Broken by C.K. Bryant Read Free Book Online Page A

me.”
    “Thank you.”
    She curtsied and then flashed a smile. “You are very welcome.” Then she walked into the other room. She’d been a very important part of Kira’s recovery. Her constant vigilance and kind hearted demeanor had made an enormous difference in how he’d dealt with the situation as well. He would be eternally indebted to her.
    Octavion held Kira through the night, waiting patiently for her to wake again, but she didn’t stir. She remained asleep for two more days and when she finally woke, it was with a vengeance.
    Early one morning, Gregor came to remove the stitches in Kira’s cheek. He insisted Octavion leave the room in case she bled. Standing outside the door, he heard Gregor giving Ussay instructions regarding the instrument used and the salve he meant to administer when they finished.
    “Clip it at the base, next to the skin,” Gregor instructed. Octavion felt glad Gregor had allowed Ussay to remove the stitches, for Gregor was a crotchety old man with shaky hands.
    “Like this?” she asked.
    “Here let me show you.” There was a pause, then Kira moaned. “Hold her head still.” Gregor let out a grunt of frustration. “Ussay, hold her still.”
    Ussay screamed.
    Then Kira yelled, “Don’t touch me.”
    “Octavion!” Ussay called, but he had already entered the room.
    If the scene hadn’t been so serious, he would have laughed and cheered Kira on. She stood in the middle of the bed, her eyes wide with fear. A pair of scissors clenched tightly in her hand. Oh, how he loved her fierceness.
    Gregor leaned over the bed, attempting to grab her weapon, and Ussay threw her hands up to ward Kira off.
    “Get away from me,” Kira yelled. She blinked and squinted as if trying to get her eyes to focus.
    “Gregor, back away slowly,” Octavion instructed. “Kira, it is all right. They will not hurt you.”
    Her brow furrowed. She closed her eyes and shook her head, as if trying to clear cobwebs from her mind. When she opened her eyes once more, she sliced the air with the scissors, first toward Gregor, then Ussay. Her body shook violently and Octavion feared she’d fall off the bed.
    “Kira? It is me, Octavion. You are safe here. Put the scissors down.” He stepped to the side of the bed.
    “No!” She stumbled back against the massive headboard. “Don’t touch me.”
    “Kira, do you not recognize me? Look at my face, my eyes.” He took a step closer.
    “My head hurts . . . everything is so fuzzy.”
    “Try to focus on my eyes.” He hadn’t taken the time to shave and what little facial hair he had could have distorted the shape of his face, especially if she wasn’t seeing well.
    With jerking movements she glanced around the room. “Where am I?”
    “One of the rooms in my castle. You are safe.” He tried to sit on the edge of the bed, but she took a swing at him with the scissors, barely missing his face.
    Ussay had disappeared into his dressing chambers and now stood at the foot of the bed. “Octavion,” she called.
    He turned as she threw a small blue bottle at him. He caught it. “Where did you get this?” It was V'Larian, the same white powder he’d used on Kira the night Lydia had been hurt.
    She blushed. “In your lair. I thought it might be of use.”
    He poured a small amount into the palm of his hand, held it up as close to Kira as he dared and blew it into her face. The fine powder flew at her like a mist. She jerked her head to the side to avoid it, but her first breath drew it into her lungs. She instantly began to sway, dropping her hands to her side. As she collapsed, Octavion jumped onto the bed and caught her in his arms. He threw the scissors to the floor.
    “I have her. The effects of the V’Larian will not last long. I will hold her so you can remove her stitches.”
    Ussay came around beside him and painstakingly removed them while Gregor watched. After cleaning the area she put on the salve and then helped Octavion get Kira back under her