AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I can’t breathe. The agony is too unbearable.
Not just physical.
It feels like something inside me shattersviolently, and it’s more than I can bear.
For a moment, I’m vaguely aware of Caelan calling my name, one of his hands cradling my head and the other clutching my hand over my chest. But there’s too much pain. Too much damage.
I weakly curl my fingers against his, then darkness claims me as I black out for good.
ChapterTwenty-Five
Everything about the world feels wrong.
It still feels sore, a deep, bone-seated ache. I can’t tell if the pain is even physical or not. Opening my eyes makes it worse. It’s too bright, too vibrant, and it makes my head swim.
I stir slowly, squinting my eyes open more gradually this time. I try to take stock of where I am. In bed. My bed, not the master bed, warm and tucked in under the covers. There’s a vase almost overflowing with roses on the dresser, a little wilted and past their best. I’m still dressed in just Elias’ oversized shirt and Caelan’s boxers. They didn’t change me while I was unconscious. Maybe they didn’t want to risk moving me too much.
Caelan. And Elias. I consider calling for them, or getting up to find them, but that feels like it would cost far more energy than I have available.
It turns out to be unnecessary anyway.
Something clatters downstairs, and Caelan immediately appears in the room, nearly stumbling in his haste to join me at the side of the bed. I can feel him, the flickering, crackling hum of energy he radiates, like a displacement in the air as he shifts through the dimensional gap to get here.
“Thankfuckyou’re up,” Caelan says, a note of relief buried beneath his constant crassness.
“Mmm…” I agree.I’m not sure I’d call it ‘up’ just yet.I try to push myself to a sitting position, but Caelan grabs my shoulders and takes my weight for me instead.
“Hey, whoa, don’t push yourself. That must’ve been rough as hell. You okay?”
“I… think so.”
Everything still feels so off, distant and dissociated, like my very existence aches. But given everything that happened, that’s hardly much of a surprise. It’s better with Caelan here, at least.
Everything that happened. The injury. The argument that led to it.
My heart sinks.
“Elias…”
“I’m here, love,” Elias says softly. He’s appeared too, but he’s keeping his distance, lingering on the other side of the room. The guilt in his expression and radiating off him is palpable.
I sit up straighter and reach for him. He’s reluctant at first but gradually steps closer. He’s more solemn and subdued than I’ve ever seen, shadows barely visible around him.
He sits on the edge of the bed beside me.
“I’m so sorry—”
“Don’t,” I interrupt. I take his face in my hands, fingers trembling. “It was an accident.”
“I hurt you. I could have killed you.”
“You told me to stay back. Caelan told me. I didn’t listen to either of you. I was, I was the stupid one. I kept pushing, and if I’d justlistenedin the first place, it would never have happened.” Now my voice is trembling too. It feels like the weight of the guilt, Elias’ and my own, is going to crush me. “It was my fault.”
He brushes my hair from my face, and the tender gesture breaks me.
I cry. I don’t even knowwhy. It’s just. Everything. The argument catching up to me. The hurt, the fear that they’d force me away, being so helpless and unable to get through to him. An injury of that severity, coming closer than I probably even realized to death. It’s a lot to process.
Elias pulls me into his lap, and I hide my face in his neck. I wrap my arms around him, my fingers digging into his back as I cling to him. He holds me just as tightly in return, embracing me like he intends to never let go.
