A/N: the words in italics is the poem they spoke of in the last chapter. I separated it out here and there for the beginning of this chapter. Alright y'all enjoy.
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It may not have been of something entirely sweet.
Oh but it was kind. How gentle it touches thee.
For it cured, left my our skin undeniably warm.
It's love raw, and not adorned.
I think my feet were moving before I could even really process the information... before I could become technical and consider all possibilities. My feet were moving.
No. My heart was.
You may call it's purity ruthless.
For we've left it hidden but it could never be tamed.
My heart was pulling and racing and trying with all its strength and power all while drowning in unyielding and unmerciful emotions.
My tears hadn't fallen because I had nothing to be sad about. Yes, I was worried and scared. But I was angry, and with that anger, I was desperate to get to Jerias. With that I anger I chose to fool myself like a naive little child.
Spoken even when we tied our tongue, the high harmonies of it had always sung.
Singing when we touched. Singing when we didn't.
The pain just as powerful as the healing it displayed.
"Ines!"
I was going to get to Jerias.
Oh but I won't run this time. Not ever, for he shall find
neither of us to breath with out
the other. How terrible he says?
How weak?
"Ines stop!"
I was going to save him.
But how wonderful! How pure!
"Ines!"
And then everything was going to be fine.
Even in the bloody mess. I, even in the war, know my beloved that it is coming.
I am coming.
Hands wrench at my arm, pulling at me but I don't look to see whom they may belong too. They clearly had no reason to stop me anymore and they felt no need to pull me away. The small gasp coming from them echoed through the glass and silver stained hallway and seemed louder and more vivid within the brightly lit area, the luminescent bulbs harsh on the eyes... yet the small gasp I found, to be more cruel, it scrapped against my skin. It crushed the bones in my body and peeled at the thick skin of my heart. Because it meant that what I was seeing was, in fact, real. It wasn't just a horrid dream.
"Ines..." the voice was a whisper and now I turn around to meet with Ronan's form. Immediately his hand releases his hold on me and he seems almost ashamed. Ashamed for what... for trying to stop me? Ashamed for letting this happen?
Unbothered by it I quickly stare at Arie who was running towards us, not waiting I turn back around, and take unnaturally steady steps to Jerias. My bare feet pressing against the cool steel ground, my hands clutching at the elegant ball gown to keep them from shaking. And so the world slowed, everything became numb and I let my eyes fall lower at the battered form Jerias was in. His bloody white shirt in ruins and scraps, barely hanging onto him anymore. Clearly torn from long sharp slashes, blood spewing from the gashes on his body still and I knew that there was silver contained in the weapons that did this to him. And to my horror I find myself envisioning the scene, men standing around him and repeatedly cutting him. Jerias being the proud individual he was wouldn't have cried out, the agony would've shown in his face yes... but he wouldn't have cried, he wouldn't have screamed. And I could see that the men didn't care, for even his bare feet were bloody.
Lowering myself carefully down next to Jerias's motionless body, my dress spreads across the floor like a flower in bloom and my legs fold under me, the entirety of the action seemingly almost elegant. And a sickening nostalgia formulates itself within my emotions. Suddenly I'm reminded of my dead mother and her grave.
I was reminded of death.
Jerias's head hung low, and his front hair covered his face. When I reach out to touch him, the soft but bloody waves of hair sway and Jerias groans in pain as he lifts his head. My heart dropping into my stomach and my body tingles, I stop breathing and my lips part to speak but Jerias smiles. His bruised face transforms in the handsome light I was familiar with. Here he was... bleeding to death. Dying right here before me. Wounded and unable to even move. Chained to the ground like an animal.
And he smiles. Of all the times he kept his placid unemotional features on instead of smiling... now was the time he chose to smile. A smile that seemed so satisfied, as if he had all he needed, as if the world was okay. As if he was okay. But he wasn't.
And if I hadn't been so devastated my heart surely would've skipped a beat. But I was in fact so devastated and instead my heart shattered into a million tiny little pieces as if I'd just been hit by a bus.
The shackles on his wrist jingle and jangle when he attempts to reach out his hand to touch me. But he couldn't and immediately I wrap my fingers around his tightly, feeling the faintest squeeze from him in return.
And we just stare at each other for what seemed like forever.
The eternity of love blazing through his golden eyes. And I felt it from him, rolling deep within me. The completeness of just being with him. Shutting my eyes I breath out slowly and lean forward pressing my lips against his. All the while I was overflowing with pain and fear, wordless to his current state, and I knew that if I did attempt to speak I would only end up crying.
I didn't want to cry. I had to be strong because we were going to survive this.
"I-" Jerias coughs up blood in his almost desperate attempt to speak.
I shake my head no, carefully touching his face. I want to tell him not to speak, tell him to hold on just a little a longer...
"I'm" Jerias breaths in shallowly as he pauses, "I'm so sorry..."
"What?" My voice cracks and I almost move away from him appalled.
Sorry? Sorry? Why he would say that, why would he ever even think to say that?
I shake my head nearly uncontrollably, "No..." I whisper, "Don't tell me that. Don't say that. We have to get you out of here okay."
I'm to blame here. I did this- but I don't want to talk about blame, not right now.
Jerias shakes his head and it falls back against the smooth glass wall behind him. He smiles weakly gazing at me through barely open lids, "I love you, Ines."
"Why are you saying that? Don't say that. It's as if you-" my voice breaks before I can even say the words aloud. And I look down breathing much too deeply and much too quickly... Jerias... he's telling me goodbye.
When I look back up, Jerias has a tired yet peaceful look over his face. His eyes shut and his smile now dispersed.
"Jerias!" I quickly leaning closer to him, panic creeping into me like vile, and now I'm aware of my eyes watering, "Jerias..." I whisper kissing him again, "Don't go. You can't go..."
He groans and his eyes flicker open for a single moment, "I c-can't..."
"You can Jerias," my voice pleads, "You have to stay with me. You know why? You're gonna be a dad," I smile in the saddest form possible.
Jerias's eyebrow scrunches together, and I wipe the sweat off his brow taking in how sickly his skin looked. Pale and sticky, "I'm to be a father?" His smile widens to my surprise, "Heh... I'm gonna be a dad."
"Yes. Yes, you're gonna be a dad Jerias. I'm pregnant... we're having a baby. One of the Higher Beings she spoke to me. Told me that... Jerias please..."
"It's... it's amazing you're pregnant... can you believe... it. We-" he coughs but still smiles, "We made a baby."
"Yes," I nod, "Yes we did. We did. It's why we won. You won. It's proof that the love we have is real that it exists, it can exists. So you have to stay with me. You have to stay here... stay awake Jer..."
His hand tightens around me, squeezing suddenly as if he was using all of his sheer strength, and then his smile falls... and it feels as if I'm floating when he looks at me intently.
And then he says goodbye.
He tells me goodbye in the kindest words, the gentlest form. And yet I only feel daggers. Thousands of them cutting through as our bond was severed. His voice was hushed but loving, so loving and there was hope in it, a knowing thought behind his words. He meant it, but they didn't touch me the way they were supposed to. After all, I didn't want to be without him...
Swallowing once he said, "You'll be a wonderful mother... You hear me? You'll be okay Ines. You'll be a good mom, and you'll be okay. Things will be fine."
I shook my head vigorously, "No, no, no, no." My voice was faint behind his.
"I'm sorry." He said again, "I'm so..."
And then there was nothing from him. No smile, no golden eyes, no breathing, no sound. Just a numbing emptiness and silence. My eyes wide open in shock; in distraught. And I felt the familiar feeling of being broken consume me, all at once it was my mother's death and the terrible homes I lived in. All at once I felt so alone... and just so very broken.
My sob came out sudden and loud, and I broke down curling myself up into a ball against his lifeless body. And I was rocking back and forth, back and forth but it gave me no comfort. My wailing sounded harsh against my ears as I was gasping uncontrollably. Shaking. My body was literally shaking and was nothing but traumatized. Weeping in grievance.
"No, no, no, NOOOO!" I clutched his hands tightly and held them close to my heart. Looking up at him his face was barely visible to me with my eyes pooling out tears the way they were.
One of the Beings appeared in the corner of my vision and she gets down on her knees next to me.
"Is-" I gasp loudly, "Is he dead..."
Her eyes contort into pure sadness and pity and she shakes her head. "I'm sorry..." she whispers sadly, "Ines... there's nothing you can do."
"Can't you save him? Save him! Please..." I beg.
Her lips part to speak but she only shuts her eyes and shakes her head again. Aware that she was going to do nothing for me I search the ground for something heavy and find another set of chains. I grab my dress, lifting it as I ran for them. I raise the chains off the ground and with all my strength I smash them into the glass wall. Shards of the glass falling on the ground. I grab the largest and nearest one and cut a long gash down my forearm starting from my wrist, screaming as I do so.
Holding my forearm in a careful manner as blood pools out excessively I run back to Jerias. I'm in too much shock to notice the devastated looks coming from everyone.
I pull his body flat on the ground and hold my arm over Jerias's mouth waiting for him to wake and drink. But his body remains motionless. I'm screaming for him to wake up; covered in blood and tears and all I could do was just cry aloud for him to open his eyes. For him to live. But he never wakes up.
That's what I remember last. Someone pulling me away. Someone dragging my kicking and screaming body far from Jerias. And him just there. Unmoving on the cold ground; never waking up.
Jerias never wakes up...