Connections - Sam Harvey

6. lots of War and a little Peace

Professor Harvey was immediately put into action when a tired Dane ran in with a limp Eleanor in his arms, her hair stuck to her face and slightly burnt as her breaths were barely recognisable. The man pulled the still unconscious girl over to the table and lay her down, frantically pulling herbs and aromas out to attempt to wake her, but nothing worked.

Stella, Musa and Terra rushed in to see their friend after being warned by an angry Miss Dowling and Silva, never looking so dead. Musa held back a sob as she ran up to her sister, but refrained from touching her. Musa let out an even louder sob and whispered "She's... in so much pain. But she's happy. she tried to protect us." and Professor Harvey's heat broke at seeing the student so shredded. But his heart broke into a million pieces when he heard his son's voice.

"Guys? What are you all doing here?" He asked, walking to Stella to see her crying. He hugged her in confusion, but his eyes followed her direction and he held a hand to his mouth in disbelief. Sam ran up to the girl in tears, and grasped her hand softly, only to see her body faintly glow blue. Everyone looked shock but Sam's eyes widened in realisation. "Healing powers.." Musa caught on and shouted to the others "Quick! hold onto her!" and the other ran over, hugging her, holding her head, touching her knee, anything. And each time someone touched her she grew brighter, until she was a luminescent blue. The light grew and just when it got too much, Elle sat up and gasped for air.

Sam sighed in relief and kissed her gently before pulling her into a hug. She pulled back with a grin and kissed her sister's cheek before sitting up and looking straight at Professor Harvey. "Bloom, she went to get Rosalind." The teachers eyes hardened and nodded before he commanded "Terra, Stella, Musa. You all need to go back to your suite, you must not leave. Sam, same to you. Eleanor, I fear we might need your help now more than ever." The teen nodded in understanding and stopped Sam from protesting, hugging him fiercely. "I will be okay." she whispered, and he nodded and wrapped another green thread around her wrist.

Eleanor ran up to Dowling in forest, meeting her at the stone circle. "Headmistress!" she called and the teacher turned with a faint smile at the young girl. The women kissed the girl on the head gently before focusing back on finding Bloom and Rosalind. Eleanor looked around, and sensed the presence of the two females. Trying to keep suspicions as low as possible she whispered to Dowling's head 'They're both here. Don't look. Walk away and I will catch up with you.' Dowling whispered back in her own head and the two left, and Eleanor walked with her until she turned invisible far off, levitating slightly using air to minimise recognition.

"What happened at Aster Dell?" Eleanor heard Bloom ask from in front of her. Rosalind smiled and replied "everything Farah told you was true. I lied to them. I told them Aster Dell was evacuated. It wasn't." Bloom wobbled "You killed those innocent people?" and Rosalind answered "That's where it gets complicated. One of the fundamental tenets of the Otherworld is that only fairies can do magic. The settlers of Aster Dell were the exception. They were humans who drew on sacrifice and death." "Blood witches" Eleanor whispered, but acked away at risk of being heard.

Eleanor carried on listening in until she heard a whisper form Sam. "Help... Nell please.." and with that Eleanor had vanished and was running back to the school, darting through walls and doors until she got to the suite where she just saw a trail of blood. Whimpering, she honed in as best she could and traced most of the worry and confusion to the courtyard so the ran over, never feeling more scared in her life.

The courtyard was a riot until Eleanor ran in, screaming for Sam and Musa, and when she ran up to the body writhing on the table, it seemed like the whole school stopped in sympathy to hear the girls wails of pain and heartbreak. She immediately got into action as the school started moving again and she immediately grabbed on to Sam, harnessing his attention. Terra looked at her and panicked  "Can't you heal people!?" Eleanor sighed and rambled "No, I an normally of course I would but because it's a burned one I can't." Professor Harvey looked up at her answered "With your powers, mind especially, you can take the pain away depending on how strong you are. Your sister tried but either their connection wasn't strong enough or she wasn't strong enough."