Shadows and Flame

ouchie

"oh," Ilias closed her eyes and put her hand to her head, her fore finger and thumb massaging her temple- the latter part really just being to hide the way her face must've fallen dramatically.

"I seem to have a horrible headache," she murmured. "is it all right if I just go back to the room? Do we have important meetings today?"

Her mother shook her head, "it's fine, Ilias. We'll check in if we need you for anything."

Rhysand too nodded, "I'll send Nuala to your room with water. I don't think we have anything on the schedule today either." His voice was soft, and she saw him turn to look more towards the rest of her family.

"I thought today I'd show you to the library, maybe we can find something useful there. And I've asked Mor to give you a tour of the city tomorrow, while Azriel and Cassian are gone."

At the mention of the missing boys- namely her boy- Ilias stood up from the table, maybe too abruptly and angry for them to believe she really had a headache.

"You should know your way around, for however long you're here." She heard Rhysand's voice as she walked out of the dining area, and into the hallway.

Stopping once to brace herself against the wall, her hand flying to her head as she truly did feel a burst of pain- just briefly, and not full force, but like a memory she still knew a little to well.

A phantom pain, like amputees talked about. But then it was gone. As quick as it came.

She straightened up, and finished her walk to her room, wondering if somehow she'd brought the brief pain on herself through karma. Lying about an ailment to avoid some personal feelings about a person who wasn't even there.

She found her room again, and sat immediately on the bed, realizing that while she was alone now she didn't have anything to do.

Not anything but agonize over the way she'd fallen asleep mid conversation, and she'd woken up to his absence.

Trying to figure out if that was her fault.

But she realized it was vain of her to think. She wasn't nearly important enough to him for him to need to run away from her, his heart wasn't hers to break. And Cassian certainly wouldn't have gone with him if that was the case.

She just sat there, staring at the ceiling for hours.

Like Rhysand had said Nuala had brought water, but that was it.

It was just Ilias and quiet.

She'd almost fallen into a light sleep, when a burning pain in her abdomen had her shooting up, her back anything but straight as she hunched over and clasped her hands over her side.

The pain was bad enough she felt faint. And nauseated.

The air had left her lungs, and she couldn't breathe. The feeling of injury was choking her- and alarmed her.

She couldn't explain the pain.

She almost tried to cry for help, and then the pain subsided. Fading slowly, until it could've been just a bad dream she'd had.

She sat back against the wall, just trying her hardest to breathe again. To calm down.

Her palms were sweaty, now. She felt like her skin had started to burn, like she was on fire.

When her breathing had just barely steadied she heard a knock on the door, and watched it creak open. The light filtering into her dim room.

Before the crack in the doorway turned into her uncle Aedion.

"I thought you might want some books to read, while we're here. And I wanted to see how you were. You still have a headache?"

Ilias shook her head, reaching out to take the books carefully in her hands. Looking to see what they were about, and knowing instantly it wasn't her uncle who had picked them out, but her mom.

Her mom knew what she liked in books, because it was the same thing she did.

Aedion's brushed hers when she took them, and he let out a low breath. "You're on fire. You must have an awful fever."