Saving Kimi by Brooke Stanton

Author:Brooke Stanton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Coco and Bee

Chapter 10

A bright white light surrounded Kimi’s vision. Was she dead? There were trembling voices all around, but her ears pricked when she recognized the low timbre of one and the scratchy roughness of the other.

Chayton. And Alex Randall.

Her head was a pounding siren, her lips stung, and her throat screamed of thirst. All at once her consciousness flooded and she was wide awake.

She lay on the shoddy bed frame in the shack, which had been righted. Light streamed in from two windows in the slanted walls, the dark fabric that had covered them, removed. In front of the doorframe, in silhouette, was the wide frame of Chayton, and next to him was the tall, lean outline of Mr. Randall.

Her hands curled into fists. This was Chayton’s fault. He’d lied to her. He’d gotten Malia with child and then pursued Kimi. The fool.

But just as quickly as the anger came, it waned.

The men’s backs were to her, scoping the shack’s surroundings. Kimi coughed—a pathetic, dry sound—her throat aching. The sound drew the attention of the men, and they both rushed to her, Chayton a step ahead.

“Kimimela, move slowly.” Chayton helped Kimi to sit up.

“Water,” she squeaked.

Mr. Randall knelt at her side and pressed his canteen to her lips. Kimi sucked down the water like liquid gold. As she gulped, Mr. Randall pressed the back of his hand to her forehead.

“Your fever has broken.” He exhaled as if he’d held his breath for as long as Kimi had been passed out.

“How did you find me?” Kimi asked.

“When you didn’t return my horse, I went to the village,” Mr. Randall said. “That’s when we realized no one had seen you for an entire day. Chayton rounded up a search party. And we searched in groups around the surrounding woods, fields, and plains for two days.”

“I remembered there being a few shacks out this way. We used to stop in them while hunting,” Chayton said. “It was here I recovered your blouse and found you in the bushes.”

Mr. Randall placed a tender hand on Kimi’s shoulder, but Chayton stood rigid at the edge of the bed.

“You were hot with fever and delirious. We feared—” Mr. Randall took a moment to collect himself. “We didn’t know if you’d come through.”

Now that Kimi’s thirst was quenched, her stomach spasmed with hunger pains.

“Food.”

Mr. Randall walked to the corner of the room where their satchels lay, supplies already spread out on a canvas tarp. He chose a metal thermos.

“It’s broth. Drink this first, then slowly eat this.” He pressed a piece of cornbread in her hand. She wanted to shovel it into her mouth but did as he said, knowing it would be worse to make herself sick by eating too much, too soon.

“Who did this to you?” Chayton’s voice was tight with anger.

Kimi swallowed the crumbling piece of cornbread. “Malia.”

Chayton swung on her. “Who?”

“Malia.” Kimi’s eyes narrowed. “Your beloved.”

Alex Randall shot a questioning look at Chayton. Your beloved?

Chayton’s eyes widened, but he didn’t deny it, the soft blush on his cheeks betraying his guilt.

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