “It’s complicated.”
I just brushed the covers down.
You also do not like expressing despair. I can sense that in you.
“You don’t have to worry,” I said to her, gazing up. “I will send you to sleep, and then be gentle, I swear on it.”
She just watched me sadly. “What about you? Do you have fear?”
I smiled then. “Everyone has fear.”
“What is your greatest fear?” she asked me then.
I lightly touched her nose. “That’s personal.”
I stood then and brushed down my pants, but she seemed to understand that wasn’t a level of discussion with me.
“Do you have parents? A sister? Siblings?”
“Also personal,” I said then.
“How am I supposed to understand you?” she said quietly.
“I’m daem,” I said then, smirking down at her, “I’m always a mystery. I must keep it that way, no?”
She was silent then, but suddenly coughed, the wheeze rattling past her throat after every sound.
When her small coughing fit ended, she breathed shakily, clearly struggling to take in air from her sore throat.
“Let’s get you some more cough medicine,” I said then, catching a bottle and stepping over to her. After pouring the contents into the measuring cup and helping her sit up, I smiled. “Say, ahhhhhh.”
She opened her mouth, and I pressed the rim of the cup to her lips, gently tipping it into her mouth.
She swallowed it all, and I pulled away, setting the cup aside, and helping her lay back down.
“It should work here in thirty minutes,” I said then, checking my watch before looking back at her. “Do you need an inhaler? Albuterol, perhaps? I can retrieve some.”
She shook her head. “It makes me all drowsy.”
“Well, Angel, you do have asthma.”
“If I need it,” she said, “then you’ll know.”
I smiled.
I would. I would know. And she understood very well if I knew, then I’d force her to take it.
We were both silent for a moment.
“Do you not like showing despair?” I said then.
She coughed again. “You expect me to answer questions and answer none of mine in return?”
“Yes,” I said honestly. “I was just wonder because, well… your family is gone and you seem determined to find the killer… but show no despair of their deaths.”
“The last time I cried and meant it was the night my parents died… after my sister.” She just sighed. “I don’t show sadness. It’s a weakness. Crying gets you nowhere in life.”
“You’ve never cried since then?” I said then, lashes lowering. “You’ve never sobbed? Never held yourself and let all your emotions out?”
“I don’t need to cry to let my emotions out,” she stated boldly. “I get revenge and I’m fine.”
I watched her curiously now.
But I smiled. “You’re interesting, you know that?”
“Says the demon to a human,” she stated. “Says the predator to the prey, says the killer to his victim.”
My eyes glowed a slight red, but my smile remained. “You are correct, my angel.”
She was silent.
“I find it interesting that you fear death, but you willingly accepted it,” I said then.
“It’s a natural part of life,” she said, expression masked.
“But to allow yourself to be killed by a demon for food?” I said then. “That’s not natural life, Sweetheart.”
“It is in my book.”
“To sign yourself away to a demon to be their personal dinner?”
“Yup.”
I sighed then. “You are very interesting. I picked a rare specimen, didn’t I?”
“Yes,” she said then, annoyed, “I get it. I’m interestin—"
She got into a coughing fit then, the sounds raspy and crackled as they came from her mouth.
I immediately helped her sit up so she could breathe better.
It ended after a moment, and she caught her breath, lungs still struggling.
She laid back down on her own, and my lashes lowered as I watched her.
She was still flushed, her nose and cheeks a light pink, but the rest of her was still as pale as ever.
I watched her for a minute more, my smile smaller and more… caring.
But I set the back of my hand against her cheek before setting it on her forehead again. “You’re still burning up. Why don’t you rest? We can continue this conversation later, okay?”
She closed her eyes, and I just pulled the covers higher over her so she was comfortable.
While she fell asleep, I lightly pushed up her bangs and took her temp.
102.2
It was better, but not where I wanted it to be.
I brushed her hair back in place before I set everything aside.
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