When next I came to and fluttered my eyes open, it was to a pair of gentle, feminine hands clasped over mine. I felt the warm heat radiating from that soft flesh over mine, and slowly, my body strength and my mind became alert.
With a smile on my face, I turned and saw Aria sitting on the side of the bed, her blond head bowed and her eyes closed as she whispered magic words I didn't understand.
Was she healing me with her magic? This would explain why I suddenly felt better.
I watched her silently for a moment because I didn't want to disturb her healing me. Of course, I wanted to throw my arms around her with joy and hug her tight. She was saved, which meant that the rescue mission was a success.
Finally, she opened her eyes and stopped her chanting. When she saw me fully awake, she lightened up immediately, a bright smile on her beautiful face. I didn't miss seeing tears brewing in her eyes, either.
She lowered herself until our faces were close and asked, "Alfie, how are you feeling?"
I grinned at her. "As right as rain. Thanks for healing me, Aria." I licked my dry lips and asked, "So what about Brenna and Michael and his team?"
Aria nodded, chuckling. "They're fine."
I sighed in relief. "Thank God!"
It was then Brenna came into the tent, and the moment she saw me, she rushed over, a bright grin on her lovely face. "Alfie! You're awake." She came to kneel by the bedside, and she said, "You've been unconscious for three days."
Three days? I had been unconscious for that long?
Aria said as I sat up, "We were rather worried."
The moment I sat upright, I felt dizzy.
"You're still very weak," Aria said, seeing me. "Your qi was almost depleted."
That was when everything that had happened came back to me, and I felt more than a little sick in the stomach. I touched my hand to my forehead to steady myself, and I asked, "Are we back at camp?"
Brenna nodded. "Though, we're ready to leave this afternoon again."
I raised my head and looked at her. "Leave?"
She nodded. "We're returning to the palace. The bandits are defeated, after all."
I see. That was when I looked around, wondering about the soldiers who had been injured during the battle. But then there were none here at all. In fact, I just realized that this wasn't the clinic tent.
"Where am I?" I asked.
"Lord Caleb's tent," Aria said. "Of course, we did suggest putting you in our tent, but Lord Caleb refused."
Brenna said, "I suppose it makes sense to place you here. The clinic is filled with injured soldiers, after all. Also, Lord Aaron shared Lord Felix's tent. Well, it's more like Lord Aaron is keeping watch on Lord Felix in case he decides to go ballistic and kill every one of the bandits the team managed to capture."
So the lords had managed to take home a few prisoners after this battle, eh? I wasn't surprised after seeing how powerful they were, not only with their very competent soldiers, but with their own strength and ability as well. Of course, add that to the fact that Felix was a—
I felt my body tense and a headache coming.
Despite how much I wanted to deny that fact, Felix was indeed a demon lord. The real thing, complete with a full bulky body, demonic face, fangs, and two massive horns on his head. Then I wondered if all the other six lords were demon lords as well, and I knew in my gut that they were. Was that why they were wearing those masks with strange, intriguing signs, symbols, and scripts? Was it to suppress their demonic powers and, hence, hide their true forms?
Aria said, "Why don't you lie back down and rest? You are yet to fully recover, after all."
Brenna nodded. "I'll bring you something to eat. I'm sure you're starving."
I nodded and thanked both women politely. Once they were gone, a few minutes later, I closed my eyes. I was just about to doze off again when I heard footsteps coming into the tent.
Brenna? But she couldn't be that quick. Besides, these footsteps sounded heavier. A male?
A moment later, the person sat down on the side of the bed. Then I felt warm, masculine fingers touching the side of my face and stroking my cheek.
I held my breath as I knew suddenly that it was Felix. Oh God! I didn't want to face him now. Not when I wasn't yet mentally ready. Not when I had just seen him in his demonic form and...
My heart raced, and I prayed he'd leave soon. But of course, the man took his time visiting me, and his fingers lingered on my skin. Suddenly, I felt the warmth of his breath on my face, and a moment later, his lips pressed against mine.
He is kissing me again? No, wait. He was sucking my qi, wasn't he? But why didn't I feel weak like I usually did when he kissed me? Perhaps he wasn't sucking my qi this time around.
"Little elf," he said. "How long are you going to be sleeping? This beast is going to go mad, you know, if you don't wake up."
Is he baiting me? Well, it sure did work. I was about to flutter my eyes open and scold him severely for disturbing a sick patient when a voice said, "What are you doing, Felix?"
It was Caleb.