Stella
Bolin held my hand and whispered stories in my language. Tales of ancient families bonding together to form larger communities to fight monsters that no longer existed. He spoke of fierce leaders and wielders, and their mission to build safe villages protected from harmful magic.
The Celestia people eventually disseminated into the tribes surrounding them, teaching them how to hold back the giant brown bears from the southern border of the old Lisairian Kingdom, and halt the advance of flying serpents from the Damaian Alps.
I soaked up his words. While I remained paralyzed and unable to communicate, his presence soothed my terror and the bygone epics kept my mind occupied.
Is Fernando alright? Diedre? Will I ever fully wake?
“A basilisk with enormous gray wings descended upon the Celestia capital,” Bolin continued in his saga.
“How is she?”
Patrick. If I could have smiled, I would’ve.
“Still unconscious, but her pulse sometimes responds to legends, especially at the exciting bits.”
A cane tapped on the floor as Patrick stepped closer. “Clever. She’s with us then, at least somewhat.”
“I know,” Bolin said softly.
They chatted more, and I drifted off to sleep.
Soft shaking pulled me up from the darkness this time.
“Natalie.”
Only Eric called me by that name.
We hadn’t interacted in days, though we had planned to go over more mission details this evening. Or last night. Or however long it might have been.
The bed dipped under his weight. His movements rustled my blanket, then he gently lifted my head and fumbled his fingers behind my neck.
What are you doing?
A cool sensation around my throat made my skin tingle.
His cheek grazed my forehead when he bent down to whisper, “I found your vanadium necklace. It must have fallen off during your accident.” He squeezed my palm. “Please, wake up. I can’t lose you. Not again.”
I’m here! I wanted to respond, but my lips were far too heavy to move. My body resisted movement, not even allowing me to take a deeper breath.
Eric smoothed my hair, sending gooseflesh down my arms. “Expergo.”
Energy rippled through my chest, pressing into my skull, then to my extremities. Magic.
Maybe I could …
No.
My eyelids refused to budge and my limbs felt like stone.
He repeated the enchanted word, to no effect.
“What are you doing?” Fernando’s voice demanded in the distance.
My friend’s touch retreated and the bed sprang back to its normal position.
“Forgive me. I found her necklace and thought it might rouse her.”
A heavy sigh.
“Return to your post in the hall. Now.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” His footsteps receded out of the room.
The door clicked shut, but someone remained with me.
Fernando?
“Stella.”
My heart thrummed as his warm hand cupped the left side of my face. I fought to open my eyelids, to tell him I heard him.
“You’re like this because of me.”
No. I wanted to argue. I’m comatose because that evil man murdered you, and I couldn’t let you go.
“If you can hear me …” he cleared his throat.
Screams bubbled up in my consciousness. Please, I begged the Divine. Let me wake up or sleep forever. This in-between state is unbearable.
“I’m the King of Astralind now, and I already proclaimed you free. I-” His words faded as an echoing voice spoke into my mind.
‘It’s time for you to become a saint. Expergo.’ The magically infused word Eric had muttered reverberated in my mind, growing exponentially louder.
Before I pondered what that meant, a sharp intake of cold air filled my chest. Ice and heat flooded my senses until my body lurched forward. My eyes finally opened.
Fernando’s haunted features brightened.
Comments