Blood & Power [Book One of The City of Eternity Series] [✔]

1.26: Estrange

When I come to, I realise Eva has departed the room; the space she had once occupied is now a blank wall being lit by the golden hues of sunset pouring into the room. I exhale softly and slowly, feeling a weight curving into me.

I had cast my sight down to view the mass lying on top of me to see Nora, engrossed in a deep sleep, breathing lightly as my own breathing raises her up and down slightly. She's hot, cheek flush against my bare chest. I feel the soft material of her shirt as my hand raises to rest on her arm and rub gently. She shifts her weight in a sleepy daze, hair falling to the side and filling my nostrils with the homely scent of rose and honey.

"You're awake," She murmurs but doesn't raise her head, just smiling softly as she looks towards me. Her fingers were tracing a small circle on my bare chest slowly, completely absorbed in the task as though it were the last thing she'd get to do with me. Eventually, the movement ceased, Nora, releasing a heavy sigh and pouted, "It's been another day; your body should be healed by now."

I cock an eyebrow as I focus on the state of my body; my bruises had healed over, the blotches having vanished from my skin. As I raise my arms up above my head I realise the pain I had felt earlier had disappeared as well, my usual strength having returned to me in bundles.

The first thing I wanted to do with the newly returned strength was wrap my arms around Nora tightly, embracing her frame against mine harder than I had recently before pulling her in for a kiss. She sunk into it as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

It was only a pity that her sister, Eva, had stormed into the room as she did so, interrupting the escalation of affection we were laying on each other. She cleared her throat immediately, hanging loosely on the door as she realised her timing might have been slightly off. She raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head back, "Marianna has been asking for you. It took all of my strength to keep her from storming in here and dragging you from the bed."

A heavy feeling sunk in my chest; here I was enjoying my time with the love of my life, and completely forgetting that my best friend had just lost her own. I released my arms from Nora's waist and let her pull herself off the bed.

I offer a lopsided smile towards Nora, before turning my gaze to the waiting Eva, "She'd have every right to. Tell her I'll be right down."

As Eva departed the room and headed downstairs, Nora helped me stumble out of the bed and put both feet on firm ground for the first time in several days, which was evident by the baby steps I had to take to stay steady. It was to the point that I had to rest my limbs between Nora and a wall as she removed my clothes slowly, enjoying the show gracefully before helping me into a fresh set with a noticeably disappointed expression.

Despite how quickly Nora and I had managed to get downstairs it wasn't quick enough to catch Marianna, who'd decided it was best to find me later; after I had the chance to talk to some of the people that would be plaguing my mind right now. According to Eva, Marie considered herself far lower on the list of my priorities than I actually considered; in fact, there wasn't a single person I wanted to see more. I was desperate to wrap her in my arms and make sure she would survive this; I knew she wasn't going to be okay, but the least she needed to be was a survivor.