Hey guys, I'm sure you all guessed what is going to happen next, but despite it being obvious it is necessary for the story. 

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Enjoy!

-&-

Chapter 18

       Waiting for the King and his General's arrival was agony. Or perhaps, that was anticipating how the King would act upon his return. It had been two weeks since the letter, two weeks of Aeyron and I wandering aimlessly around the castle. We didn't have to fear anyone seeing me anymore.

       I'm sure it wasn't healthy, mentally at least- well, mentally for me- but I kept the letter he had written beneath my pillow. One silly sheet of paper with three words that were otherwise meaningless held such a tight grip on my heart it made me want to scream.

       But still, I looked at it every night- and, guiltily, ever morning. He hasn't sent me anything else since then, and it was quickly becoming my most prized possession. At least, out of all the possessions I had with me.

       "Queen to B4. Check... and Mate." Aeyron announced with a victorious smile, his large body leaning back in his throne-like chair as he crossed his thick arms behind his head. I scowled at the smirk sitting proudly on his lips.

       "You cheated. Again."

       He chuckled and leaned forward to reset the board once again. "No, my lady. You are just horrible at this game."

       "It's a ridiculous game." I grumbled and sat back in my own throne-like seat with a defeated pout.

       "Even so, shall we play another round?" The General was enjoying my failures- all of them. We have spent most of the day playing Chess, and I haven't won once.

       "Are there not any other games?" I practically pleaded as he finished resetting all the gleaming black and white pieces. A teasing scowl fell across his handsome face.

       "Of course, but I don't want to play any of those."

       I frowned and shot him a scowl of my own. "Why not?"

       "You might actually win."

       His laughter filled the large common room we had been lounging in, and I couldn't help but let out my own smile. Aeyron just had that effect on people. The few I have met with him at least. He was always so easygoing and carefree that others just naturally smiled and laughed around him.

       A loud, but distant clamoring stopped my response before it could leave my lips- and Aeyron's head snapped up faster than any human or shifter I knew could. The sudden serious look crossing his face scared me.

       "What? What is it?" But he was already standing from his seat and stalking towards the large wooden door that separated us from the rest of the castle.

       "Stay here."

       "What? No! If somethings happening I want to go!" The expression on his face and his sudden change in attitude was the most exciting thing that has happened in three moons. Three! If something was wrong I wanted to know.

       "It is nothing good, Lady Emrie." The look he shot me stopped my excitement dead in its tracks. Panic quickly filled my heart where the eagerness fled. "Please, stay here." He left immediately after that, but not before shooting me one last, pin-me-down-in-my-seat glare.

       I frowned after him, a frown which only grew as the noises got louder- noises followed by shouts. My stomach twisted uneasily. Perhaps the King and his Generals were back! But I didn't understand why Aeyron would be upset about that.

       Unless...

       I let out a shaky breath and jumped to my feet. If something was wrong with Eirik I wanted to know. I needed to be there- to help him. I tried to stay as quiet as possible as I exited the room and closed the large door behind me- but it was pointless. There was too much noise and chaos ringing through the halls for anyway to notice me.

       I followed the source of the yelling and shouting all the way to the grand marble staircase at the front of the castle. But I hadn't even turned the corner when the pain started. It wasn't a great, tremendous pain that left me panting and screaming in agony- but it was enough to make my feet stumble. I placed my palm flat against my chest.

       What in the world-

       The King.

       Panic filled my entire being once again, and I was hurrying around the corner to the top of the steps without a second thought. I paused at the foot of the stairs. I wasn't sure what I was seeing at first, just a bunch of wolf-borne soldiers and their servants running around in a giant mess. Until I saw North lying on the ground between all of them.

       A gasp tore from my throat, and that sharp jab of pain surged through my chest. "Eirik..." His name passed as a mortified whisper from my lips, one that shook me to my very soul. My body was racing down the stairs before my mind could comprehend what was happening.

       I pushed through all the people crowding the main foyer of the castle, all the ones blocking me from the King. I could feel the gold-power stirring, like it knew I would need it before I did.

       There were still too many people in my way, too many soldiers and servants standing around dumbfounded because they didn't know what to do. A few shot my panicked, near-hyperventilating body suspicious looks, but everyone was too infatuated with the King to care.

       I saw a brief glimpse of Eirik over a servant's shoulders, his half-naked body was lying on a moving pallet on the ground- his chest and stomach covered in gaze. My heart seemed to stop beating in my chest.

       "Move!" I suddenly shouted at the crowd in front of me, and shoved hard against the wolf-bornes blocking my way. I was actually surprised when they let me through.

       There was a physician kneeling beside the unconscious King, with Aeyron and Terif on either side- the Delta still dressed in armor. The other four Generals were all standing in a circle around the three, with serious, sorrowful expressions plastered on their faces. Even the always-amused Eildor looked remorseful.

       That didn't ease the stress weighing heavily on my shoulders.

       "I told you not to come." Aeyron snapped as I fell to my knees at his side, but he seemed too busy helping the physician unwrap the bloody gauze from Eirik to really care. I stared at the bloody, torn mess that was the King's chest- and bile rose to my throat.

       "Oh my God- What- What happened?" My voice was a breathy tremble as I covered my mouth with a shaking hand. The doctor's eyes glanced up at me, then shot to Aeyron before he went back to helping North.

       "We were on the way back when we hit an ambush. The Raiders went straight for the King. They didn't even care about us." Terif's voice was a disgusted growl from Eirik's other side, his strong hands holding down the King's shoulders so his tremors and shaking would not disrupt the physician.

       "The wounds are too deep, and he is losing too much blood. I need to get him to the infirmary, but I'm afraid if we move him they will only open further-"

       "No!" I stammered and scooted up as close to the King as I dared. I knew what I had to do without even thinking about it. I could see the red lines of pain shooting throughout his entire body- could see the blackness of his dying veins as the blood seeped away. The gold-power washed over me like a tidal wave.

       "Get out of the way." I snapped at all three of them, even though none of them moved.

       It didn't matter at this point- the only thing that did was saving the King. Even if the power bubbling from my chest and surging through every inch of my body killed me, so be it. At least he would live.

       "My lady stop, let the physician deal with this-"

       "Emerense..." The sudden name that slipped past the King's cracked lips silenced Aeyron immediately. I didn't even care that he had called out a name foreign to me- the power only seemed to surge more and I was desperate to save him.

       "Emerense... Emerense!" Eirik still seemed unconscious, but his voice was growing louder, the sweat on his body growing as he struggled harder in Terif's grasp.

       "Fuck!" Aeyron hissed and left the bandages to grip tightly at the King's head to stop it from thrashing around. "We need to make him shut up!" The Second in Command snarled at Terif who was trying to pin the trembling king down to the pallet as best he could.

       "If you have any fucking ideas, please share!" Terif snapped with just as much hurried anxiety as Aeyron.

       "Just move!" I finally snapped and pretty much shoved a bewildered physician out of the way. They were wasting too much precious time bickering. I needed to help him now. I quickly took the doctor's previous spot and began rolling the thick sleeves of my winter dress along my arms. Terif's golden eyes widened.

       "What are you doing?" I was surprised at the hostility in his voice, like he was afraid I would do something reveling to all those around us. Technically, I was.

       I ignored him and raised my hands over Eirik's chest- right above the part that seemed to thrive with red and black veins. I could feel the gold-power licking my palms, my fingertips- it just needed one push from me for it to escape to the being it so desperately desired. I let out a shaky breath.

       I could do this.

       "Emrie, what are you doing? Stop!" The panic was growing in Terif's voice as I slowly lowered my palms to the shredded skin and bone of the King's torso. I continued to ignore him, and let my eyes close just as the soft skin touched the ripped, gory mess of his wounds.

       "Emrie stop! No!" Terif suddenly let go of the King and gripped tightly at my shoulders- trying to jerk me away from the unconscious, thrashing and rambling King- but it was too late. I had already let the power leave my palms and enter the wounds, and it acted like a giant lock keeping me pinned to Eirik.

       The affect was automatic. Unlike the first time I had healed him, the gold-power wasted no time in sucking my energy from me. From stealing my life-force and giving it to the King. But I didn't care.

       I could already feel the bone and skin mend beneath my fingertips, could see the red and black lines receding in my mind's eye. The power was saving him, even if it had to kill me to make it happen.

       I was sure there was chaos around me- more than before. I'm positive Terif was trying to pull me away from the King, maybe even the other Generals as well- but my mind was too focused on the power, too worried about keeping Eirik alive. I couldn't hear anything outside of my head. All I knew was that I was fading, and the power was surging into him.

       It felt like hours, days, before the skin under my palm finally closed- but it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. Still, the power continued to enter him, just like before. Filling him and leaving me as an empty shell.

       I once thought that the gold-power wasn't a power at all, but my soul that I could sometimes physically tap into. I thought that made me special- thought that I could heal people with what the Heavens granted me. I knew the truth now- or at least, part of it. Even if it was my soul, it wanted nothing to do with me. Just like the being it was so desperate to get to.

       At least he wouldn't have to deal with me anymore.

       My eyes slowly fluttered opened, even though the rest of my body remained immobile. Just one look at him- just one last glimpse then I wouldn't try to stop it anymore. I would let the rest of that power flow freely into him.

       There was almost a peaceful look resting on his handsome face now, his body no longer in thrashing trembles as his dry and cracked lips called out for a person I knew not. I wanted to smile.

       He looked as if he were sleeping, as if he had never been injured in his life much less seconds away from death. I felt my body slouch over. Was no one trying to pull me away anymore? I could see darkness creep in along the edges of my vision, could feel the hollow, empty blackness trying to take over my mind.

       I was so tired...

       Dark eyelashes fluttered across high cheekbones, and then the King was blinking his eyes open as if he was awaking from the greatest night sleep he had in forever. I was surprised when the quickly fleeing power let me smile down at him. It was cruel for the Heavens to pair us together. It must have known we could never be together, and not cared.

       But he had searched for so long- so long for someone he gave up hope on. I hoped now he would find peace with himself. Even if it wasn't with me, maybe he wouldn't have that obligation to be so lonely anymore.

       The darkness was creeping farther over my gaze, blocking out all light and shape except for the sculpt of his chiseled face and the bright blue of his eyes. He blinked up at me, and his full, cracked lips pulled into a small smile.

       So beautiful...

       My body was sinking, sinking into that dark hole the gold-power left behind. My eyes began to drop as the darkness swam closer to the irises. I watched the blue of his for as long as I could- tried to sketch the image into my mind to always look back on. Even though I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep it where ever I was going.

       The last thing I saw before the darkness prevailed, was that beautiful, lightning, blue gaze widening- and then the large, painted ceiling. I wasn't sure if my eyes had finally closed, or if the power had officially sucked all life from my now-withering body.

       What were the Heavens like? 

-&-

       Much like that time on the boat with Terif, a time that seemed like centuries ago, my head was pounding with the feeling of a thousand thundering hammers. I tried to groan out in pain, but my throat was too dry and scratchy to be of much use.

       Something hard and cool pressed against my lips. "Drink." It was a one-word command, but it was the first voice that I felt like I had heard in years and I obeyed immediately.

       Cool water flowed from my lips to my throat in a soothing bliss- or at least, I thought it was water. My tongue seemed off and taste was minimal. Once the cup and it refreshing contents were gone, I tried to blink my eyes open- but darkness was the only thing entering my vision.

       I could feel myself begin to panic. What was wrong with my eyes? Why couldn't I see? My breathing was starting to quicken, and the pounding in my head only grew worse- but no matter how many times I tried to blink, everything stayed dark.

       "Sh, relax- relax."

       There was a sound of a match then a candle lit right beside my head. I gasped and quickly shut my eyes against the blinding light. I wasn't blind- it had just been exceptionally dark.

       "You gave us all quite a scare there, my lady."

       I recognized that voice. I knew that voice. Its owner had been my constant companion for the last couple of months. I tried to blink my eyes open again, and gazed blurrily over at a worried-frown Aeyron. My headache was slowly easing, and whatever had been in that cup helped subdue the pain in my throat.

       "W-Where am I-I?" But my voice still came out as a dry, broken mess. The concerned look on the General's face only grew.

       "Your chambers. The physician wanted you in the infirmary, but both the King and I felt you would heal much better here."

       The simple mention of his title- his name, had memories flying back to my mind in a nanosecond. The King! Eirik was dying and I had to save him. The gold-power was saving him and killing me in the process. But it didn't. I gasped and tried to sit up in the bed, but one stern growl from Aeyron had me easing back down again.

       "Where is he? Is he okay? Did everything heal-"

       "Calm down. He'll have my head if you knock yourself out again."

       That didn't answer my question, but I could feel the headache start to return and knew if I didn't relax the pain would be unbearable. So, I let out a heavy breath and tried to ease back on the pillows.

       "He's fine, and he's sleeping. You saved his life, but he still lost a lot of blood. You've both been unconscious for a while."

       "How long is a while?" I mumbled into the dark room as I let that reassuring news settle over my shoulders. Aeyron paused, his brown eyes glowing softly in the darkness before he glanced away.

       "A week. He has been in and out of sleep for most of it though. We were... we were all pretty worried about you for the first couple of days. The court physician wasn't sure what was wrong and you kept- kept..." His voice trailed off, and I knew whatever he was having trouble to say wasn't good. I licked my dry lips.

       "I kept what, Aeyron?"

       He sighed and ran a heavy hand through his hair before glancing back at me. "Stop breathing- for a while. You did it a couple of times. And it didn't help that the King kept getting all worked up about it and no one knew what to do."

       My lips pulled into a frown at his words. I didn't mean to cause so much stress or worry. They should have all just let me go. It probably would have been better.

       "But North has his own magic, and was able to stable you."

       "He should have been resting-"

       "He wasn't going to let you die, Emrie. And you are a fool if you think otherwise."

       I snapped my mouth shut at that, at the sudden serious, dark look that crossed the General's gaze. I clenched and unclenched my jaw. He was right, I knew he was. The King told me he wouldn't be able to handle it if I died- that he wouldn't let me die. But that didn't mean he should have. He would have been freed. But then a thought crossed my mind, one that dropped my heart to my stomach.

       "Is he very mad?" I asked softly as I blinked up at the dark rafters far above me. Aeyron made a grunt like noise before leaning farther towards the bed in the wooden chair he sat on.

       "About what?"

       "Me... Because I pretty much revealed myself to the entire kingdom."

       I was surprised at the sudden chuckle that passed the wolf-bornes lips, but the sound was so nice it caused a smile to cross my face. "I think he cares very little about that at the moment, my lady."

       Right... He did almost die after all. Recovering was the most important thing for him to be worried about. I blinked up to the dark ceiling again, before letting out a tired yawn.

       "You should get some more sleep. I will inform the King you have finally awaken."

       Aeyron started to stand, but even though my heavy eyes began to close- I stopped him. "Aeyron, about how I saved him-"

       "Sleep, my lady. We will talk more when you are better."

-&-

So that was pretty intense LOL Hope you all enjoyed!