“I love you,” His hand was still tangled in her hair as her cheek was pressed to his shoulder as he was against the top of her head. She could feel the vibration of the words.

  She knew this fact was true all those years ago, though he never told her as much.

  Though now, she didn’t know if the part that shocked her is that he still believed it after all this time or that he wouldn’t just up and say it.

  “I thought I'd never get the chance to tell you,” He continued, his voice the only thing she could hear. “Though I’m aware your feelings are purely platonic, I wished every day that I told you when I could. There’s a lot of things I need to tell you.”

  His finger unlaced from her hair, moving to rest gently on her shoulder, his head lifting from the top of hers, giving her freedom to move away.

  But she didn't.

  Though he didn’t seem to expect a proper response, the apprehension of the prospect seemed to want to drag her from this comfortable, peaceful, happy moment back into the hells-scape of reality.

  So she found herself holding tighter, as her mind reeled.

  “Cora,” A new voice suddenly forced through the pounding in her ears.

  They weren't alone here. Right.

  A fact she’d so quickly forgotten.

  No longer a thought, real hands tried to pull her away, “You lost quite a bit of blood and you need rest.” It was the Mage’s voice, the mage’s hands, she finally realized.

  “I’ll be fine,” Corabelle muttered, not letting her grip waver.

  “Leave her be, Pat,” Ella’s firm voice removed the hands from Corabelle’s ribs. “Cora, let me take you both back to your room. You can catch up there, alright?”

  It was her voice that made Corabelle realize that holding this tightly wasn’t going to help anything, “Alright,” She agreed.

  Corabelle felt queasy as she let her arms relax and fall away. Zaramir’s hand was the only thing that kept her balanced.

  The mage wasn’t wrong. She had lost a lot of blood. She was still weak, not healing efficiently.

  Zaramir’s hand stayed on her shoulder, keeping her upright, as Ella led them back.

  “I’m sorry,” Ella apologized as they walked. “For how this played out. I do wish your reunion could have happened under better circumstances. You didn’t get a chance to hunt before the attack, did you?”

  “No,” Corabelle muttered.

  “After the Antitoxin clears your system, I’ll have another team take you out,” She replied, in that strangely apathetic voice she used when talking strategy. “Both of you. I imagine you could both use it.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  They arrived back at the cell where the guards were waiting in their usual spot.

  “After you have a bit of time to talk,” her face softened. “Of course.”

  “Thank you,” Zaramir said as she left, the two words carrying far more weight than their simple meaning.

  Corabelle let herself fall onto the bed, Zaramir’s hand falling away, as she pressed her eyes shut tight. Moving had not helped the growing queasiness and this room was lit far brighter than the previous had been.

  “Glad to see everything worked out,” The mage guard who Corabelle had grown to like most commented. “They told me you were still out and I gotta admit I was a little worried what he might do if you didn’t pull through. But looks like everything worked out just fine for you two love birds, just don’t 'catch up' until it’s someone else's shift alright?” He jested.

  As the painful bubble of lingering apprehension at the issue she had yet to confront exploded in Corabelle’s stomach, it took all her willpower not to throw up.

  Fortunately she didn’t have to choke out a response, “We’re friends,” Zaramir corrected. “That’s all.”

  The guard groaned, “Gods, not you too.”

  “Pardon?”

  Corabelle pried her open barely a cracked her eyes open barely against the harsh light to glance over.

  The guard was handing with crossed arms looking frustrated, “I have been stuck on this rotation for weeks, having to listen to her call you her ‘friend’,” He unfolded his arms to make mocking quotations, before they fell with a slap to his thighs. “While she listed all the reasons, all the ways, you two are not just friends. Hells she was willing to risk getting recaptured by the Fae if we wouldn’t take you in! And then she hauls you back, and I’m just here thinking, okay fine, he at least can’t possibly be as far in denial about her obvious feelings. But no. That's my fault I guess for assuming an older Faedemon would be more emotionally mature. Have fun with your wallowing.” He grumbled before turning away.

  Corabelle sat back up, her head throbbing at the volume of his voice to properly process his words, “What are you talking about?”

  His eyes rolled so far back into his head all she could see were the whites, but he didn’t reply.

  “Now I’m curious,” Zaramir glanced briefly at Corabelle but his expression wasn’t as casual as his words. “What are you talking about?”

  “Gods, you two are hopeless,” He pushed himself off the wall. “She’s in love with you. I know it, Ella knows it, everyone who has passed this room since she brought you back knows it. Everyone knows, everyone expects her apparently.”

  “No,” Zaramir replied uncomfortably. “You’re mistaken. She’s never felt that way about me. We were, are, very close friends, but that's it.”

  The mage threw up his hands in exasperation, “Fine. Whatever. I’m mistaken.“

  Corabelle’s mind wandered as the room filled with a tense silence. His frustration was understandable, from his perspective it must have looked as though that were true.

  She never left Zaramir’s side, keeping contact with him from the fmoment she found him until the Ritual started. But that was only to ensure he wasn’t in pain.

  She did threaten to stay behind if he wasn’t brought back here when they found him. She couldn’t just leave him after everything.

  Five years.

  Five years of Gods know what kind of torture they put him through all because he tried to save her. Because he did save her.

  Yes, it was true; She would have given the Fae the chance to capture her again if it meant there was even a chance they could be free together.

  But that didn’t necessarily mean she....

  Hells.

  Was he right?