Wow it feels weird to be updating a Chapter so soon! I am not entirely pleased with this Chapter, it is a bit of a filler, but I really needed to start again somewhere so this is it :) Hope you all like it, keep an eye out for the next update xx
P.S I PROMISE NOT TO TAKE FIVE MONTHS TO UPDATE AGAIN. There. I said it. *phew* And I give you all permission to come to New Zealand and handcuff me to my computer if I do. I love you guys xxx
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(Circe’s P.O.V)
I was furious. I couldn’t believe that Zalas had been so selfish as to keep that information from me! Cobalt could have died and I would have had the burden of knowing that I would have been able to save him, if only I could have known.
Shaking my head I threw open the door. There was no point in dwelling on it now. I was here and I could do something. Above me I heard shouting and I imagined Obsidian's fury at finding out I had not been notified. I didn’t quite know how I felt about seeing him again. On one hand, staring into his eyes had been like looking at the other half of myself. I felt like a piece of me had been missing and was now complete again. On the other hand I had no idea how to pick up with him from where we had left off.
My thoughts and my view was suddenly obscured by a mane of black curls and I squeezed the younger girl tightly.
“Lacy. It is so good to see you. I am so relieved that you are not hurt, but where is he? And how does he fair?”
Lacy pulled back, her green eyes swelling with tears. “He isn’t good Circe.” Her bottom lip wobbled. “If you hadn’t arrived today …” So looked fearfully over her shoulder as though she was afraid to speak the words allowed, should they come true.
I placed a hand on her shoulder and moved her gently out of my way, revealing the unmoving figure lying on the bed.
“Oh Cobalt …” Tears sprung to my eyes also and my fury at Zalas was renewed as I took him in. He was indeed on his death bed. Layers of sweat clung to him like a blanket and I could smell the sickly smell of dying flesh from where I was standing although I suspected that Lacy had been around it long enough now that the smell didn’t bother her as much.
“He went to sleep two days ago and he just hasn’t woken up,” She sobbed. “I don’t know what else to do!”
“Did the Queens people not offer to send a Doctor?” I asked incredulously, peeling back the gauze slightly as I did so and flinching at the gruesome look of the fermenting skin below. I noticed also that he was beginning to show signs of blood poisoning and I suddenly felt very overwhelmed. What if I couldn’t fix this?
“I turned them away.” Came the velveteen voiced reply, and I felt his presence come up behind me. Flashes of memories rushed through my head and I shivered; his touch, the roughness of his hands against my skin, the whisper of his glorious lips against my ears … taking a deep breath I tried to answer as calmly as possible.
“That was a foolish move that could have cost your brother his life.”
“I refuse to let foreign scum attended to my brother,” he snarled. The corner of my lips twitched slightly. There was my wild Pirate. “They probably would have killed him.”
Rolling my eyes, I refused to answer him. Now just was not the time. “Lacy darling, can you get me a bucket of warm salt water, some clean rags and fresh gauze, Obsidian, I think you should-
“I’m staying.”
His tone was final, but I heard the desperate undertone in his voice. Seeing his Cobalt this ill had affected him deeply. Mustering the courage, I looked up at him fleetingly and he stared defiantly back at me. The scar across his eye was still as angry and red as the day I had left him but his eyes shone brighter than ever, burning through me, studying my soul. I needed to look away before he discovered that the fire in my own eyes was burning with a passion for him that had not been forgotten in my departure. There was so much I desperately needed to say to him, but no way to say it. I felt as though we had climbed almost to the top of an impossibly tall ladder, only to fall all the way back down to square one. Our staring contest was abruptly interrupted by Lacy however, and I gladly looked away.
“I have everything you asked for.” She huffed.
“Hello Circe.” Leonardo followed Lacy through the door, his expression sombre.
“Leonardo,” I nodded towards the tall fair haired man, his appearance reminding me of Nathaniel. I had left him I realised with a jolt. I wonder what he was up too?
“It is good to have you back,” He continued. ‘We have been very worried about Cobalt. It is a great relief to have you back, just in time as well.”
“Yes,” I said grimly. “I would have been back much earlier if I had known about his condition, but no matter.”
The small room was now becoming very crowded, but I understood all of their need to see Cobalt healed. When an apologetic look at Leonardo I asked if he would wait outside the door to make sure no-one burst in unexpectedly and interrupted. He smiled understandingly and nodded, slipping quietly out of the door and shutting it behind him.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the nerves that had been steadily creeping up on me. “Okay. Lacy I need you to be quiet and do everything that I tell you to. You are going to be my assistant.” I ordered and she nodded compliantly.
“What can I do?” Obsidian asked, looking slightly awkward and out of place.
I smiled gently at him. He was just too adorable. “Just stay there,” I said. “you aren’t going to be much help.” He scowled at me and grumbled under his breath, but I had already turned away and was now removing the gauze fully.
“Oh my darling,” I whispered. “Look at what they’ve done to you.”
The wound was red and inflamed and festering badly. I was very nervous by this point, having never healed anything of this size before. I could see Lacy’s neat little stitches holding the wound together, but in this case all that was doing was holding the infection in.
“Knife,” I requested, holding out my hand and gripping my necklace tightly with the other. The knife was placed in my hand and I took a deep breath trying again to steady my shaking hands. This was Cobalt, his life was in my hands. What if I slipped up?
Suddenly there was another voice in my head.
Vanima.
Anthemin?
Yes.
Anthemin, I am so scared. I don’t know where to start. I know I need to clean it out but I haven’t the first idea as to how!
Show me, Came the whisper and suddenly he was more in my mind than before and I felt him peering out of my eyes, seeing everything that I was seeing. I heard two sharp intakes of breath and guessed that my appearance had been changed by the presence of the Dragon.
I see. That will require much energy to heal, but with our combined life source and your energy stone we can do it. Have faith in yourself Vanima.
Okay. I breathed out long and deep and with new courage I reached forward with steady hands and cut away the stitches. The wound oozed open and I heard Lacy gag slightly.
But I took no notice. I was completely focused on the task ahead. "Bucket please." I had to remove the pus and clean out the wound before I could heal it. The bucket was placed in front of me .
Relax Vanima and pay close attention, I have seen the Air Weavers heal like this many times.
I nodded, my nervousness giving way to curiosity as my arms suddenly wanted to lift up. Obliging, I followed the guidance that Anthemin gave, concentrating on remembering the movements. As I twisted my hands elegantly through the air, to every two twists I would smoothly pull inwards towards my chest, and then push my palms down towards the ground, before repeating the process. Just in time, Lacy held the bucket up to the gash as pus began to ooze reluctantly into the bucket.
It took a long time to cleanse the wound. My movements were a little shaky, and every now and then the flow would stop and it would take a couple of tries before I could start it again. I knew I was nearly done when blood became mixed with the pus and eventually, with the bucket just under half full, the wound was just a gaping hole, still red and inflamed, and now beginning to bleed slightly.
Now we must cleanse, thought Anthemin and myself as one. And once again my hands flowed through the air and I realized that what I was doing had nothing to do with manipulating the air at all. Instead I was manipulating the water in Cobalt's blood, urging it forward to push out all the poison in his veins and cleanse him from infection.
How do you know how to do that? I wondered and Anthemin's reply was as wondering as my question.
I do not know Child, but it feels right.
I nodded in agreement, sweat now dripping from my forehead and I began to feel slight fatigue.
We are almost there Vanima, for see how is blood is now healthier in color and flow.
And I could, for the wound had begun to bleed more freely now, as though the poison in his veins had been clogging up the healing process, and I knew that I would have to work quickly before he lost too much blood.
I know what to do now Anthemin, I thought confidently, and at once my hands and arms were all of my own again.
I will lend you my energy still Vanima, or you will become too exhausted.
As soon as he spoke, a powerful wave of energy gushed through my body, revitalizing my limbs and causing the gem on my chest to glow brightly. Reaching out, I placed my hands on either side of the wound as I closed my eyes and threw my consciousness into the gash that the Dragon had made.
Deep inside I could see that no damage had been done to any important internal organs. The Dragons claw had gouged a deep clean hole in his side and the layers of muscle needed to be stitched back together individually.
So I began, stitching the muscle together neatly, pouring energy into the wound, speeding up the healing and encouraging the muscle to knit itself back together. Gently prodding the nerves until they came back to life. Reconnecting veins and working backwards all the time, layer by layer, until the last thing left to stitch was the skin. I had time to heal this wound, unlike the one on Obsidian's face, where unfortunatly it had been a spur of the moment descision and I had not had his co-operation. Both Anthemin and myself were growing exhausted now and as the skin knitted back together I was relieved to be finished, but dismayed to find that Cobalt had not had not woken and also that a long and ugly scar had been left behind on his side where smooth skin once was.
Do not despair Vanima, came Anthemin's deep voice. He was scarred by a Dragon, those scars do not heal.
I could not help but look behind me into the scarred face of Obsidian with horror. His scar would never heal? He was not looking at me, and as I watched, he reached up to rub his eye, squinting slightly. Worried for him, I opened my mouth to speak but Lacy interrupted.
"Is he fixed Circe? Why has he not woken up?"
I stood up tiredly. "I imagine that his body is in shock, it might take him a few days to recover."
"That was so cool!" Lacy squeaked. "You started glowing and then your hands were all like woooaaahh!" She began waving her arms around in an attempt to mimic what I had done.
I smiled wanly at her, before turning to Obsidian. "He will be fine. I wonder now if I could return to my quarters? I am exhausted, that is, assuming they are still in the same place."
He nodded, his eyes burning holes into me and making my hands tremble slightly. "It has been newly refurbished," He stated huskily, clearing his throat before he continued. "With much help from the Commander of the Air Kingdoms fleet. He has been very helpful."
I nodded politely. "No doubt I will meet him soon."
He did not reply but his gaze was so intense that I felt the same way as I had when I had locked eyes with him on the deck. Want and desire ravaged my body, I could not stand it any longer. Fleeing from the room I felt his enchanting eyes on my back even after the door had closed behind Leonardo, who upon my leave, had taken my place in the room.
On opening the door, I welcomed the breath of fresh air that blew around my cheeks, calming my flushed face. Not in the mood for any reunions, I quickly made my way to the door that lead into Obsidian's room, pausing to note the bullet holes in the wooden door. Oh dear. It seemed as though quite alot had happened in my departure, but replacing the door had not been one of them. For the moment, I was content enough just to slip through, into the room quietly. I would have time for questions tomorrow.
Upon entering his room, my throat swelled up and I felt the sudden overwhelming urge to cry. I had missed this ship, this room so much and I took my time in it, noting Obsidian's sheets that lay crumpled at the foot of his bed and the many alcohol bottles that lay scattered around.
"Having a good long look Love?"
I spun around upon hearing his voice, my breath catching in my throat. His endearment for me sent hot shivers racing through my body and his eyes flashed bright as though he could hear exactly what I was thinking. Slowly he moved towards me and I took the time to become reacquainted with the glory that was Obsidian Bones. His hair was longer, although not longer than Cobalt's, and it brushed attractively against his eyelashes, causing him to reach up a hand to sweep it out of the way. He looked thinner, his cheekbones as sharp as glass, making his full lipped pout all the more prominent.
He was right in front of me now, caging me in with his heavily muscled body. His eyes were heavy and piercing and filled with an emotion that i could not begin to place. Brooding quietly, his lifted a hand and stroked it so softly down the side of my face that it felt as though he was barely touching me at all. Desperate for more, I grabbed his hand as it glided down my cheekbone, pressing it firmly into my face and leaning into his touch.
I heard a quiet sigh escape his lips and the hand that cupped my face reached around to tangle itself in my hair and he pulled me forward into his chest, his head coming to rest on top of mine with overwhelming gentleness. Leaning into him I felt as though I could die, right here and now as long as I didn't have to break away from his arms. Gripping at the material of his shirt, I lifted my face and nuzzled my nose into the crook of his neck, breathing the touch of fire onto his skin. His arms tightened around me in response and he breathed in deeply.
"Circe."
"Mmmm?" I mumbled in reply, I didn't know where this was going, but I did know that I didn't want it to stop anytime soon.
"Circe."
He shook me gently and annoyed I replied more coherently this time. "What?"
"Circe, wake up."
"What?" My eyes fluttered open and a blurry Obsidian came into view. Rubbing my face, I looked around me mortified. I had fallen asleep in his bed! Having only sat down for a moment out of exhaustion, my intent had been to pick up some of the rum bottles, but instead I had fallen asleep! How embarrassing! And worse, I had had a dream about him that made my stomach flip uncomfortably when I thought about it.
"I am so sorry," I stood up hurriedly, brushing myself off. It took every ounce of strength that I had to move from that mattress. I wanted to stay there, enveloped in his wonderful smell for all of eternity. I flushed deeply, expecting him to make some smart remark about how I was welcome to stay if I wanted him that bad, but it didn't come. Instead his eyes hooded over and he simply stared at me with a brooding expression. Standing there under his excruciatingly intense gaze, I felt my knees wobble slightly, my dream rushing back to me. All he needed to do was take a couple of steps forward, and we could begin right where my dream had left off, but instead he simply pointed to the opposite end of the room, to the wall where the mermaid door stood, still intact.
"Your room is that way Princess. Do you need me to carry you?" There was the sarcasm I hated. Humiliated I turned, making for the door, my face still bright red. I fumbled with the lock, feeling his eyes burning into my back, my need for him was gone, replaced with the need to get out from under his scrutiny as soon as possible. Mercifully the door gave way and I bolted into the hallway, whirling around to put the lock back in place and then sinking down on the floor and holding my head in my hands.
What had changed so much while I was away that he was treating me like I was a stranger? Surely I hadn't imagined the protective way he had held me to him when Zalas first attacked the ship. Surely the fire that had ignited my skin under his touch had been no trickery. So what was it that now caused him to look upon me with blank, carefully concealed eyes. What was it now that allowed his words to come out so hollow, with no feeling.
What had happened to Obsidian Bones while I was gone?