The Malignant Flaming Crescent

30

THREE DAYS LATER

AELIA POV

My eyes slowly started to open. My head was hurting and my body was a bit sore but... but ultimately I felt better. I was laying on something hard, I could feel it as I slowly moved my hands around. 

Wait. 

My hands... the cuffs. They- they're gone. I opened my eyes some more but everything was dark. I slowly sat up and slid my legs off the table, placing my feet firmly on the ground. I walked around slowly, finding a set of stairs. I walked up them and listened through the door, I could hear nothing. I turned the knob and opened it. 

Light flooded the house. It was clean, smelt nice. I shut the door slowly behind me, hearing it click in place. Footsteps approached and I just flattened myself against the door. A man walked in front of me, he looked shocked. 

"You're awake!" he said loudly, "I can't believe it, you're awake. Here come here." He held out his hand and I looked at it before looking back at him. What is this? What's he going to do to me? Who is he..? "I'm not gonna hurt you," he shook his head and pulled his hand back, "are you hungry? Can I get you anything?" 

"Wh-who are you?" I asked shakily, "what do you want with me?" 

He looked at me for a few seconds, "I know this might sound crazy but I was having nightmares with you in them. The other night I had one, it woke me up and I went out to find you. When I did you were in the woods, laying on the ground."

"Th-that was you?" I asked. It all started to come back to me. I looked at the ground as memories popped into my head. I saw him standing above me, saw him pick me up. I remember him walking with me, telling me it'd be okay, that I was going to be okay. 

"I'm Rowan," he said calmly, "and I promise I won't hurt you. I- I can't actually. You're a witch, I'm human- I have no power over you." 

"S-so I could leave if-if I wanted to?" I stuttered. He nodded his head and stepped to the side, angling his arm point towards the front door. I quickly made my way over to it and opened the door without saying anything else but something stopped me. Something was telling me to stay in the house, not leave. I turned back around and looked at him. He looked kind not like he was going to drag me down a flight of stairs and cut me with a scolding knife. 

"Let me make you something to eat," he walked back into the kitchen, "and you can stand if you want but I'm sure those cuts on your legs don't feel the best so feel free to sit down." I watched as he looked through cabinets filled with food and the fridge beside them. I walked slowly over to the table and sat down in a chair. "Pancakes okay?" he asked. I nodded my head and looked down at my hands. "Here," he walked over and set a water bottle down in front of me, "you look like you could use a drink." 

"Got anything stronger," I scoffed. 

He chuckled, "how old are you?" 

"I.... am 15," I said nervously. 

"15?" he asked, "no you can't have anything stronger then." I smiled. It was the first time I've smiled from something someone else said in many many months. "What's your name?" he asked, "and oh uhm- don't feel obligated to answer me. I- I don't know what happened to you but- but it looked horrible." 

"Yeah," I sighed, "yeah it uhm- it wasn't fun. I'm Aelia Harlow." 

"Aelia," he smirked, "it's a pretty name." 

"Thank you," I looked down at my fingers again. 

"Kira, she- she said you were a witch," he said, "she took those cuffs off you, said she knew what they were."