Chapter 2
Jade’s fever only got worse. Elora and Willow were still rather weak from all of their training and the final battle but they managed to freeze some water every few hours. Kit was put in charge of soaking a rag in the icy water and mopping the sweat away from Jade’s brow.
Jade did not appreciate the icy cold, half-heartedly swatting Kit’s hand away and frowning at her. Kit tried to distract her by reminiscing on old times but Jade seemed to have a hard time latching onto the present. She kept asking for Kit despite the fact that Kit was sitting right next to her, touching her face to wet her skin with a cold rag.
Kit’s name left Jade’s lips like a broken record, her eyes flickering around the room to try and catch a glimpse of the girl, ghosting right over the real Kit.
The whole situation frightened Kit more than she had ever been in her entire life. At least with Airk’s kidnapping, she didn’t have to see it all godown. She wasn’t there for anything that happened until the end. She now had to watch an infection take her best friend from her.
“I’m right here, darling,” Kit whispered, trying to draw Jade’s attention to her. She just wanted Jade to look at her and see her. “I’ve got you.”
“How is she?” Willow appeared, reaching toward the thin blanket draped over Jade to protect her modesty in her state of undress, pulling it down just enough to expose the wrapped wound.
“Still delirious,” Kit replied, unable to look as Willow peeled away the make-shift bandages. “Is there really nothing else you can do?”
“Healing magic requires a great deal of focus and power,” Willow’s tone was sympathetic. “Unfortunately after defeating the Crone, mine and Elora’s magic is drained. We need our strength to recover.”
Kit took a deep breath, peering down at Jade who had drifted back to sleep. “Is she going to die, Willow?” She couldn’t help but question.
Willow set a hand onto her shoulder. “We will do everything in our power to stop it.”
It wasn’t the answer Kit was looking for and she squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears that flooded to the surface. She heard Willow shuffle away and reached out to stroke a hand over Jade’s hair, damp with sweat from the fever.
She didn’t hear Airk enter until the boy sunk to his knees next to her. “She’s tough, Kit.”
“This isn’t the first time she’s gotten hurt for me,” Kit kept readjusting and smoothing the blanket over Jade. “Remember when she broke her arm?”
“Yeah. You demanded that the royal healers see her and mom was so angry with you but you just yelled that Jade had saved your life,” Airk let out a small chuckle. “I thought you were being dramatic.”
“She really did,” Kit remembered the day that it happened. “We were fooling around. A wild boar found us while we were out without our swords. We tried to climb a tree and Jade boosted me up. I was trying to help her up when it got hold of her foot. She fell from the tree and I climbed down to try and help. It knocked me down and I swear it was going to eat my face. But Jade comes out of nowhere with a dagger and she tackles it and stabs it.”
“She took down a boar in one shot?” Airk let out an impressed whistle.
Kit shook her head. “No. The boar flung her off, it made off toward me again, and she tumbled in front of me and slammed her dagger straight through its forehead.” Kit absentmindedly ran her fingers along Jade’s forearm where the break had been. “We laid there trying to catch our breaths and she turned to look at me and she said, ‘Princess, I think I’ve broken my arm’ and then proceeded to show me the arm that was most certainly broken.”
Airk let out a soft laugh. “That sounds like Jade.”
“Mom was more concerned with the scratches on my face. I think that me telling her that Jade saved my life got me out of that one,” Kit shrugged slightly. “She hugged me. It was the first time in a while she had done that. I think it was the first time since dad left.”
“That might explain the random hug I got that night,” Airk hummed as Jade stirred restlessly. “Jade would do anything for you.”
Kit swallowed hard because she knew that. “I don’t want her to die for me.”
Airk looked down at her for a few moments before slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Would you have done the same thing for Jade? Taken a blade for her?”
“Yes.” Kit doesn’t have to think twice about her reply.
“While that is idiotic, there is your answer,” Airk pulled her against his side. “We do stupid things for the people we love. We want to protect them.”
Kit scowled. “I wish that she would just…” She trailed off, thinking of the stupid things that she did for Jade.
“Yeah,” Airk laughed softly, ruffling her hair. “I know that look on your face.”
Kit raised an eyebrow, daring him to say it.
Airk, as usual, ignored her glare. “You love her.”
Kit opened her mouth, remembering all of the times she had vehemently denied such to her brother. But this time was different. She paused, hesitating, and Airk’s eyebrows shoot up.
“No…” He gasped out, his eyes wide. “You didn’t!”
“I had too many truth plums,” Kit folded her arms in self-defense, leaning away from her brother. “But… I actually kissed her the night you went missing before it happened. I had planned to run away and I wanted to say goodbye… I didn’t mean to, it just happened.”
Airk smirked at her. “You’ve kissed her more,” he poked Kit’s cheek and Kit felt her face heat up with a blush.
“Maybe…” Kit mumbled to her brother, looking away. “I do, you know… love her.”
“My baby sister is growing up,” Airk made kissy noises as he squished Kit’s cheeks with his hands. “Finding true love, just like a real princess--”
“Haha,” Kit slapped his hands away. “If only Mom would let me marry for love instead of politics.”
Airk’s smirk fell slightly at the reminder of the person they wouldn’t bring back. “I’m surprised she didn’t know you were hopelessly in love with your best friend. Or should I say girlfriend? Boyfriend?” Airk didn’t know how it worked but to be honest, Kit didn’t either. There weren’t exactly a lot of same-sex couples in Tir Asleen.
Kit shrugged slightly, glancing down at Jade. “I don’t know. We never really put a label on it. We’re just friends who kissed a few times?”
Airk’s face scrunched up. “I don’t think ‘friends who kiss’ is an actual thing.”
“Whatever,” Kit bumped her shoulder against him. “We’ll figure it out when she’s okay again. I just hope that Mom doesn’t line another man up for me to marry.”
Airk was quiet for a moment as he stared down at Jade before looking at Kit. “You deserve to love whoever you want,” he told her firmly.
Kit smiled slightly, glad that at least one member of her family supported her and her decisions. She had been blind to it before but Airk always supported her. “Thanks. For everything.”
Airk opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by Jade groaning. “Kit…” She rasped out, her hand fluttering around to search for her again.
“I’m right here,” Kit took the hand that was seeking her out and squeezed it gently. “I’ve got you, darling.”
Jade’s half-lidded eyes peered up at her, taking a few moments to just stare at her. “I’m sorry…”
Kit frowned in confusion, reaching out to stroke Jade’s hair out of her face. “What for?”
Jade doesn’t reply, her eyes fluttering shut again as she leaned into Kit’s hand.
Airk rose to his feet, squeezing Kit’s shoulder and left without a word, sensing that they needed some time. Kit eventually had to take a break and come out to eat something. Elora pressed a bowl into her hands and Kit ate and tried not to think of Jade all alone.
“She’s just sleeping,” Boorman told her, shoving the bowl against her lips, the wood knocking against her teeth and causing broth to slosh over the side of the bowl and drip onto her lap. "Stop thinking and finish eating."
“Fuck off,” Kit hissed at him, flipping him off with one hand before gulping down her meal. Having a warm meal in her belly did help ease some of her uneasiness along with listening to the others joke about the best they could given the circumstances.
“Holy shit!” Airk jumped and Kit spun around to see that Jade was standing in the entrance to the only room on the silt sleigh, her legs shaking and blanket clutched in her hand as her eyes flickered around.
“Kit…” Jade mumbled out and Kit jumped up, darting toward Jade and gently tugged the blanket from her hands to wrap it around her to preserve her modesty in her undergarments.
“I’m here,” Kit immediately supported Jade’s weight as the girl crashed into her, slumping in her arms. “You shouldn’t be up.”
“You were gone…” Jade murmured into Kit’s collar. “I go where you go.”
Kit didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the statement and instead glanced over at the others. “Help?”
Boorman broke out of his stupor first and gently eased Jade off of Kit. “Let’s get you back in bed, little lady.”
“Not a lady,” Jade huffed indignantly as Boorman carried her back inside. Kit followed him in and readjusted the blanket around Jade. Jade seemed to be a little more awake and coherent but despite Kit’s wishes that she was getting better, she could see the red of the infection spreading past the thick bandages wound around Jade’s torso. The skin was angry and hot as it fought against the infected tissue and tried to repair the damage done.
“How are you feeling?” Kit questioned as Jade situated herself to sit up slightly, leaning against the bed rolls that were propping her up.
“Kinda like I got stabbed,” Jade retorted, giving Kit a smirk. It fell when Kit didn’t return it. “I’m sorry.”
“You’ve said that before. Sorry for what?” Kit questioned, kneeling next to her.
“Making you worry,” Jade reached out, her fingers gently trailing over Kit’s brow and smoothing out the wrinkles of worry that Kit didn’t even know were there.
“Don’t even worry about that,” Kit took a deep breath, memorizing the way that Jade’s soft touch ghosted over her face like feathers. “I’m just glad that you’re okay. You’ve had a really bad fever.”
“That explains why I’m in my undergarments,” Jade said with a small frown before looking up at Kit. “How long have I been out?”
“Enough. We’re back on the silt sleigh if you haven’t realized. Kenneth came back to pull it. We’re heading home now,” Kit hoped that Jade being up and about meant that she was getting better. “You’ll be honored as a proper knight.”
Jade let out a laugh as if Kit said something funny. Kit frowned, taking Jade’s hand and squeezing it.
“I’m serious,” Kit told her and Jade sobered up slightly, peering up at Kit.
“They’ll never make me into a proper knight,” Jade said and Kit furrowed her brow in confusion. “The only reason they agreed for me to go was because… because Ballantine vouched for me… whoever his replacement is won’t like me, especially once he’s found out what I’ve done.”
“Hey,” Kit let go of Jade’s hand in preference of cupping her face. “His death is not on you.” She was firm, she wanted to make sure that Jade knew that. They never really had time to discuss Jade’s first kill being someone that she loved. “It’s not your fault.”
“Right…” Jade’s eyes were misty and she reached up to wipe her nose on her arm and collect herself.
“I’m serious,” Kit tugged Jade’s face back to look at her. “You did what you had to do.”
Jade took a shuddering breath, wincing immediately and she moved a hand to cradle her side. “I feel like I’m getting stung by so many bees.”
Kit grimaced. “I can go see if Willow has something to help?” She offered.
“I think I’d rather you just stay here with me,” Jade leaned into Kit’s hands, peering up at her. “Stay? Please?”
Kit could never say no to the look Jade was sending her. Jade needed her.
“Of course,” Kit leaned forward, gently knocking their foreheads together. “I’d stay forever if you let me.”
“Don’t say things like that,” Jade laughed softly, her nose brushing against Kit’s. “Because then I’ll never let you leave.”
“Good.” Kit’s thumb stroked Jade’s freckled cheek. She worked the courage up after a few moments to add on, “I love you.”
Jade kissed her, her lips molding perfectly against Kit’s and the whole world fell away around them.
It was just Kit and her best friend.
Kit and more than her friend.
Kit and her friend who she kisses?
Kit and Jade.
It was just Kit and Jade and the love that they shared.