The Celestial

Part 10

The first thing I was aware of was the colossal pain sourced at the back of my head, making its way all the way to the front. Then I was aware of the silence, though it was broken every now and then by something crumbling.

My cheek to the floor, I opened my eyes. The chamber was in ruin; there was no ceiling, and most of the walls had been blown apart, only cracked stone bricks and piles of rubble remaining in their stead.

The Celestial was still crouching over Jayve protectively.

I squeezed my eyes shut against the pain throbbing all over my head. When they reopened, I saw that the Celestial and Jayve had gotten up from their prone position on the floor to their knees, holding one another.

They were both still alive.

Secretly, I moved one of my hands, opening and closing it to gage how much strength I had after being so close to death. The pain snaking across my body from the impact against the wall, however, made it clear that the prince of black fire merely made my heart start beating again, caring nothing of my other injuries.

Their lips moved, but I couldn't hear them well, as if my ears were still clogged with whatever darkness I had stood in as I bargained for my life. The Celestial grabbed hold of the rags around Jayve's waist and slowly unwrapped them. Where the dagger had gone through him, there was a large splatter of fresh and drying blood, but as the Celestial gently wiped at it, pure intact skin was uncovered.

There was no wound.

Jayve stared in amazement, running his fingers over the magically healed area.

I took my eyes away from the scene, instead searching the ground around me for the sight of the scepter. Moving my head slowly so they would not be alerted by my movement, the bright glint of the gold from the open roof caught my eye. The scepter lay a little more than an arm's reach away from me, all three gems still embedded in it. I could easily grab it after a lunge.

A sudden flick of movement caused me to look back over at the two. The Celestial had sunk to the floor, and Jayve crouched over it, shaking its shoulder. I couldn't make out what he was saying, my brain not processing fully still, but I could process the wavering of his voice. He was crying, over a dying Celestial. I never knew that one of my most trusted guards was this soft.

He bent his head in defeat, mourning. But then he shot up again, his gaze flicking directly to the scepter.

My muscles screamed to act, to grab for the scepter now, but I forced myself to wait.

He got up and left the Celestial, hurrying across the room. He scooped down to pick up the scepter.

I shot out my hand, throwing myself the rest of the way there, but I was tugged back. As Jayve stood back in shock, I looked at what had stopped me. On top of my legs was a great part of the stone wall, crushing them. I tried to move them, but it was in vain, and then I grew aware of the searing pain within them.

I looked up at Jayve in fury.

He stared at me for a second more before looking again at the scepter, and in one quick movement, lifted it off the ground.

"No!" I yelled my voice raw as the precious gold touched his hand, the precious gems going into his possession. "Give that to me! It's mine!"

My breaths came in quick, desperate breaths, and I tried to pull myself from out under the pile of stones.

I heard a click and looked up to see Jayve holding the sapphire in his hand, free from its new home in the scepter. I yelled in horror as he dropped the scepter to fall to his knees next to the Celestial, moving it onto its back and brushing its hair to the side to reveal its chest. He hesitated for only a second before pressing the gem back in to it.