The Fear Of Death Confounds Me: A Wizard101 Novel

Chapter 21: Celebration

I felt like my head was as heavy as a boulder, the thoughts crawling into my mind almost a tangible thing, causing me a severe amount of discomfort. I felt as though I was drowning in a sea of tar. My eyes were closed, but I couldn't seem to muster the energy to open them, although I could hear fragmented bits and pieces of words around me.

"...Fault....mine....can't..."

"...come....em....pl...ease..."

That's it, brain come on. Start working. I could feel a needle enter my arm, and a brief moment later, I was starting to feel less like a zombie, I was starting to hear everything clearly.

"...Em..."

"Come on..."

"Emily...Emily!"

My eyes shot open, sending my brain into a spiral of pain, forcing a groan out of me. I could finally make out the details around me. Malorn's furrowed brow catching my attention first as my eyes darted around the room, which was an unfamiliar bedroom. I could see the tension leave his shoulders as he realized that I was awake. I looked up at him, letting a small genuine smile paint my face.

"You're okay..."

"Pssh, of course." He smirked, putting me at ease. "The question is, are you?"

I nodded.

"Yeah." I sighed. Looking up at Malorn's iridescent baby blues. "Where am I?"

"Wizard city, my castle."

"Is this...?"

"My room." He paused before explaining why he brought me here. "I didn't want to worry Merle and Andrea."

"...What happened?"

"You lost a lot of blood, and mana." He sighed, looking off into the distance. "You shouldn't have healed me."

"Well you shouldn't have come after me."

Malorn looked like I'd told him the moon was actually a wheel of cheese.

"Do you hear yourself?"

"Malorn, I'm serious."

"So am I."

"Malo-!"

"-Don't. I will never, ever stop going after you."

I sighed.

"At what cost, Mal?"

"Whatever cost it takes."

"Why?"

"The same reason you used sacrifice on yourself."

I looked at the raw unbridled emotion in his eyes, the weight behind his words. I shook my head, sighing heavily while pushing myself up to sit on the bed, when Malorn's hand stopped me.

"You need to rest."

"I'm fine."

I gently took his hand and moved it off me. I leaned back against the uncomfortable backboard of the bed; Malorn sensed my discomfort, maneuvering a pillow behind me so that I could sit comfortably. I gave him a grateful look before asking him what was on my mind.

"How did you even find me?"

"...Sherlock."

Of course, the infamous Sherlock Bones used his powers of deduction to discern that I probably couldn't handle Meowiarty alone.

"He shouldn't have told you."

"If he hadn't you'd be..."

He trailed off, almost like the idea physically hurt him.