Bloody Angel: Book 3

At the Infirmary

A gentle caress, a warmth slowly spider webbing through his mind and thoughts in thin strands, pushing at the panic and fear stemming from the hand that held the back of his head, from the forehead pressed against his own. The world around him started to focus, his eyes no longer darting around as the webbing grew and expanded, slowly encompassing his body. Calm. His heart rate slowed, as did his breathing until it was slow and steady. He felt tired, sluggish. His eyes moved slowly as he blinked before they lifted and met a pair of familiar glowing amethyst orbs.

“There’s my Raindrop,” Aether said in a low soft voice.

“A-Aeth..?” Rain’s voice was lower than a whisper, timid and broken sounding.

“It’s okay, baby boy. I’ve got you.”

Tears welled in Rain’s eyes and a sob stuck in his throat as his eyes closed. He leaned more heavily against Aether, the pressure of their connected foreheads grounding him as the web of comfort pushed away the last of his panic.

“I-I-I’m s-s-sorry…”

Aether hushed him lovingly, his hands coming up to take gentle hold of Rain’s face as his thumbs swiped away the tears that fell over his cheeks. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Rain. Not a single thing to be sorry for.”

“I-I… I j-just wanted…” Rain takes a deep breath, sniffling lightly. “I just w-wanted to see M-mom. I h-h-haven’t been here since…since… A-and then…”

“I know.” Aether maintains some kind of physical contact with Rain as he leans his head back and pulls Rain into his body, holding him tightly. “If I had known I would have come to get you. I’m sorry.”

Rain’s arms feel heavy as he lifts them to wrap them around the broad ghoul’s middle and he buries his face against his shoulder. “S-she’s okay?” He sniffles again, his fingers flexing and holding onto Aether’s shirt. “She’s awake?”

“She is. She’s healing well. Everything is okay. You know Mum’s tougher than shit. No way a dagger would take her from us.” Rain sniffles again, tightening his hold on Aether’s shirt. The older ghoul sighs softly and rests his head against Rain’s, smoothing a hand over his back. “You want me to take you to her?”

Rain nods after a moment, but he doesn’t let Aether go. Aether keeps that web of comfort draped over him, letting it settle and soothe for as long as Rain needs it to. It wasn’t often he used his powers invasively like this, but it was necessary. Rain was spiraling with no end in sight and Aether felt he had no other choice but to do this again for the Water ghoul. Eventually, though, Rain’s grip slacks and he relaxes his weight into Aether with a deep, steady breath.

“Thank you, Aether.”

“You never have to thank me, Rain. I’m here for you. You know that.”

Rain nods before dropping his arms. Aether holds him a moment longer before slowly pulling back to look at his face. Rain looks back at him and manages a tiny smile, just the slightest upward twitch in the corner of his mouth and Aether smiles back as he reaches over to brush loose strands of hair from his face.

“Ready to go see Mum?”

Rain nods and clumsily rises to his feet, his legs feeling tingly from how he was kneeling. He wasn’t sure how long he was down there, but it didn’t really matter. He was finally getting to see Cumulus.

He kept his eyes down, winced mostly shut once they were back in the bright hall as Aether led him deeper into the wing until they reached a door. Nothing stood out on it aside from the number 27 on a plate next to the door, and Aether opened it before stepping aside to let Rain in first.