Cold Devotion | ✔️

Chapter Twenty-Three

I walk into Rose's room and she is still the exact same as earlier - unmoving and hooked up to countless machines. Standing beside her is, who I assume, the healer. He's an odd looking person - pointy ears and eyes so blue they don't look real. "This is Maximus, the healer," the woman says and gestures to the man. He bows his head. So it is him...

This man, Maximus, is going to return Rose to me but also take her away, I don't know if I can go through with this anymore. Not when the risk of completely losing her is so high.

"I will make sure this hurts her as little as possible," his voice is mellow. Hurt?

This is going to hurt her?

"What do you mean hurt her?" I can hear the hint of anger in my voice, anger rattling my bones - consuming me. No one is going to hurt her.

"Healing doesn't come without a cost... someone will be hurt just as much as her if not more. Nature doesn't let you take without restoring, it doesn't work like that. You must give back what you have taken," I can't believe the words coming out of his mouth.

He is bat crazy.

"How do you know that this man's work is real, how do you know that he is authentic and isn't apart of the rebels?" I turn towards the doctor.

"I know this is overwhelming... but I can assure you that his work is authentic and very much real - I have seen it with my own eyes, experienced it," she says and I pinch the bridge of my nose.

"You do anything you shouldn't... I will break your bones," I point at Maximus and he stares blankly at me.

"Very well then, we shall begin," he brings both his hands to her temples and closes his eyes.

My heart races as he begins muttering things under his breath. What bullcrap. I swear to the heavens that if this is some hoax or idea of a joke - many people will not come out of this room alive.

The doctor leaves the room and I slump into the seat next to Rose's bed. I watch attentively, watching every move. "How long will this take?" I huff and Maximus sighs.

"A few hours, give or take," he says and continues with his work.

I glue my eyes to his hands to make sure he isn't doing anything sketchy. If I have to sit here for a few hours then so be it, I am not leaving her side, not leaving her with this stranger.

***

It's been about an hour and I feel as though my eyes are deceiving me when I see her eyebrows furrow. My heart feels like it is slowly being pulled back together, slowly being stitched back up and mended. The relief that washes over me is indescribable.

Until she stops moving again.

"Her body is fighting me, like it doesn't want me to heal it," Maximus says with a strained voice and my heart breaks all over again. Shattering in my chest.

"Well try harder," I press and Maximus laughs to himself.

"I am dancing with death when I am doing this, it drains me. If I work any harder I'll die and then you would be in quite a predicament wouldn't you," he says breathless and I stand from my chair, almost knocking it over.

"You stop and you'll die, I'll make sure of it... either way you will die so you may as well go trying," I grit my teeth and he closes his eyes again, focusing back on Rose.

So I thought.

I hate that this it what everything has come to, Rose shouldn't have to live like this. A small part of me hopes that she will forget me, that I can rid her of me.