Grim Echoes

Chapter 27 - Ander

Ander's eyes opened. His heart raced, but not with panic or fear, as he had become accustomed to over the past months. He touched his lips with his fingers and briefly tasted the angel's blood on them. The pressure of Maeve's lips on his remained. Unmoving, he counted to ten and then listed the most common injuries seen in the ER and thought through addressing each until his heart stopped thundering in his ribs. He rolled to his back and recalled the details of her soft face. Her concern for him caused her abilities to manifest.

He swallowed and ignored the increase in blood pressure. Perhaps she had not meant to wound the angel, only to cause it to become prone, so it was no longer a threat. Either way, she reacted to protect him, not herself. She had not lied. The corners of his mouth tilted up in a small smile. She had gazed at him with adoration. Closing his eyes, he monitored Will's even breathing, and hers, and allowed himself the pleasure of reveling in her concern. The only other humans who were ever concerned about him were Will or Mason.

Uncomfortable to accept, her abilities allowed knowledge of the sorcerer, Ander frowned. He loathed his weakness regarding the sorcerer. She was aware of his powerlessness and addictions. Ander clenched his jaw but reminded himself she was concerned for his safety after that knowledge. His chest constricted. Was is possible she was not repelled by him?

With a slow breath, he acknowledged the things he understood to be real. Will reminded him daily, and encouraged Ander to do the same. It had become habit when he woke and again before he went to sleep to preform the exercise. Focus only on what is real. He needed to know the difference between his hallucinations and reality.

Monsters were real, not some story or myth meant to frighten children. Humans could not travel between the dimensions, at least not without severe cost. Only rare creatures could do that. Time was finite, it was not flexible. Magic was real but dangerous and addictive and there was no support group to help you abstain from slipping into abusing it and yourself again.

Ander's hand slid down and held the handle of his knife. It was real, a present from Will. He created it for him, taken months to complete it. Will excelled at modifying weapons, vehicles, almost anything that could be disassembled and reassembled. However, Will was not a weapon smith in the sense of taking a raw piece of material and forging something. He had forced himself to learn how to create the blade for Ander. It was Ander's most prized possession and now his material link with reality. Will always improved things, even someone as fractured as him.

It had been just a dream. Her lips had never touched his. He hoped to dream about her again, their kiss. It was so much better than his reoccurring nightmares. He had almost forgotten what it was like to dream about anything else. He turned his head and viewed Will holding Maeve. Irritation swelled in his chest, but then he noted Will's relaxed posture and how deeply he slept. Perhaps she was a panacea for both of them. Will would probably argue she would take their "edge" and get them both killed, but Ander could appreciate the peace she brought them.

Ander flexed his hand, the dried gore and blood somewhat restricted his movement. He should have worn gloves when he dismembered the bodies, but he was angry and had forgotten. Both Mason and Will insisted he get the angel into pieces immediately so they could deal with the parts in the fastest way possible. Neither of them listened to his reasoning, the information that could have been gained by a clinical autopsy. Even willing to compromise and do a forensic autopsy to find the barest amount of information. His words fell on deaf ears. To his infuriation, Will stayed the entire time to make sure he did what he was told.

As each limb was removed, Mason would return to collect it and carried it off into the unknown. When Ander inquired, Will told him it was a need to know, and he did not need to know. Ander had argued, but, as Will had often done in the past months, reminded him there were reasons he did not need to know. He relented.