The Children of When (Complete)

Chapter Sixteen: Magefire

Raff knew he was going to die. He was exhausted from what felt like hours of slashing at the beast's powerful legs. Time had slowed down, and he felt as if he were drowning. Pain sliced through him from the countless wounds all over his body. He knew it was hopeless to keep fighting; the beast was way too strong. He watched as it threw back its head and roared a victory cry, and then something inside him snapped.

If he died, who would protect Leah and Belle? He couldn't give in... they needed him.

He closed his eyes, and concentrated on what he knew needed to happen. He needed the creature off him.

"I SAID GET OFF ME!" Raff screamed the words into the descending face of the beast, throwing his arm out in front of him. A jolt ran down his arm and out through his fingers, and he thought the beast must have bitten his arm off as he sunk into blissful darkness.

* * *

Raff opened his eyes slowly, the faces of Belle and Leah swimming into focus. Pain burned through his body.

Was he really alive? How? Leah's beautiful eyes were red and swollen from crying, and he wanted to reach up and wipe the tears away, but his arms wouldn't move.

Of course, the beast had bitten one off. Wonder why the other one won't work then? He settled for smiling at Leah instead, and drifted off again, back to the awesome place where there was no pain.

He opened his eyes again, surprised to find the pain a little less intense. He watched in confusion as Belle moved around his body, applying her glowing hands to wound after wound.

Wait, her hands were glowing? Obviously he was delirious. He knew hands didn't glow, but whatever she was doing was helping; the pain was easing and he didn't feel quite so weak. Cool, he thought, as he drifted off again.

Raff opened his eyes for the third time, and this time he was absolutely stunned. The excruciating pain had been reduced to a dull ache. He turned his head and saw Leah and Belle sitting over near the edge of the trees. Belle's glowing hands were touching each of Leah's wounds, the same as she had done for him. This time he knew he wasn't hallucinating, and he pushed himself up into a half-sitting position.

"Umm... Belle... do you realise your hands are like... glowing?" he croaked, wishing his head would stop swimming. Leah immediately pushed Belle's hands away and ran over to him. She picked up his hand and squeezed it.

"You okay?" Her eyes were still red and puffy, and Raff lifted his other hand to trace a long scratch that ran from her hairline to her chin. He didn't remember her having that, yet it looked like it had been healing for weeks.

He smiled. "I'm alive, so that's a bonus. Though I've no idea how or why?"

"Well, even after you killed the beast, you wouldn't have survived your injuries if Belle hadn't discovered she's a healer."

"After I WHAT?" He decided Leah must have become mentally unhinged from the trauma.

Leah looked at him in confusion. "You don't remember?"

Belle squatted beside him, her face breaking into a tired smile. "You're looking a lot better I see. Leah, I need to finish healing your wounds before the others get here. I don't particularly want an audience when I'm still not used to what I can do with my Gift."

"What others?" He was getting annoyed; he'd missed so much of this adventure.

"Leah sent a message to Dub, and told him what happened. The rescue party should be here any minute." Belle grinned. "Which certainly answered a few questions I had, about how she kept contacting Dub when she hadn't left my sight. Dub can read Leah's thoughts."

"Cool." Raff grinned. He was having trouble concentrating on the conversation while Leah rubbed the back of the hand she was holding with her thumb.

"Can you just finish healing me here then? Please, Belle?"

Belle sighed and got back to work. Raff was torn between watching Belle's glowing hands, and looking into Leah's gorgeous eyes. The eyes won.

* * *

By the time Dominic, Dub and the four other coblynaus arrived, Belle had finished healing Leah's wounds and the three of them lay huddled together in the middle of the road. The rescue team had brought three stretchers, and Raff chuckled as Leah tried to argue with Dominic that she was fine, and would prefer to walk. Belle must have been exhausted, because she simply nodded and rolled onto the stretcher without a protest. Leah finally gave in, and almost fell onto the stretcher.

Dominic and Dub lifted Raff onto his stretcher, their eyebrows raised at the sight of his rapidly healing wounds. They shared a look, and Raff knew there'd be lots of explaining to be done when they got back to school.

As the little party moved out from under the canopy, Raff was surprised to see the sun sinking below the horizon. How long had they been in there? No wonder Belle looked so exhausted; she must have been healing them for hours. And had Leah really said he killed the beast? Yeah right, she must have been delirious. So what had happened? And where was the beast now? Surely if he'd killed it, the dead body should be here somewhere?

Whether it was alive or dead, there was no sign the beast had ever been there.