De Fragee Prutia

t h i r t e e n

Nami was collapsed on the floor of her room, face down on the carpet. Everything hurt. Her wounds reopened. The pain deep in her chest was enough to make her feel paralyzed.

"Hey, Nami."

It was Ben at the door. Nami closed her eyes and willed Ben to go away.

"Sorry I had to go off, Cotillion stuff. They told me you came to your room, I've got dinner set up in mine... Prutia?..."

The door wasn't even locked. She couldn't even manage that. Ben could walk in any moment if he tried. If she stayed quiet he would probably leave, thinking she was off with Jane or Evie. Nami could feel her shadow moving.

"Please, stop," she whispered; but, even she knew she was too weak to actually do anything.

She opened her eyes to watch it grab one of the heavy crowns from the shelf and drop it.

"Prutia?!" Ben threw open the door. "Shit, Nami what the hell happened?"

Ben made a move to touch her, but she attempted to pull away making her scream.

"You're literally burning. I'm getting the doctor."

"NO! Ben, no. You have to believe me when I say you can't."

"I'm not letting you stay here."

Nami knew a doctor would get her in trouble. She'd be exposed as having used Shadow magic. They wouldn't care that it was to save Auradon. All they would hear is Shadow magic and run. She'd be shamed out of Auradon; Maldonia risked being exiled. She wasn't going to let that happen.

"Ben, I can't. Please..."

"Dammit. You're not dying on me."

Ben tried as gently as possible to scoop Nami up but she cried in pain anyway. He carried her all the way to his room and placed her in the bathtub. Ben's room was the only room with one, perks of being King. He gently removed her clothes, sticking to her sweaty body, and ran the ice cold water.

"I'm finding Mal."

"No, Ben! Please, don't find anyone. I don't want anyone here. My phone... I'll contact Mama Odie."

Ben fished Nami's phone from her clothes' pocket.

"Ben, please..."

"Okay. I'm right outside the door. Tell me what she says."

Nami nodded her head but the minute Ben left she threw the phone back on the clothes pile. Nami had no intentions of texting Mama Odie. This was shadow magic at its finest, she just knew it. Her head hung down as she suffered. An inky, black substance leaked out of her wound until enough came out that it was able to form a creature. It sat in the tub across from her. Her shadow.

It tilted Nami's chin up so she was forced to look it in the eye. "Stop fight. Or you die...panic make stronger."

The princess was terrified. The shadow placed a hand over her wound. She screamed as she felt the wound close up, the only thing left was a giant scab. Ben ran in when he heard Nami scream, the shadow had already disappeared. He saw the scab. Her skin felt less hot.

"It worked. Did she say there was anything you needed to do."

"I just need to sleep, Ben."

Ben laid halfway propped up on the headboard. He gently held her, while she rested. Nami knew this was an uncomfortable sleeping position for him but he wouldn't say anything.