Half-Bloods R • 1: Fallen World

C • 13 : Shadows on Flesh, Fire to Bone

Vaelan gently nudged Demi, who stirred and grumbled for a moment. He chuckled, then nudged her again. She sat up, stretching out and giving a massive yawn.

"You know, I'm the one who supposed to be unconscious right now," he said.

Demi squeaked and trained her wide eyes on him. "Vaelan!" She tackle-hugged him. He hugged her back, letting her warmth flow through him as her body pressed against his. However, it didn't last long, as she quickly pulled back and began wildly shaking him, "What were you thinking trusting the Princes? You lost an arm! Vaelan, you need your arm!" Demi had sort of half-growled the last sentence, Vaelan couldn't help but chortle.

"Vaelan!" She huffed, her hands switched from gripping his shoulders to firmly placed against his face, "You're not taking this seriously."

Still, with a large smile on his face, he said, "I'm sorry, I tried to keep Decimii in check, but I couldn't." He told her, mana pouring into and out of the stump of his arm to create a fake blackened arm. "But I couldn't defeat that agent as I am now, I had to do something."

Demi looked at his new arm and grabbed onto his hand. "Can you even feel that?" She moved his hand to her face, "Or this?" Finally, she placed his hand against her chest, "Vaelan, can you even feel my heartbeat?"

He looked at her, she was sad, he realized. Sad over the loss of his arm.

"Demi, I can't feel any of it," he said, she immediately dropped his hand and placed her head onto his chest, "But I can learn how to feel with it. I'll figure it out, I promise."

"Vaelan," she puffed, "What if you had lost more than an arm? What would you do then? Mana can be burned away and destroyed, this arm could cost you." She looked at him, her eyes welling up with tears.

Sadness, worry, so many emotions packed into this moment. I don't understand, is that guilt? Why would she feel that?

He used his good hand to lift her head and wipe away her tears, he pulled her close and whispered, "Demi, this-" he paused, wondering whether he should finish the sentence, "This isn't like Crimson Homes. We're stronger now, I'm not gonna lose you, and you're not gonna lose me," he murmured softly into her ear. She wasn't pleased, and she remained like that for a while, but for now she let the subject go.

They sat with their foreheads together, Vaelan had surprised himself when he wiped away a tear from his face. He placed his hands on Demi's face, opening his eyes to double-check that his left hand was touching her face. When he saw that it was, he closed his eyes and let himself be lost in the moment with Demi.

• :: • :: • :: • :: • :: • :: •

Demi's eyes fluttered open, Vaelan had been released from the hospital just days prior, and now they lay in bed. They had been given a room in a small, but relatively decent hotel in Houston. Just across the hall was Elizabeth's room, and next to that was Christopher's for his eventual release from the hospital. Elizabeth barely left Christopher's side, she would take a couple hours for herself each day, and spend the rest of her time sleeping or with the unconscious Christopher. According to the doctors, whatever form he had taken had completely drained him of energy, and even turned some of his blood into mana.

A gentle orchestrated melody was playing through her earbuds, she turned on her phone and checked the time. Six-forty-five.

Vaelan's arms had been wrapped gently around her, she turned her head slightly and looked back at the love of her life. He was wearily watching her with half-closed eyes, she flipped over and huddled up against him.

"Hey," she whispered.

A gentle smile grew on him, "Morning."

"How long've you been up?" She asked.