Bathed Silver in Mercury

XXIII. Nick and Elerie

With Ahmanet gone, defeated, Nick returned to Elerie. 

He approached her lifeless body again, kneeling beside it, cupping her face, her skin still icy against his touch.

"Oh Ellie..." He felt terrible. "I'm sorry - you're right, this is my fault. All my fault.  I love you, so much. I wish you could know that.  I don't deserve you-"

He cried out then when pain wracked his body - Set, the God of Death, trying to take over him. 

"Ellie... Ellie – wake up, please wake up." He cupped her cold cheek in his hand.  "I'm sorry, I'm s-sorry... Please wake up.  Wake up... Please. I'm sorry, I-I don't know what I'm doing." He could feel Set trying to take over.  "JUST WAKE UP!"

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Elerie's eyes shot open and she spit out a mouthful of water.  She spun around so she was kneeling forward, coughing up all the water she could. Her throat burned, felt like she was choking up fire instead of water. Funny how that worked.

  She shuffled around, disoriented, her lips moving but unable to form any coherent words. Her voice was so quiet when she spoke that she barely heard it herself. "Nick?" He was here with her before, where was he now? "Nick? Nick?!"

"Ahh!" She jumped back when instead she saw her - Ahmanet,  her  shrivelled remains. What had happened here?

She heard a shuffling in the shadows. Squinting, she could just make out a familiar figure-

"Nick!" She moved to rush over. 

"STOP!" A gruff voice that definitely did not belong to Nick drew her to a halt. "Ellie-" This time it was his voice.  She could hear a smile masking his words.  "You're alive.  You're alive.  I'm so glad you're alive."

Something wasn't right... "Oh, Nick - what have you done?"  You did this for me?  

"I don't want to hurt you. No more than I already have. Oh Ellie, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry..." She took a step closer. "No! Please, no. Please just stay back. I've made so many mistakes.  But not this time. Not with you. Never with you.  The only mistake I made with you was lying, which led to us separating.  I never wanted to hurt you. Oh Ellie, I'm so sorry, for everything." He chuckled a little.  "Didn't see this coming, did we?"

She chuckled a little too.  "No."

"Ellie, I'm scared."

"Me too," she admitted.

"But it's going to be okay-" He paused, his head turning as though he were sensing something. "They're coming for me, I wish we had more time.  I'll find you, I promise.  Goodbye, Ellie." And he was gone, disappeared into the shadows.

That was when she noticed something on the ground by the dagger: the photograph, the one Nick had carried with him, the one of them together. Only now it was different.

It was torn – right down the middle.  Only half remained, the half in which his picture was.  She smiled a little as she knelt down to retrieve it, holding it in one hand and gripping the dagger in the other.  He'd taken half with him, and left this half with her.

Various footsteps filled the dark and cold chamber. Turning, she saw a bunch of people in dark clothes, like spies.

"Elerie!" There was Jenny rushing towards her, accompanied by other Prodigium folk. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know..." 

It was only partially the truth. 

(Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :) And thank you for all the comments! One more chapter left!)