Page 140 of The Lands Defying
“I will,” he says, “the barrier is holding up.” I nod and with one last squeeze of my shoulder, he turns and leaves.
“She will wake up, Darius,” Josh tells me quietly. I say nothing as I watch them leave the cave, only moving away from the entrance once I’m sure they are gone. I move back over to Rhea, dropping the pack on the floor before crouching down.
Running my fingers over her forehead and temples, I stare at her delicate face. “Wake up, little wolf.” When nothing happens, I lay down next to her, turning so I’m on my side as I stroke her hair. “You may not have been wanted in my life. I never wished for you, prayed for you, yearned for you.” I run the back of my fingers down her cheek. “But Gods, Rhea, I can’t be without you now. There was only ever you. My lumniva, my Vihnarn.” I reach back and grab a damp cloth, wiping her forehead before I rub mynose against hers. “I need you to wake up. I….you cannot leave me.”
I watch her when the night turns to day, and the days turn to night. And all this time, she doesn’t wake.
Forty Two
Darius
Numb.
There is no other way to describe it.
The pain radiating through me feels like an avalanche crashing down on my soul.
She’s not waking up.
Won’t wake up.
I can barely feel her warmth anymore.
Just cold. So, so cold.
It’s been sixteen days.
Sixteen days of concoctions and spells, magics and recipes, and the result has been… nothing.
“What am I supposed to do, Rhea?” I ask her, looking down at her pale face. “Tell me what to do,” I beg her.
I press my own forehead to hers, feeling just how cold she is and a shiver runs down my spine. Draxton whines within me, his ears down, sitting solemnly in the center and watching through my eyes. He’s been quiet apart from the distressed noises he makes. Just as quiet as I have been.
I only talk to her now.
I lift my head and peel back the furs. I put her in a white, cotton dress this morning. I didn’t want anything too heavy on her that she may feel suffocated by, but I didn’t want her naked beneath the furs either.
She didn’t say it, but she liked wearing the dresses I picked out for her, and I would see a shy side of her that peeked out which I found adorable.
How I wish for that now.
I pick up her hand, stroking my fingers in circular motions on the back of it. I move them to her wrist, tracing her veins before I rub up and down, trying to warm up her skin. My hand pauses in the center of her forearm and my thumb traces the marking there. Our marking. One that may never be filled completely.
My own tingles in response on my neck and I swallow roughly, closing my eyes against the onslaught of despair that instantly fills me. This can’t be it.
It just can’t.
I keep rubbing her arm to warm her as I look around her cave. “You need to wake up to see your lesia flowers, little wolf,” I say quietly as I look at the cave filled with blue. “I had them brought here because I knew you would like to see them when you woke up.” My throat tightens as I look at the candles lit around the cave.
They rest on small wooden circles, surrounded by wildflowers and a prayer of good health. To be blessed by the Gods.
A last resort to heal the nearly departed.
I hear footsteps behind me, but this time I don’t move, I don’t stop them from entering. I turn my head when they are close, watch their distraught faces as they pale and place their newest blessing down in the cave.
They walk over to me, to the other side of the fur bed that Rhea lay in. Josh kneels down next to her and grabs her hand, squeezing tightly as tears gather in his eyes. “Rhea,” he chokesout. I look away briefly, watching the flames of the candles flicker, unable to take the look of devastation in his eyes.
It means there is no hope.
