Elvirund | ✔️

Chapter Forty Seven

It was a relief when the last guests staggered out the door drunk on chocolate and party atmosphere. I sank into a wicker chair in the basement, letting out a long breath. My own excitement was dying down, leaving me lying lazily in the chair with my legs hooked over one chair arm and the rest of me leaning on the other.

"See? That wasn't terrible."

"Yes it was." I grinned.

Caphriel rolled her eyes and ran her fingers through the tangles in my hair. Did she know it felt nice when she did it? I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling.

"You're quite a feline for someone who spent a decent amount of time with wolves."

"I'm cat-like?"

"You enjoy a certain amount of grooming, your body reacts like a cat's would, you play with your prey, you sleep late into the day. I would say you are, yes."

"You forgot that I'm rude and unsociable."

"I was trying to be nice, but there is that," she muttered.

Pahaliah yelped as she tumbled down the last three steps and crashed into the wall.

"Oh, by the angel. I'm clumsier than I thought."

After a second the three of us burst into exhausted laughter. I sighed lightly and suddenly came to the realization that, despite the troubles, I was happy. There was no need to worry about anything for the moment, and things were steadily looking better. I yawned, nearly splitting my jaw in two, and looked back at Caphriel.

"Promise you'll visit?" I mumbled.

"I thought that was part of the deal."

She smiled and winked at me, and in my drowsy state I thought her the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. Her arms slid under me and I almost protested before she gave me a weary look.

"You're delirious. Let's go get some sleep."

Leaning into her shoulder, I was already halfway there. She set me down on the bed, standing there for a moment and watching me.

"You sure are something, dove. I'm not sure I'll find anyone else like you."

"I'd hope not."

"I don't think I want to anyway. It wouldn't be the same."

Caphriel sat next to me, one hand absentmindedly tracing the scars around my wrist. She seemed to stare at the spiraling red lines, a faraway look in her eyes.

"What are you thinking about?"

"There are so many things I wish I had done. I feel as though after being Restored I became a completely new person. But what if I go back to who I was before?"

I laughed quietly, struggling to sit up. She helped me up and threw a blanket around our shoulders, and I rested my head in the hollow of her neck. There was a kind of terror that came with the prospect of either of us returning to our violent past selves. Mine wasn't nearly as ruinous, but both of us had traits we were happy leaving behind.

"If you do, I'll bring out my destructive side again. We'll raze this place and make it our own."

"But I'm serious. What if I revert to my old self? What if I start to want to burn things to the ground again?"

I thought about it for a moment and closed my eyes.

"I'm not sure."

"Promise me something." She tightened her grip on my hand.

"That depends."

"Promise me that if it happens, you'll make sure I get put in a place where I can't hurt anyone."