Kraving Khiva by Zoey Draven

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Eve was laying in bed, staring at the light from Everton’s moon projections move across her walls. Another sleepless night.

She should just get out of bed and do something productive, like packing up another trunk. She was leaving almost everything behind, though she hadn’t decided what to do about her townhome. She was going to sign it over to Genni, if for no other reason because she had no one to leave it to. But also because up until the last few years, she’d been a good friend. She’d been her only friend for many, many years.

Eve had said goodbye to Genni yesterday afternoon. And while nostalgia for the friendship they’d once had had made that conversation difficult, Eve had been hurt that Genni seemed more interested in what she would be doing with her townhome. It was exactly the reason why Eve couldn’t bring herself to give it to her.

She had outgrown the townhome, just as she’d outgrown her friendship. Just as Khiva wanted for her, she wanted something better for herself. Everton couldn’t give that to her and neither could her friendship with Genni.

After their final goodbye, Eve felt a strange relief, a weight lifted off her shoulders. It was then that she’d known she’d done the right thing.

Eve wiped away another tear that leaked from the corner of her eye. She’d been an emotional wreck all week. Mostly because of Khiva, but also because she was saying goodbye to her old life, to the life she’d shared with her father. It felt, in a way, like she was mourning him all over again, but she liked to think that he would be proud of her decision to leave. He’d always spoken highly of Gorkan, the friend Eve had contacted. She knew she could trust him and trust his judgment, and at least she would know one friendly face on Dumera, as she found her footing and started a new life.

A large part of her just wished she was starting that life with Khiva.

Eve jumped when her Nu device alerted her that someone was at the front door. The mechanical chime from the doorbell made her heart stutter. She frowned, rising slowly from her bed, before going to the tablet imbedded in the wall to see the video feed.

She gasped when she saw Valerie and a dark, hunched over, hooded figure, whom she would’ve recognized anywhere. Eve immediately raced down the stairs to the door, pulling it open.

“What are you…” Eve trailed off when she finally saw Khiva, saw the drawn expression on his face, and the way his skin seemed lighter, leeched of some color. She gasped. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

She’d just seen him earlier that night, had thought that it would be the last time she would see him. Her treacherous heart leaped in her chest, but then it quickly turned to alarmed concern when he stumbled over the threshold of her front door, Valerie keeping him from falling completely.

“He needs to lie down,” Valerie said with urgency as Eve shut and locked the door. Eve immediately came to Khiva’s other side to help hold him upright. He hissed when her hand touched his back and she jerked it away when she felt wetness. She looked down at her hand, her face draining when she saw blue blood coating her palm.

“What happened?” Eve cried out.

“Do you have a healing laser?” Valerie asked, ignoring her question.

Think later, act now.

Eve nodded, “Yes. Let’s get him upstairs.”

Her mind raced but she knew that somehow, this was Madame Allegria’s doing. Had this been what Khiva wouldn’t tell her, wouldn’t allow her to know?

Somehow, they both managed to guide Khiva upstairs, though it took time and energy. Every step made Khiva groan in pain and Eve wanted to cry every moment because of it. She’d never witnessed physical pain like this, especially in someone she loved. Never like this.

When they eventually got to her bedroom at the top of the stairs, they maneuvered Khiva onto his front on her bed. Eve swallowed, catching her breath, before grabbing a pair of shears from her cabinet to cut away his clothes.

The clothes, even his coat, were drenched in blood and they landed with a wet plop onto her bedroom floor as she cut them away. And when they finally peeled away the final layers, nothing prepared Eve for what she saw.

Every inch of his back was bloody, every inch was stripped away, leaving a mutilated mess of skin and muscle and tissue.

He’d been whipped. He’d been whipped, over and over and over again.

Saliva filled her mouth, her stomach threatening to vomit up the contents of her meager dinner, but she breathed deeply through her nostrils. Khiva needed her. She needed to be strong, for both of them.

“There are clean towels in the hallway downstairs,” she told Valerie. “Go get them.”

Valerie raced from the room and Eve immediately ran into her washroom to retrieve the healing laser, wraps, and salve. Valerie returned the same time she did and Eve covered her hands in the disinfecting salve before gently placing them on his back, thinking that her hands would be more gentle than the towels.

Khiva hissed, his whole body shaking with pain, and Eve whispered, “I’m sorry, Khiva. I’m sorry.”

She didn’t realize she was crying until her vision went blurry. Blinking to clear it, she finished spreading the salve over his back, her chin trembling as tattered skin fell away and he groaned.

“Can we give him anything for the pain?” she asked Valerie, desperation coloring her tone. “Anything at all?”

Valerie shook her head, handing Eve a towel to wipe her hands. “We have nothing strong enough for them. I’ve tried.”

Which implied that this had happened before. Multiple times, judging from the look in Valerie’s eyes.

Oh my God.

Valerie picked up the healing laser. “Truthfully, I do not know if this will help much,” she admitted, turning it on. “I’ve never seen it like this.”

“It was her?” Eve asked. And even though she knew it was true, she could hardly believe it. She could hardly believe that a person could do this to someone, could deliberately hurt them in this way.

Valerie swallowed. “Yes.”

Eve bit her tongue, feeling another wave of nausea.

“This will the pain worse,” Valerie said softly. “Go comfort him while I do this. He’ll want to see your face, hear your voice.”

Eve nodded and went to the head of the bed, kneeling beside it so she would be in direct eye sight of Khiva. His face was turned to the side but his eyes were open, his breathing ragged.

“Khiva,” she whispered, reaching out to take his hand. With her other, she smoothed her fingers down his cheek.

“Leeldra,” he rasped. “I…” he hissed and even without looking, Eve knew that Valerie had begun lasering his skin closed. Or at least trying to. His eyes were bright with pain as he said, “There is much I want to tell you.”

“Shh,” she whispered, giving him a soft, wobbly smile. “It’s okay, Khiva. We don’t have to talk now.”

He shook his head, or at least tried to. “You…you are leaving soon, leeldra. We need—” Another hiss as Valerie lasered another section of skin and his hand tightened around her palm.

“I promise we’ll talk, Khiva,” she whispered, more tears falling from her eyes, hating to see him in pain.

That seemed to make him relax, if only slightly. His breaths whistled through him, deep and choppy. But when he saw her tears, he seemed to still. “I cannot withstand seeing you cry, leeldra. I hate knowing I am the cause.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, leaning forward to kiss the back of his hand. “I can’t help it. I wish I could take away your pain.”

His eyes closed, his brow bones drawing together. When he opened his eyes, he whispered, “I thought I was making the right decision, Evelyn. I thought I was. Even when you came to me tonight, I thought I was.”

Eve swallowed. “Khiva, you should rest. It’s going to be a long night.”

“Veki, I need to say this,” he murmured, even though he was short of breath with pain, as rivulets of blood ran from his back and pooled on her sheets. “I do care you for. Deeply,” he growled. Eve’s breath hitched. “I should have told you that morning. I should have told you earlier tonight. Leeldra, I love you. The nuvur’u drava, pax? You have had me from the beginning.”

Eve’s head spun, her lips parting. “Khiva.”

Another sizzle of pain from the laser made him groan. She squeezed his hand, more tears falling, and she brought her lips to his knuckles.

“I was frightened,” he said, his voice softer. His eyes closed briefly, his voice fading a bit.

Eve kept her lips on his cold hand. It scared her how cold he was, since he’d always been so warm.

“Khiva,” she whispered.

When he didn’t open his eyes, alarm went through her. Placing a hand on his side, where she knew his other heart was, Eve felt only slight relief when she felt it beating strong.

“He’s unconscious,” Valerie soft voice came. “It’s probably for the best.”

Eve looked at her, a sudden thought making her sweat, “Is he going to recover from this? Should I send for a healer?”

“No,” Valerie replied, shaking her head, focusing on the last area of skin. “Keriv’i are strong, much stronger than humans. It would take a lot more than this.”

“But this is…” Eve whispered, shaking her head, as her eyes went over the expanse of his back. Some of the cuts were simply too deep to close with the laser.

“I know,” Valerie said quietly and they said nothing more as she finished up.

When she was done, Eve helped her put more healing salve over the wounds before they wrapped his back with clean cloth bandages.

Valerie blew out a sharp breath, wiping her forearm over her forehead since her hands were bloodied. “There. That should help begin the healing process. Typically, their wounds were closed up by the next morning, but this…I’m not sure. You’ll need to change the bandages and put more salve on in the morning.”

It appalled Eve how easily she spoke about it because it told her that this had happened often.

Valerie stood, disappearing into the washroom to clean her hands, as Eve softly stroked Khiva’s hand. When Valerie returned, the blonde murmured, “I have to get back. Before she realizes I’m gone.”

Eve walked her downstairs on shaking legs, seeing a trail of Khiva’s blue blood every other step. Once they reached the door, Eve saw that the driverless car outside never left.

Eve caught her hand before she opened the door. “Why did it happen? Tonight? What was the cause of this?”

Valerie hesitated and Eve felt dread pool in her stomach. The woman answered her honestly, however, “Because Madame Allegria somehow found out he was here. That he’d left to meet you.”

Eve blew out a breath, thinking she would be sick again. This had happened because of her.

“He knew he would be punished, if for no other reason because he cancelled his client that night,” Valerie told her. “But he didn’t care. He just wanted to see you. He always does.”

Eve held back her sob, though more tears rushed into her eyes.

Had this been one of the reasons why he’d seemed to pull away? Because he’d known the consequences if they’d been discovered? Had he been afraid that Madame Allegria might come after her too?

“One more thing,” Valerie said quietly. “His Rut started tonight. Has he told you about it?”

“Yes,” Eve said.

“I think the pain has suppressed it, for now. But in the morning, once he’s recovered some of his strength…it might return. I just don’t know. She’s never done this during their Rut.”

Eve’s lips pressed together and she nodded. “Thank you for bringing him here, Valerie. For helping him.”

Valerie squeezed her hand and then without another word, she slipped through the door. Eve secured it and double-checked to ensure the windows were locked and the shielders were activated. Then she raced back upstairs to Khiva.

The room smelled of metallic blood, of the dull tang of the healing salve. Eve carefully maneuvered herself onto the bed, careful not to jostle the mattress, so that she was curled up near his side. The bandages they’d put on him were already beginning to turn blue with blood.

She took his hand in hers and pressed a kiss to his turned cheek. He was still unconscious but the steady, shallow breaths he took soothed some of her nerves.

Gently, she stroked over his bare scalp because he’d always liked that, her chest swelling with too many emotions that they all just jumbled together in one big ball.

She didn’t know what to feel. She didn’t know what to think.

The only thing she knew for certain was that she loved him too and she would do everything in her power to never have to see him in pain again.