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This time I couldn’t stay still.
Pain shot up my left shoulder when I pushed myself up, and I recalled the unhealed wound from En’s bite. I gritted my teeth, exhaling slowly through my nose. Not so tolerable now that the pleasure was over and he wasn’t there to distract me. Squaring my shoulders, I moved forward, keeping my hand off the wall when I remembered the spiderwebs littering the surface.
To my relief, I made it to where the cave branched into the three sections; the section in front of me was the one that led to the exit, so I continued in that direction.
The more steps I took forward, the more moonlight filtered inside the cave. From where I stood close to the entrance, I could see the sky—navy with bright stars scattered about as though drops of white paint had been splattered on the pretty surface. The light of the moon was brighter than I had ever seen, and it was enchanting. Lovely enough to sit out there and stargaze.
When I was only a few steps away from the opening of the cave, I noticed a shadow on the ground outside with smoke on one part of the silhouette. The figure seemed to be leaning against the hard wall of the cave. I halted, hands clenching into fists as I prepared to take another step forward.
“I told you not to move, didn’t I, little Elf?”
I jumped, voicing a sharp, abrupt squeak. When I realised it was only En, I breathed a quiet sigh, feeling the tight tension in my body seep out of me.
Staying where I was, I asked, “Who was it?”
He hummed. Whether he was amused or in thought, I couldn’t tell.
“No one important.”
Never a clear answer with him.
I frowned. “Why aren’t you coming inside?”
Silence followed. I took that opportunity to move closer, but as soon as I prepared to move my feet, he said, “Because I’m healing.”
The word made me halt again, my frown deepening. If it was a minor injury, he would have healed instantly. If it was a major one, however…
My feet moved hurriedly as I took the last few steps, exiting the cave and turning to the side to see him. And I froze. My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped open. The blood drained from my head as my vision suddenly fogged before the ground beneath me spun.
His good arm was around me in an instant, pulling me to him and holding me tight, keeping me on my feet. My hands shot to hold on to him, one gripping his right bicep and the other resting on his abdomen as I placed my head there, my face turned away from his injured limb.
He sighed. “I tried to warn you.”
“You don’t sound apologetic atall,” I choked, holding him tighter when I swayed again. His chest vibrated with a deep chuckle, his arm tugging me closer as he leaned back.
His left arm was…missing. It was missing from his elbow and down, thick smoke rising from his flesh as his body burned quickly to regenerate his left arm. I guessed that since he’d been out for a long time, his entire left arm must have been ripped away from his body.
That thought made me flinch.
My eyes warmed and blurred until hot moisture ran down my cheeks. My breath hitched as my body trembled, low sounds leaving my lips as he held me closer. I wrapped both arms around him and tried to hold him tight, but he was too big, and my arms were too short and thin.
En sighed. “You know I enjoy your tears, just not for such a silly reason.”
“It’s n-not silly!” I protested with a sniffle.
“I’m not in pain.” His arm around my waist moved until his palm was flat on the back of my head. “And it’s healing rapidly. Look, I’m halfway down my forearm.”
I shut my eyes tightly. “Don’t say that!”
I didn’t care if he couldn’t feel pain. Didn’t care that he was healing well. I hated that he was hurt and I wasn’t there to help him. Couldn’t do anything except offer him my presence.
I wanted to do something to help him. I wanted to look after him, and I didn’t want him to be injured no matter how strong he was.
Amidst the silence and the soft whispers of the winds, En’s guttural voice was low when he asked, “Do you wish to comfort me, little Elf?”
I nodded without thinking.
He didn’t say anything else. Instead, he bent low, and suddenly I was seeing everything upside down. A scream bubbled low in my throat, but I only gasped and scrambled to hold on to him.
