Raphael more. I was willing to work with his memory loss rather than subject him to reliving many of his memories while others watched. Because I’d never wanted to sleep with someone more in my life, but that’s beside the point.
I went through the fridge, found a few small containers of store-bought yogurt, grabbed a spoon, and slid them to Nakul, who opened one and started to eat slowly. Next, I grabbed a glass. He needed water. Hydration was important, and he probably hadn’t eaten or drunk anything substantial since before the breakout.
“Why didn’t you stay in the prison?” I asked as I put the glass of water in front of him.
He was silent, taking another bite of yogurt.
“I…It seemed like the thing to do. Leave, follow you home, help you. You hate me, but I have never hated you, Kaliya. When I visited Mahavir and Adhar, they didn’t know what I was doing, but they told me what you were, what you did. I was…proud to see there was once again a naga warrior. And maybe you could make the change that I seemed unable to. So, escaping to help you was my only option. You are my niece.”
“By marriage,” I reminded him. There was no blood relation. Our lines were from two different original nagas. I didn’t know the genetics, but I didn’t consider him blood-related in a close, immediate sense. That was why I didn’t consider his brother, Mahavir, my uncle, and why I was considered eligible to the poor sixteen-year-old boy, who was probably being pressured to believe he needed to be my mate.
“Fine, but I remember the day you were born, and your mother let my mate hold you. Before even your father, those women cooed over you. Then he got to hold you, then your brothers, then me. I was there in the house, helping them. We’re family, so I helped you.”
“How did you find me on that rooftop?”
“I…I don’t know,” he whispered. “Why…How did I know to follow you there?”
I reached out, about to console him and tell him to stop, stopping short and putting my hand carefully down on the counter.
“Stop trying to think about it,” I said softly. “It’s okay. You found me, you helped me, and now, I’m going to help you, okay? Stop thinking about it.”
“No, no, no,” he started to chant. I stepped back as he clasped his head and hissed in pain. I pulled a drawer open behind me and slowly picked up a knife, keeping it under counter level and out of sight.
“No, what, Nakul?” I asked softly.
“No, I don’t want to kill you,” he said, looking up, his eyes crazed. “I don’t want to.”
“Then don’t.”
I can’t be here now, and I need to secure him. I need back up, but fuck, he’s really fragile. Has he been fighting a spell this entire time? If I run out or shout, he could snap.
Nakul’s hands began to shake as he put them on the counter and pushed himself to his feet.
“I really don’t, Kaliya. I would never betray our people that way. You have to believe me.”
“I do. I know. Everything you ever did was to try to help us.” In your own sick way, driven by insanity and grief.
“Make it stop,” he whispered. “Make it stop.”
“Make what stop? I can’t help you unless you tell me what’s wrong.”
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed like a dead body a moment later. I gasped, dropping the knife on the counter and walked around to see him on the floor, staring but not seeing.
“Oh, gods.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Did he just make himself brain dead?” I knelt down. “Nakul, you can’t die on me. I need you right now.” I tentatively reached for him.
His reflexes were just as good as mine. The moment my hand was close, he had it, grabbing it faster than I could comprehend, just like my own reflexes when I needed them—a lightning-fast strike.
I hissed aggressively, my fangs going down at the threat, using my free hand to hit him, causing his grasp to free while he hissed in pain. I got to my feet just a little faster, but he didn’t try to tower over me. He launched himself at me and sent me into the counter, where the ledge hit me square in the center of my back. I couldn’t hold back a scream as it brought to life all of my injuries.