afflicted

10

She gasped.

Around where her hand was laid against his puncture, a faint golden glow bloomed across his skin. Her eyes were wide as she watched the sinew of his muscles cord and thread together underneath her palm. She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

The laceration had closed entirely. The skin was fresh and entirely healed. She'd never seen anything like it in her entire life. Well, as far as she knew anyway. It was mind-boggling. Deciding not to question it until after Azriel was stable, she set to work repairing his massive taloned wings. She mended the tears in the delicate flesh, piecing them back together bit by bit until they looked as they had when he'd left. He was still laid heavily against her shoulder, unconscious. She had worked up a sweat, her breathing heavier as she worked tirelessly to mend him.

She was ashamed to admit that she let him stay in her arms for a moment longer than she needed to before she gently roused him. He grumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He blinked at her like he was attempting to decipher whether or not he'd gone insane.

Before he could stop himself, his hands found either side of her face, surveying her and checking her for injuries, as if she was the one who'd shown up on the doorstep half dead. He seemed bewildered. It seemed he had no idea about the healing powers she possessed, either.

"Callie," he said, so softly that she almost started crying again.

She sniffed, pulling back to wipe her eyes. He came back into himself, then, and jerked his hands quickly back into his lap.

"How are you feeling?" She asked gently.

He stared at the floor, brows furrowed and mouth slightly agape.

"You... you healed me?"

She nodded, pressing her lips in a tight line.

"Did you know you could do that?"

She shook her head. He gave a slow, unsure nod. He was trying to process this just as much as she was. She busied herself, needing to do anything with her hands to avoid seeing that look on his face again.

She grabbed the bloodied rags, tossing them in the small garbage bin they'd found in the cabin. She walked to the small bathing area, leaning over the sink with her eyes squeezed shut. She took deliberate, slow breaths, taking account of her body.

She splashed icy cold water on her face until her skin was an angry red. Then, she dried herself off and rejoined Azriel in the living area. He hadn't moved an inch. He still looked flabbergasted.

Or perhaps he was angry there was another thing she'd kept from him. She couldn't imagine that she hadn't known about her powers before her memory was wiped blank. The look on his face alone told her all she needed to know about his involvement. He'd been utterly clueless. Perhaps he'd turned up here, aware he'd probably die, but wanting her to know rather than wonder whether he'd abandoned her.

"Will you tell me what happened?" She asked, her voice small and tentative. She stood in front of him awkwardly, unsure of what to do with her body. He looked up at her.

"I was looking for Nyx. I didn't sleep last night and was careless. A guard spotted me and signaled to the others. I got attacked by around ten men. They majorly fucked up my wings and shot me through the shoulder, thinking it would suffice to put me down long enough to transport me to Maeve," he said. He sounded ashamed.

Dread filled her.

"What if they followed you-" she started to panic. She ran a hand through her hair, pacing.

"You honestly think I left any of them alive?" He couldn't even fight back the smug grin that tugged at his lips. Those pink, full lips.

"You took down ten guards... alone?" She asked incredulously.

"While injured," he corrected her with a raised eyebrow.

She glared at him. He laughed. Actually laughed. The sound sent her spine as straight as a rod. It was such a lovely sound. So Azriel. She couldn't remember hearing him laugh before. Now she'd do anything to hear it again.

She grabbed a water bottle, ushering him to the couch with her hands.

"You," she reprimanded, "need rest. You almost died. You were minutes from bleeding out." He rolled his eyes, following her command and settling himself onto the couch. He winced slightly as he moved, but he seemed to still have full mobility and enough blood to remain alive, which is all she could have asked for. Now that she knew she had a healing ability, she could learn and train to do better. But for now, this was the best she had.

He lay down on the couch with a pained huff and she disappeared into the bedroom. She re-emerged holding the blanket and pillow she'd been using on the bed. Azriel's brows furrowed, and he opened his mouth, ready to scold her.

"Don't you dare suggest I take this blanket over you right now. Lift your head," she commanded him. He glared at her but listened, nevertheless. She placed the pillow under his head and spread the blanket across his lap.

He wore an unreadable expression. Even after all this time being around no one but him, she still couldn't get a good reading on him. He was so secretive, so elusive. It drove her insane but also thrilled her.

She moved to step away, but he caught her hand. She startled under his touch, but he held on. His fingers held her delicately as if she were something fine and breakable. His thumb swiped across her knuckles a few times in a soothing gesture.

"Thank you, Callie."

She nodded, trying her best to keep her face emotionless and blank. He released her hand, and she bit back a protest. Swallowing, she started towards the bedroom.

"Get some rest, Az. I'll check on you again in a few hours." She didn't wait to make sure he heard her. She left the door open, so she'd hear if he needed anything, but she then curled up in a ball on the mattress and thought.

She was a healer. A healer who murdered her-... well, she supposed she didn't even know what he'd been to her. She'd murdered Azriel's family. How could someone with healing abilities manage to wreak such havoc and hurt so many people?

She thought until she gave herself another throbbing migraine which she slid into the grips of sleep to resolve.