Summary: Diavolos almost dies, and Kenna comes to term with her feelings for him. A sequel to Loopy.
Kenna isn’t surprised when Diavolos insists he’s healed enough to fight in the final battle against Azura. Madeline and Annelyse have warned him, time and time again, that his ribs are most likely fractured, and that he needs more recovery time. But Kenna knows nothing short of being dead or unconscious will keep him from fighting alongside his men. She tells him to be careful, and he just grins and shakes his head. “I’m not sure that word’s in my vocabulary, Kenna.”
She glances around, making sure no one is watching them, then sidles up closer to him. “I mean it,” she says in a hushed tone. “I don’t want to watch you die.”
He gives her a look she can’t quite read, then says, “Okay. I’ll try my best not to get killed today.”
She almost reaches out and yanks him down to kiss him, but there are too many people around, and the last thing she needs is to be distracted by thoughts of him while she’s literally fighting for her life.
Kenna is aware of the second Diavolos gets injured, the frantic shouts of the Abanthus knights hitting her ears as she fends off another of Azura’s soldiers. She turns just long enough to see Diavolos being carried back through the castle walls, can see the blood drenching his shirt and the grimace on his face.
“Kenna!” Raydan’s voice makes her whip back around in time to duck to the side, stabbing her sword cleanly though a gap in the armor of another soldier.
When she finally calls for a retreat and they all assemble in the throne room, she catches a brief glimpse of Diavolos being tended to in the back. His eyes are closed, his skin pale, and she can feel the rage radiating off of Luther. She swallows hard, then steels her resolve and turns to face Azura.
Enough, she decides. This ends now.
She’s grateful for the help Raydan and Lia’s training provided her as she finally, finally, manages to bring Azura down. There’s something strangely gratifying about watching her scream and reach out for Lia, for Jorrin, just to have them deny her. The instant celebration around her is gratifying as well, knowing that Azura’s reign has finally come to an end. Kenna allows herself to smile and be mobbed for just a moment before she looks over for Diavolos. He’s being carried off, to the infirmary, she assumes, and she feels her breath catch.
What is it about this man? Yes, she’s kissed him. Yes, she’s felt some undeniable attraction to him since the moment she first saw him, first physical, and then something…more. But she can’t explain why the thought of him dying nearly brings her to her knees and makes her want to sob. She does neither, of course; how would she possibly explain that to this room full of people? So she asks for help to her room, grabbing Annelyse’s hand before everyone leaves.
“Will you check on Diavolos for me?” Kenna asks quietly.
“Of course,” Annelyse says reassuringly. “He’s in good hands, Kenna. Madeline is one of the best healers I’ve met. Get some rest.”
The exhaustion finally hits as soon as her head sinks into the pillow, and she drifts off into a heavy sleep. When she finally wakes, it’s dark out, the castle silent as she slips out of her room. She winces as she inches along the hallway, her muscles screaming in protest. Annelyse is just exiting the infirmary when Kenna arrives, and she scolds Kenna gently before helping her inside.
“How is he?” Kenna asks, sinking into a chair in relief. She can see Madeline leaning over a bed at the far end of the room.
Annelyse hesitates. “It’s…touch and go right now. He lost a lot of blood. We gave him something for pain and to help him sleep. If he makes it through the night…I think he’ll have a good chance of recovering. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Kenna makes her way over to Diavolos’ bed, relieved momentarily by the steady rise and fall of his chest. The wound in his abdomen is red and angry, though Madeline has stitched it up as well as she can. Madeline insists on checking Kenna over briefly, then brings a chair next to Diavolos’ bedside for her to sit on.
“I’ll give you a minute,” Madeline says.
Kenna just watches him for a while, running her eyes over his dark hair, down the slope of his nose and over the stubble across his jawline. She slips her hand over his, squeezing his fingers.
“You can talk to him, you know,” Madeline says gently as she comes back over, grabbing some supplies and moving to tend to another injured soldier.
Kenna doesn’t know what to say, so she says the first thing that comes to mind. “You can’t die on me,” she murmurs, squeezing his hand again. “Not now. We defeated Azura. The war is over.”
She lets her fingers slide up and brush over his cheek, then into his hair. “You can’t die, Diavolos. You have to be okay.”
He remains still, his chest continuing to rise and fall with his breaths. Kenna sighs, moving her hand back down over his. Eventually Madeline sends her back up to her quarters, promising to have someone get her if anything changes. Kenna tosses and turns, sleeping in fits and starts until day break, then dresses and heads downstairs.
She peeks her head into the infirmary, but there are several Abanthean knights sitting around Diavolos’ bed, so she slips back out and wanders to the throne room. Most of the destruction from yesterday has been cleared away, and the room is strangely quiet. Kenna finds herself talking aloud to her mother, interrupted by Luther’s voice coming from behind her.
She tenses as he walks up to her. Despite their forged alliance, she doesn’t trust Luther any more now than she did before they agreed to work together. And with Diavolos’ life hanging in the balance, things are even more precarious between them. She watches his movements carefully as he talks about paying her respect, how he respected her mother, and how it’s nothing personal, realizing a split second too late that he’s pulled his dagger out.
Her flesh stings as she yanks the dagger out of her shoulder and throws it behind her. Luther has his sword out, a cold smile on his face, and Kenna realizes she’ll never be able to take him alone. She screams for help, hoping someone can hear her. Luther’s face twists into a mocking sneer, then turns to one of shock as he looks down. Flames engulf him, and he starts screaming, dropping to the ground.
His hands slap at the flames frantically, but to no avail. Eventually his screams stop, smoke drifting up from him. Kenna looks at him in disbelief, then sees Sei strolling through the throne room, stepping over Luther’s charred remains casually.
“You are bleeding. Come, I will take you to the infirmary,” Sei says, letting Kenna lean against her shoulder.
Kenna rests against her gratefully, holding her good hand over her wound. “Thank you, Sei.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Madeline sighs when Kenna enters the infirmary, Sei helping her settle into a chair before disappearing back out the door.
“I thought I told you to rest,” she scolds Kenna as she starts cleaning the wound.
“I tried,” Kenna says, wincing at the sting of the antiseptic.
She glances over to Diavolos’ bed. “How’s he doing?”
Madeline’s eyebrows furrow as she begins stitching up Kenna’s shoulder. “He seems better. He woke up early this morning for a few minutes. He’ll be in a fair amount of pain for a while, so I gave him more herbs so he can sleep.”
Madeline raises an eyebrow as she finishes the stitches. “He said your name.”
Kenna feels herself flush. “He did?”
“Perhaps talking to him did you both some good,” Madeline says.
She pulls Kenna’s tattered sleeve back up. “You’re done. Will you at least try not to get injured any more until this is healed?”
Kenna smiles. “I’ll try.”
She stands, grimacing as she moves her arm. Her eyes land on Diavolos and she hears Madeline chuckle. “Go ahead.”
His color is better, Kenna notices, his breathing a little less labored. Her hand automatically moves up to push his dark hair off his forehead, then trails down over his jaw. He frowns in his sleep, just a little, then turns his head slightly into her hand.
She should let him sleep, she knows, but she can’t help but trace her thumb over his cheekbone before she drops her hand down and takes his hand in hers. Diavolos groans quietly, his eyelids slowly opening. He squeezes her fingers, his eyes focusing on her.
“Kenna?” he says hoarsely.
“You’re awake,” she breathes out, feeling relief wash over her.
“It would appear that way.”
He tries to sit up, hissing in pain. Kenna gently pushes against his shoulder to get him to lay back.
“Gods that hurts. What happened?” he asks between gritted teeth, his hand drifting down to his side.
She tugs his hand away before he can pull at his stitches. “I’m not exactly sure. You got stabbed during the battle. Your men carried you inside and Madeline and Annelyse were able to get to you before…”
Kenna can’t get the words out, her throat swelling with emotion. Diavolos squeezes her hand again. “Before what?”
“You almost died,” she finally says, swallowing hard.
“Mmm,” he mumbles. “Well. I always expected to die during this war.”
He gives her a lopsided grin. “Though I must say…I’m pretty happy I didn’t, right about now.”
Kenna stares at him incredulously. She’s pretty sure she’d smack him if he wasn’t in an infirmary bed and hadn’t almost died yesterday. Madeline comes bustling over, gently nudging Kenna out of the way and checking Diavolos’ wound, clucking her tongue in irritation when she notices he’s started bleeding again.
Diavolos keeps his eyes on Kenna while Madeline works, and she squirms in her chair at the intensity of his gaze. He smirks just a little when he notices her cheeks turn pink, and Kenna almost laughs when he yelps as Madeline cleans the incision. Madeline sternly instructs him to rest and makes him promise not to try and get up again. He huffs in irritation but agrees, though Kenna has to nearly force him to take the herbs for his pain again.
“Kenna,” he says when Madeline walks away.
“Hmm?”
“Has my father returned to Lykos already?”
Kenna freezes. “He…”
Oh gods, how is she supposed to explain this?
Diavolos notices her reaction immediately. “What did he do?”
Kenna sighs. “Tried to kill me,” she says bluntly.
Diavolos’ face tightens in anger. “Of course he did.”
“Who killed him?” he asks after a moment.
“Sei. He stabbed me,” she explains, gesturing to her shoulder. “I wouldn’t have been able to fight him off. I’m…” she trails off. She’s not sorry Luther’s dead, but she knows how complicated Diavolos’ relationship is, was, with him.
“Don’t say you’re sorry,” Diavolos says in a low voice. “He tried to kill you, Kenna. I only regret I wasn’t there to stop him myself.”
He tries to reach up for her, but winces, so she bends down slightly, sighing as he cups her face, his hand cool and slightly rough against her skin. She rests her hand over his and closes her eyes as he runs his thumb over her cheek.
Diavolos tugs her down gently and she opens her eyes, raising an eyebrow at him. “And what do you think you’re doing?”
“Kissing you,” he says casually.
“Madeline told you to rest,” she murmurs, her eyes flicking down to his lips instinctively as he attempts to pull her closer.
“She didn’t say no kissing,” he protests.
Kenna smiles at him. “You’re injured.”
“My mouth isn’t.”
“Diavolos,” she laughs quietly.
“What?”
She leans down, brushing her lips just slightly over his. He sighs, sliding his hand around the back of her neck, threading his hand into her hair. Kenna rests her hand on the sheet next to his head, pressing another light kiss to his mouth, his breath warm against her face as she pulls back.
“I’m really glad you didn’t die,” she whispers as he tugs her back in, his lips applying gentle pressure to hers.
“Because you like me, or because you like kissing me?” he asks, kissing her again, his lips feather-light against hers.
She narrows her eyes at him as she feels him grin. “Both,” she murmurs, gently biting his full lower lip.
Diavolos groans quietly, bringing his mouth to hers again, his kisses surprisingly sweet and gentle. She slides her hand into his hair, shivering as he runs his tongue over her mouth, opening up to him immediately.
“Kenna,” he groans.
“Mmm,” she hums in pleasure as they kiss again and again, soft, lingering kisses that make her want more.
She doesn’t think she’ll ever get enough of kissing this man.
“Kenna,” he murmurs, and she pulls back, smiling when she sees him blink sleepily, his eyelids starting to droop. “I told you I didn’t want those herbs,” he mumbles.
“You need to rest,” she says softly, running her hand through his hair soothingly.
“Mmm…I’d rather kiss you. You’re a good kisser,” he says, his words running together.
She smiles again as his eyes drop shut, his breathing slowing into a deep, even rhythm. When she’s sure he’s completely asleep, she eases her hand out of his hair and stands.
“Will you kiss me again later?” she hears Diavolos mumble, and she grins when she turns around and sees his eyes are still closed.
“Yes, Diavolos,” she says. “I’ll kiss you again later.”