The Offering

Chapter Fifty One - Aeris

My neck aches in this position, I let out a heavy pained sigh as I sit up and stretch it out, moving it from side to side as I hold onto to Daella's hand, not willing to let it go. I notice Alvaryn do the same, stretching from his place at her side, he sat on her bed, resting against the headboard while he held her other hand on his lap.

It had been hours since the healer left and we had sat here in silence waiting, just waiting, was it working? Was the magic we gave her making a difference?

Quirin said he would come back and check on her, that it would take some time for her body to acclimate and accept the magic, if it did at all.

I couldn't think of that. Couldn't accept the idea of it not working at all.

It had to work, there was no other option I would accept.

It was why I had volunteered my own magic for the binding ritual, to give her more of a chance, even if my fire magic couldn't fight Arden's psychic magic it would make her stronger.

"We should probably try and eat something." Alvaryn says, breaking the silence.

"You go, I will stay with Daella." I say, smoothing my thumb over the soft skin of her hand willing her to wake up.

"You won't be any use to her if you pass out from exhaustion and malnourishment." He replies.

"I'm not going to pass out, just bring something back with you and I'll eat." I answer with a shrug.

He sighs heavily leaning forward as he lets go of Daella's hand and sets it on her stomach gently. I watch her too still form and remind myself she is just sleeping, she will wake up soon, she had to.

"I should have listened to her." He says quietly and I look up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"The other day, after the dance, she had asked me about Arden, said he had spoken to her, that it was a strange conversation, he acted like he knew her. I had dismissed her, said that Arden couldn't do anything to her, but I should have listened to her." He shakes his head, running a hand through his hair.

"I saw him dance with her, wondered why he had asked her out of all the chosen. But I just assumed he saw what we all did, despite his clear aversion to human's, she is beautiful. But maybe it was more than that, maybe he did know something." I think out loud, remembering the struggle that night as I watched his hands on her and all the violent and fiery thoughts and images that went through my mind.

"What if he did? What if he knew that we were going to select her?" He asks, turning to me. "Like what Quirin said, Arden can enter dreams and nightmares, what if he was able to see something in one of our dreams?"

"If we both dreamed of her?"

"It would have only taken one of us for him to act, if that was what he had planned. He didn't like the idea of us choosing a human as a wife. What if that was his whole plan? To make sure we wouldn't be able to select someone, to throw the selection into chaos so it would be ruined." His words rush out as he grips his hair with one hand like he is about ready to rip it out.

"But why only her? If he really wanted to ruin our choices why didn't he do this to Demwyn's choice as well?" I ask.

"He didn't dream about her?" He shrugs. "I have no idea who Demwyn even intended to choose, he never spoke of it, never made his intention clear at any of the events, never favoured one of the chosen. Maybe Arden just didn't know. But if he had seen Dae in one or both of our dreams...?" He trails off, looking at the bed, brows furrowed in thought.

"Daella often visits my dreams, it could have been me." I say softly, looking at Daella's hand in mine.

"That doesn't mean it's your fault Aeris, I dream of her as well, most nights, it could have been both of us. Not that it means it's either of our faults. He was the one who attacked her, and mother and father. It was a clear attack on our Kingdom not just us. And he didn't do this alone, this was planned, with their proclamations of a treaty between our kingdoms and his act as an honoured guest. We were all fooled into thinking he was here as an embassy for peace." He replies, hands fisted in his lap.

"What does that mean for us?" I think out loud, too tired to leave my thoughts where they belong.

"We need Mother and Father to wake up, we need to speak to both of them before anything happens. But retaliation would be my guess. We won't let this attack go without reacting with our full force. Whether that means starting another war..." He trails off, staring at his hands.

War. It had been years since we were in a war with any one Kingdom. I wouldn't trick myself into believing I didn't enjoy those days. Magic fuelled days of violence and bloodshed were days I spent without needing to reign myself in or parade around in a mask of my own make. I had relished in those days, beside my brothers of blood and those who were not, I had been relentless and given full ability of my magic, it was unlike anything else I had ever experienced.

But now, now it was different. I look at Daella's small hand in mine. What would it mean if we go to war again? It would mean leaving her here, without either of us to protect her, to look after her, it would mean risking our lives to make sure she was safe.

Would I go into battle to fight for her honour to keep her safe? Without question.

Would I be as careless and filled with wild, reckless abandonment while on the battlefield? No.

I would want to make sure at the end of it all that I would come home to her.

Alvaryn sighs, shifting off the bed to stand and stretch. "I'm going to get us something to eat. I'll be back soon." He says as he walks to the door. I nod in acknowledgement, still staring at the small pale hand in mine.

While memories of the days of war fill my mind I try to focus on a different future, one where she is mine, where she is safe and happy.

We had fooled ourselves into thinking Varis was the only threat, that once we had announced our claim to her at the selection that she would be safe.

We were wrong. She still wasn't safe. Arden had seen her in our dreams, had filled her mind with nightmares and left her for dead.

There was no doubt in my mind that he would suffer for it. Even if it meant leaving Daella here without us to look after her, even if it meant risking our lives to go after him, he would be made to suffer because of it. For every minute she has spent in this nightmare filled sleep he would be filled with a different kind of pain and torment.

I kiss Daella's hand and rest my head back against the bedside table closing my eyes and listening to her quiet breathing. In, out, in, out.

Shewould wake up. She had to.