The Offering

Chapter Fifty Five - Daella

The edges of sleep slowly fade as I feel warmth wrapped around me, my blanket feels like a loving embrace as I lie, my body slowly waking up. Only it isn't a blanket, an arm is wrapped around my waist with a body behind me and someone holding my hand. I blink open my eyes and see Alvaryn's sleeping face on the pillow beside me, his hand is holding mine between our pillows and our legs are somehow twisted together.

I remember late last night, after they had come back from visiting the Queen. We had all been so tired but each just as reluctant to leave. I had asked them to stay, scared to turn off the lights and be alone, scared of what I would see in the dark.

I still hadn't spoken about everything I had seen and experienced, everything they had told me were just nightmares but had felt so real I could almost feel the memory of them on my skin. I didn't know if they would fade over time but I hoped they would.

I thought it might have been strange, to have them in my bed, but somehow it wasn't, with Aeris on one side and Alvaryn on the other I had fallen asleep feeling safer than I had in a long time.

I think back to the selection, of what I can remember, of the butterflies swarming my stomach, my heart racing in my chest. I remember listening to the King and trying to pay attention while stealing looks at Alvaryn and Aeris and their smiles in return. We truly had no idea what would happen, only hopes and mine were not as optimistic as theirs were. Still I held onto the small amount of hope I had, hope that I wouldn't have to leave, that I could stay here with them, with both of them.

And then Demwyn had stood up in front of his father and began speaking, he stood tall and strong, each word confident and sure, he had just been about to say the words and choose his future wife when that blood curdling scream filled the hall and everything stopped.

I remember being stunned, stood still as I looked at the Queen gripping her head. Alvaryn and Aeris looked just as shocked and scared, I remember her voice was cold and dark and her hands and arms turning black.

"Dearest" Aeris mumbles behind me, his voice rough with sleep, arm tightening at my waist. "Are you alright, I can hear your heart beating like crazy."

"Just remembering." I whisper, finding his arm under the blanket with my free hand and placing it over his. He pulls me closer, his chest pressed against my back as he kisses the back of my head.

"You have nothing to be afraid of dearest, because I will never let you out of my sight again."

"We will never let you out of our sight again." Alvaryn says quietly, he reaches his hand up and places his palm on my cheek, smoothing his thumb back and forth. "Did you have any nightmares?"

I shake my head.

"Good, that must mean that our magic is working and the nightmares are gone." He says, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"What does it mean though, you kind of explained what you did, or what you and the healer did, but what does it mean for me? You say the magic is working, like it is still inside me, right now?" I ask softly as his thumb continues to caress my cheek.

He nods slowly. "Quirin explained it as best he could before we agreed, but in all honesty we were both desperate and gave it little thought. When he said there was a way to save you, that it was either that or leave you to the nightmares...well we didn't have to think long."

"I would have been stuck in the nightmares forever?" I ask in fear, already feeling their dark fingers drawing me back in. Aeris' arm tightens around me again.

"You're scaring her." He mumbles into my hair.

"I'm just telling her the truth." Alvaryn replies. "Yes, you would have been stuck in the nightmares, but Quirin said your mind wouldn't have lasted long, that they would destroy everything."