The Last Healer

Chapter 50: Ariella

Chapter 50 Ariella

My eyes cracked open to stare at the ceiling above me, bewilderment flowing through my body.

Where was I?

The last thing I remembered was crying by the fountain in the overrun garden, my heart suffering in a way I never knew before.

My head fell towards the side and my gaze settled on the small bear beside me. Pan. That's where I was, I was home. Someone must have found me and brought me back, but when.

Sweat dotted my forehead and upper lip and my arm protested as I reached up to brush it away. Every part of me felt like it was on fire and that it was weighed down by some unknown force. Cold air wafted over my body as I shoved the blankets off and I found myself shivering within seconds.

A small yip came from the doorway and I watched as a small white blur streak in here and Pika stopped at the bottom of the bed, his tail waving in the air.

"Good morning." I told him and he yipped again and pranced around. Dropping my hand over the edge of the bed and scratching his neck, my mind wandered to Alexander.

I could only hope that he would be alright. That he would recover from what had happened to him. I wanted to talk to him, to tell him I was sorry and how grateful I was to get to know him. I just wished I could keep learning about him, keep talking to him.

Pika yipped again before rushing out of the room and my eyes followed him as he disappeared. The poor pup was probably bored and wanted to play.

A part of me wanted to just turn back over and fall asleep again, to not wake up for a little while, but I knew I needed to be up. My stomach rumbled softly and I took the cue to clamber out of bed and drifted towards the living room.

A familiar blond and brunette were sitting at the table, mulling over papers. A bow and arrow hung on the back of the blond's chair, the quiver leaning against the back leg.

"Ariella?" Isabella stared at me in surprise as she jumped up and rushed towards me. Shanae whipped around, her eyes settling on me before jumping up and running up to me. "Hun, you should be in bed, resting. You're still sick."

"What are you doing here?" I questioned as Isabella slipped her arm around my waist and steered me towards the couches.

"Your family had to work and they didn't want to leave you alone in case anything happened so they asked us to help out." Shanae gave me a gentle smile as she and Isabella eased me onto the couch. "All of us have been taking turns staying with you, making sure you were alright and that Pika was taken care of."

Isabella pressed the back of her hand to my forehead before smiling at me. "Your fever broke early this morning but I just wanted to make sure it didn't come back."

"Fever? Was I sick?" I questioned as my eyes floated over to the blankets in Shanae's arms.

"You got caught out in the rain and the Trackers had a problem finding you." Shanae told me, draping the blanket over my shoulders and then sitting next to me. "As the Trackers stated, the rain interrupted your scent so they had an issue following it."

"Brittney and Thomas were the ones who found you in the old Healer's garden." Isabella explained. "I'll be right back." She told me and disappeared into the kitchen. Shanae and I sat in silence, not a word spoken between us as we sat there. Pika poked his white head out from underneath the couch, his ears perked up as he listened. Leaning forward, my arms reached out and my fingers wrapped around his stomach and I held him close.

"How long?" I questioned, my voice breaking the silence. She sighed as she collapsed, her shoulders slaking into the couch.

"About a week and a half." She shrugged. "You'd wake up in a haze-like thing where we could feed you, but then you'd just go back to sleep."

"Oh." A week and a half in bed, no memory of anything that happened, and no desire to know either. My friends and family must have been so worried about me, worried that I'd never wake up, worried that I'd stay like that forever.

Pika pushed himself up as he sat on my lap, swiping his tongue across my cheek. My fingers scratched his hand, his soft fur tickling the palm of my hand.

"A lot of things happened since then, Ariella." Shanae whispered, her arm slipping over my shoulders as she hugged me. "Things with your family and with Alex."

"What kind of things?" I spoke softly, not wanting to get my hopes up. I knew what had happened, he gave up because I made him. He did what I wanted even if it hurt him and now we couldn't speak again.

"Well, Hunters attacked the following night from the whole ordeal with your family and Alex. They had to go out to protect the City but the Hunters still got in the Tower." Shanae sighed and shook her head, her eyes dancing with merriment as she looked at me.

"There was no one here to protect me?" I muttered, my eyes shifting away from her and towards the fire in the gate. She shook her head, the smile in her eyes echoed the one on her lips.

"A special idiot we both know came and fought the Hunters off until reinforcements came." Shanae giggled, her hands clasping mine as she stared at me. "I'm sure you can guess who I'm talking about." I knew I could. It wasn't that hard to guess. Alexander was a 'special idiot' who'd put himself in trouble to protect the people he cared about and I was one of them.

"A-Alex?" His name rolled off my lips and my heart broke slightly as I said his name. I could only imagine how angry he was with me and I couldn't blame him if he hated me after everything.

"Yep!" She laughed. The kitchen door opened behind us and Isabella walked out with a bowl and a glass of water in her hands.

"Here, you need to eat something." Isabella smiled as she placed the bowl and glass on the small table in front of us. Isabella crossed her arms and turned to glare at Shanae. "You better not have told her yet, we had an agreement that we'd do it together, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Shanae grumbled as she leaned closer to me, her head resting on my shoulder. "Well, since you're here, should we tell her now?"

"Tell me what?" My gaze shifted between the two of them, confusion. Isabella rolled her eyes as she collapsed in the chair next to me, her hands slipping around my wrists.

"Remember when I told you Alexander came to protect you from the Hunters?" Shanae told me and I nodded, staring at her in confusion as she smiled at me.

"Well, after that, your parents and most of your siblings came to believe that he really did care for you." Isabella's hand squeezed mine gently, a gentle smile playing on her lips. "In other words, your parents are letting you and Alex continue speaking to each other."

I stared at her in confusion, lost as to what I should say. I could see Alex again and my family wouldn't be angry? They'd allow me to? A smile played on my lips as realization settled in my mind. "I want to see him."

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