Blue Flames

Chapter 16

I was floating.

The thought pierced the veil of black covering my senses, slowly dragging me out to consciousness.

I cracked my eyes open. The sky looked so blue and clear that it hurt. The air around my body was pleasantly warm, but as I floated upward, it became cooler.

I was floating upward. How weird was that? I wanted to turn my head, check if my mind was playing tricks on me. But I was too tired. I did see buildings in the distance around me, though. I was on level with their highest floor. Wow, I was actually flying.

Impressive, but I wanted to sleep more than I wanted to enjoy my brush with insanity. The pain started from my limbs and slowly crawled up my entire body. Oh, no. Not again. I just wanted to sleep.

A black dot in the sky, growing bigger. A helicopter? I was floating towards it. I really was going insane.

The noise increased as I approached. So damn loud. The noise and the pain just wouldn't let me take a damn nap.

The cold air became almost unbearable next to the flying machine, but it only lasted a few seconds as the helicopter hovered in place. Its door opened. I turned my head slightly, blinking lazily at the man who reached out and plucked me out of the air.

So warm.

Warm hands, a warm chest. And I realized I was naked.

"Go, go!" Arthur's voice ordered. He laid me down on something soft. A man I didn't know appeared in my line of sight. He shone a tiny torchlight in my eyes. I flinched and mumbled something about sleep.

Two big, warm hands held my head and tilted it to the side. Arthur.

Damn. He was still as good looking as I remembered.

"You idiot," he said through gritted teeth, though the lines of his face were in an expression I could only describe as concern. Oh, that's so cute. I had the urge to laugh.

Some prodding in my chest. I gasped at the pain.

"Sire, there are traces of silver in her system." A woman's voice said, as if from far away. Arthur looked up and mumbled something in a low voice.

"Anyone...hurt?" I said, or at least tried to. My voice was so raspy that I didn't know if he heard me at all. I only wanted to distract myself from the pain. My entire body was screaming at me, every single nerve was in suffering.

"No," Arthur replied, his hands still holding my head in place. "Only you."

"Ah..." I sighed in relief, now I could die in peace. Maybe I was already dead? hmm...

"Are you dead, too?" I asked Arthur, a crazy question but one that made sense in my muddied up mind.

"Stop talking nonsense." Arthur said, his eyes flicked upward when someone spoke. He nodded, removed one hand from my head to put an ice chip between my lips.

The cool liquid felt like soothing balm on my abused throat. More prodding all over my body.

"Arthur."

"Yes?"

"She's dead."

"She?"

"The demon... a female," I said. Understanding colored his expression and he nodded. I continued, "there were...humans...too."

"Alright," his fingers brushed something off my cheek. "Stop talking. Rest."

"I can't...feel...my... limbs."