I woke to the sound of muted footsteps, and for an instant, I imagined I had fallen into some intensely dramatic dream. But no, when I opened my eyes, I was still in the same peaceful corner of the castle, Rael looming over me like a dour, protective knight who'd lost his sense of humor.
"How long was I out?" I grumbled, scowling up at him. My side ached, but I was far too obstinate to admit it.
"Hours," Rael replied, his tone gentle but still tinged with the kind of strain you only experience when you've spent too many hours running around with an assassin who won't be reasonable.".
I shoved myself upward, grimacing slightly, but forcing a smile. "Ah, a power nap. You know, if being an assassin doesn't pan out, I could possibly make a fortune as a sleeper agent. I mean, I'm already proficient at the whole 'napping' thing."
Rael didn't even flinch. His eyes were narrowed, as if he was weighing whether to lecture me or simply take my brand of craziness in stride. "You're going to kill me, you know that?"
"Sure thing, Rael! That's my charm," I winked, feeling pleased with myself. "If I'm not entertaining, then what's the point?"
He sighed heavily, shaking his head. "You're lucky you're so good at this," he muttered, though I could see the glint of admiration hidden behind his irritation. "And I guess. some of your theatrics keep things interesting."
"Ah, my flair for the dramatic!" I smiled, wiggling my fingers as if I were performing a dramatic magic trick. "I've honed it over years of being impossibly fabulous. Don't worry about thanking me. It's just natural talent, after all."
"Sure," Rael said dryly, "I'm sure your natural talent has something to do with why you bled all over my floor."
"Details, details," I said with a languid wave, slumping back into the cushions once more. "I'm fine. Don't be so dramatic about it."
"You're fine," he said again, staring at me like I had announced I could fly. "You almost died, Mochi. Don't act like it's no big deal."
I sat up with over-the-top effort, shaking off the tension. "Pfft, it's nothing. It's just a little flesh wound. I've had worse. Like the time I got chased by a very angry goose."
Rael blinked at me, his eyebrows leaping onto his forehead. "A goose?"
"Yeah, a goose!" I exclaimed, quirking an eyebrow at him like he was the weird one in this situation. "It was one of those scary, war-hardened geese. You won't believe how intense they get when they're on the warpath. They don't have a clue about personal space."
Rael gazed at me for a moment, shook his head as if he had no idea where to start. "You're crazy.
I smiled. "I like the word 'unpredictable.' In any case, what were we discussing again? Oh yeah! My destiny as the greatest assassin of all time. Do you want me to show you my ninja moves now that I'm all better?
"You're not fully recovered." Rael's voice was a little too calm, like he had said this a hundred times already. "And the next time you get injured, I swear I'll just let you lie there and stew in your dramatic antics."
"Rael," I said, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes, "you'd never do that. You know that without me, your life would be extremely boring."
"I don't know that's true," Rael said, but there was the slightest glimmer of a smile playing at the edge of his lips. "You're certainly more trouble than you're worth."
"Oh, don't shortchange yourself," I said. "You adore it. This is the adventure you've always wanted. I'm just the seasoning in your otherwise dull life."
Rael snorted, rolling his eyes. "You're impossible."
"Pffft, but you like me anyway," I retorted with a mock wink.
"Come on, just get you fixed up," Rael replied, though his voice was more affectionate than annoyed now, the fissures in his cold armor beginning to crack. "I don't know how much more of this I can handle."
I pressed a hand over my chest in mock hurt. "You're shattering my heart, Rael. I thought we were doing this together—through thick and thin, blood and goose attack."
"I'm getting seriously to the point of reconsidering that one," he grumbled, but the grin was fully in place now, and for once, it wasn't just a tease one. It was as if we'd passed a line in our back-and-forth—a line from irritation to something. more.
"Good," I said with a satisfied sigh, settling back again, "I'm relieved to hear that after all these years, we've finally reached the point where you may just confess that you love me."
Rael didn't answer right away, his eyes darting down to my wound. But I could see the flicker of something under his calm facade. It wasn't love—not at least, not in the classical sense—but there was something. Perhaps it was patience. Or perhaps, just perhaps, I was beginning to grow on him.
Either way, I was more than happy to be a little unpredictable.
"I'll get the bandages," he finally said, his voice softer now, his hand already reaching for the supplies. "Just don't go getting yourself stabbed again. Not before we finish the mission."
"Oh, I'll try my best," I said with a mock salute. "But no promises. I am a highly dramatic individual."
Rael muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like, "I'm doomed."
I smiled proudly as he continued to take care of my wound once again. If being an assassin meant having to deal with this, well, I was totally nailing it.