THE BOND OF MAGIC (writing now)

CHAPTER XIX

It's a heartache

Nothing but a heartache

Hits you when it's too late

Hits you when you're down

SAPPHIRE

My eyelids felt heavy, I wanted to open them but couldn't. My head felt like someone sawing it in two parts. I tried to say something but I felt too tired to move my jaw. I finally manage to pry open my eyes, only to meet them with darkness. I was home, in my own bed. The events came rushing over me like ice cold water.

What had happened? One moment I felt like an iron hand was squeezing my heart, then my body heated to impossible temperatures, and the next thing I know is bile building up in my mouth. And why the hell did a faint? I hate fainting. Its kind of embarrassing.

"How do you feel?" I heard a voice to my right. I turned to see Ralph laying next to me, concern etched upon his face.

I shuffled around faced him. "What exactly happened?" I asked.

"You blacked out." he said.

"That I know. What did the healer say? You took me to the hospital, right?" I enquired.

"I asked Anna to come over."

"What did she say?" Anna was a qualified healer, if she said something, I would rather go with her advice or else she would go war-crazed-idiot mode on me.

"Nothing much. It might be food poisoning. She told me the council went pretty rough, could be stress too. She still wants to see you today evening though." he said. But was that guilt in his voice?

"You read my mind, didn't you?" I asked.

He remained silent.

"Its okay... I was planning to tell you anyway." I said.

"But why hide it all in the first place? Do you not trust me?"

"Its not that, I just couldn't bring myself to talk about, you know, what happened. I am just trying to forget it all." I confessed.

He sighed. "Look, Sap. I can't tell you what to do, but I have this feeling that, what you are going through is not food poisoning. And however hard you try, that Alpha is going to come into play again, very soon." he said.

"Well, lets just hope he doesn't. I am happier this way and I don't want to change for anything." I said.

"Is that really true? You are thinking about him right now-"

"That's enough. What I think about is none of your concern, so get out of my mind." It came out a bit harsher than I intended to.

"Whatever." I could literally feel him smirk.

****

I wasn't really concerned about the meeting with Anna. She would probably just hand me a load of medicines, then tell me off about not looking after my health and taking too much stress, and finally we would end up having a cup of coffee in the canteen.

So I just steeled my nerves and walked to the reception desk, as healers with white cloaks or dark blue robes rushed all around me. The receptionist let out a small yelp when she saw me. Its not everyday you see the cult chief walking around in a hospital. This was really gonna go to those gossip counters. People would probably be spreading rumours about all sorts of anomalies I may have developed, but I couldn't care less.

"What can I do for you chief?" the receptionists asked composing herself once again.

"I am here for an appointment with Annastasia Schulyer. Could you please direct me to her quarters?" I said politely.