Malion: Up In Flames

Overwhelmed

Darkness shrank into a silhouette of a strong, curly-haired man and something small and spindly piercing him in through the back and out through the chest. A familiar blood curtailing scream rang out, and as bright vermillion stained the white around the figure, Alex's eyes appeared before me. She blinked and they turned a piercing silver.

I woke up with a start, drenched in cold sweat. I looked around the momentarily unfamiliar room with haphazard glances and gasped when a massive wing stretched up beside me. A long, groggy groan clambered into the air as Baron's wings fell over me and off his side of the grand circular bed. I feared getting out of his bed, because the last time I did, I... transformed into a seventeen-year-old? Is that how it works? Would it happen again at 18? I'd skipped so much of this year that it was closer than comfort... 7 months was probably going to pass quicker than I'd thought. I warily peaked over the side of the bed at the floor to make sure nothing was there to harm me. I gingerly slipped my foot out from under the covers and when they touched the hot ground, I pulled back and a moment later, set my whole foot onto the ground. only my heel and two toes were used to it more than the rest. This was such a strange feeling, having the grey spots and patches in my skin be more resistant to  heat than the Gaian skin. The grey was more leathery too. I slipped out from the sheets and Baron's wing and snuck towards the full length mirror in the bathroom. I glanced at my face to see grey blotches in the top left of my face and some smaller spots around  my eyes and my scar. I took in a deep breath and leaned out of the bathroom and called Baron's name. He responded with a groan.

"Can I use the tub?" I asked. He looked up with a weary unintentional glare and rubbed his eyes.

"Of course. Please be sure to clean up after yourself. Near to no servants are allowed in my quarters anymore." He grumbled then shoved his head back under a pillow. I closed the door and turned the key until a soft click sounded deafening to me. I stepped away from the door and stared at myself longer than I should have. The roar of the water as it filled the bath rattled my thoughts away and surreal silence took its place once I'd gotten in.

"All I want today is a quiet time. All I want is silence, peace and slowness." I thought to myself as I leaned back in the extravagant tub. It was really big, maybe to support his wings. For a moment I thought of summoning mine but even the mere thought made me wince. Selvan had healed them but they still ached and burned. Baron and I tested it before we'd gotten into bed. I enjoyed the sleep-overs we had. I remember summoning my wings and the memory of that crackling sound filled my ears again. I sighed as I looked back to the mirror to visualise them behind me. I noticed a grew blotch reach down from my shoulder and over to my chest. I examined my skin more and glanced at the water murky with soap.

"This really is the first proper bath I've taken in months, isn't it...?" I mumbled to myself, "Wait until Elliott sees me all cleaned up..." I said with a small smile, sinking into the water until it rose to below my eyes. I noted the spots which the water felt colder than it should have been. My Gaian skin didn't like the heat as it usually did.

Just as I wrapped a towel around myself, a knock came from the door.

"Decodaaaa...! Dearest sister, I must ask that you take your leave from the washroom for a moment." Baron's urgent call came from the other side.

"Oh! Yep! Give me 2 seconds!" I said and gathered my clothed and clutched them close to my chest. I headed out of the bathroom and into the giant closet beside Baron's bed and shut the door. I dried up quickly and threw my clothes back on.

"Sorry for taking so long!" I called back as I left the closet. I looked at Baron's bed and saw a deep red staining the already dark sheet.

"Baron?" I called again, only realising then that I hadn't gotten a reply from him.