Nether

19. More than Magic (v2)

Some days later...

Sunlight threads over my eyes like needles pricking the inside of my closed lids. I turn my head into the pillow and freeze. My body feels heavy and hollow, but it's the scent that disables me, Caleb's scent of sandalwood and rain. I haul in a deep, slow breath, wanting to absorb every iota of him into every particle of me, wishing his smell would swath my bones like an embrace. But I don't have to wish for him to hold me again. I don't have to dream for the day we can love each freely anymore. Blinking open, a broken chuckle escapes me as his room comes to view. I have a second chance now, to live life and not allow darkness to take the good away.

"Morning, sunshine."

I turn my head and regret it instantly. The room wobbles around me, though beneath me, everything is still.

"There, there." Aunt Sabana holds my head steady, somehow knowing that stability is just what I need. By and by, the room stops spinning and her five faces become one. Her eyes are bloodshot and she's aged since the last time I saw her. She's much thinner, and her skin seems to hang from her bones. I know it's due to worry over me, and it hurts that I put her through so much pain, but nothing compared to how much I know she hurt in thinking I was dead all these weeks.

"How are you feeling?" She attempts a smile, but tears fill her eyes. She strokes my face over and over, and where before I would have shrugged it off, feeling too grown to accept her motherly affection, I lay still and let her dote. Her weathered hands against my face are heaven.

I slip my hand over hers and smile, though the image of her pixelates behind my tears. "I'm fine."

She nods and takes to smoothing down my hair. "I'm sorry," she says through a light laugh. "I can't help it. I thought you were gone..."

The tears she was holding back brim and spill freely. She folds over me, her frame wracking with each sob. For a minute, she hugs me so tight, I can't breathe. She peels back. "Why didn't you call for me? I'm old, but I could have helped you..."

I laugh through my tears. "You're not old, auntie. It was safer if everyone thought I was dead. There were people after us, and I didn't want them to hurt you."

She shakes her head, and though I know she still wishes I would have reached out to her, she sighs resignedly. "I suppose. I still can't believe Mage Edwards did what he did. We trusted him, invited him into our home... I pride myself on reading people, but he fooled me."

Remembering Caleb's pained stare when he killed him, my heart strums. "He fooled all of us."

"But what more could he want? His nephew was going to be our ruler. He would have always had a place among our people."

"That was it. He didn't want a place. He wanted it all, and found an ally in the Darkness."

"Living darkness..." she repeats. "That vision you had sure turned out to be something, huh?" This time she smiles and small crinkles mark the sides of her eyes. "Magic knew to trust you. You brought light to those who needed it, as a Magic should do. But you not only brought it to one man, you brought it to an entire race. The things they said you did... I'm so proud of you, Aramina."

Her eyes brim again, but she wipes the new tears with her hooded sleeves. "But enough of my tears. I'll have time to cry and fuss over you now that I'm not letting you out of my sight. I suppose I can let that boy of yours in now. Well, the other boy of yours."

"Other boy?" Memories wash over me like a tidal wave, and my chest tightens. I knew Caleb was here. It's his room after all, but... "Roane is here? He's okay?"

She nods, and squeezing my hands, she stands. I'm happy to be sitting. The relief at knowing Roane is alive numbs my limbs.

"Should I have him come in? I ordered Caleb to get some rest. He's been sitting at this chair for the week you've been out. Didn't sleep, didn't eat. Roane's been in and out, traveling between the realms, but he got back today."