The Unknown Alchemist

Chapter 40 - Where were you?

Rain pattered on the windowpanes. Rain on the Cabin roof. The fire had died; she would have to relight it. Her throat felt swollen shut. She couldn't swallow. Had she filled the water pail? She could drink the rainwater if she couldn't get to the stream. But she wanted to keep her eyes shut and live in her dream forever. She didn't want to wake back to reality. She couldn't handle the loneliness of the Cabin anymore.

She moved her fingers. The sheets on her bed felt too soft. Behind the rain was the sound of muffled voices. A chair scraped back. The scent of sweet tea reached her nose. A set of firm but gentle hands gripped her face and she relaxed back into that feeling of warmth.

"No, no. Not that way. Come on back Avery," said a voice. She was too tired. She didn't want to wake up.

Another voice further away.

"It's cute. Where did it come from?"

"Avey, wake up now. Open your eyes."

Avey. That's what the younglings called her because they couldn't pronounce her name. The younglings of Corinth. The voice was calling her Avey now. It wasn't a dream. It had happened. She forced an eye open but it fell closed again.

"That's it, Avey. Wake up now."

She forced both eyes open and tried to focus on the dark face before her. Roedin gave her a brilliant smile as she blinked to clear her eyes. Not Roedin, Khalil. Khalil was holding her face, calling her to consciousness.

Her lips opened to speak but her tongue was too big. There was sand in her mouth.

"Easy. No talking until that throat heals up," Khalil instructed. Someone handed him a cup and he placed an ice chip in her mouth.

The ice brought immense relief and Avery weakly reached for the cup.

"Alright, alright. But take it slow," Khalil chuckled. He looked behind him. "We should let them know."

Avery heard someone speak outside. "She's awake."

Arctos said something. Tobias answered. Where was Roedin? She tried to move her head, to sit up, but Khalil held her firmly.

"I worked hard to put your neck back together. The muscles will need to be strengthened again, so don't go undoing all my work. Besides, we ran out of clean sheets." She gave him a funny look. "What? You're the only one allowed to make dark jokes?"

She tried to smile but her face was too heavy. Arctos appeared at the door, his bear-like stature awkwardly out of place in such a fine room. He approached the bed unable to decide what to do with his hands.

"Hey there, Half Pint," Arctos huffed. "Gave us another scare."

He swallowed and looked to Khalil. "Roedin is sleeping or he'd be here. Hayden put him under because he was driving us mad. Great in a fight; not so great at waiting."

Khalil gave Avery another ice chip.

"Addy and Niamh are fine. Furious, but fine. They're resting as well. Sari is a little worse off because of that last drink she downed, but Hayden is with her and she'll pull through."

Avery didn't understand. She furrowed her brow and tried to speak again but only a croak came out. She swallowed but couldn't clear it. Adelyn and Niamh? What had happened? What drinks? Then she remembered Sari collapsing in the washroom. She remembered the smell on her breath. Avery squeezed her eyes shut as a tear escaped.

"Hey now, it's fine. Everything's fine." Arctos reached for hand.

Avery couldn't open her eyes again. They were too heavy. Her eyelids burned.