21. Vera
21
VERA
I kneel beside Aurel, my hands trembling as I press them against the gaping wound in his chest. His blood seeps through my fingers, hot and sticky, each pulse a reminder that his life is slipping away. The metallic scent fills my nostrils, making my stomach turn.
"Stay with me," I whisper, my voice breaking. My newly awakened magic surges within me, but I don't know how to use it to heal. "Please, don't leave me." Tears blur my vision as I watch his chest rise and fall with shallow breaths.
His scales feel cold beneath my touch, so different from their usual warmth. The noble's spell has left an ugly, dark mark spreading across his skin. My heart pounds against my ribs as I realize how close the spell came to hitting me instead.
"I can't lose you," I say, pressing harder on the wound. "Not like this. Not when I just..." The words catch in my throat. Not when I just started to forgive you.
Aurel's eyes flutter open, those ancient depths finding mine. Despite the pain etched across his face, he manages a weak smile. "I'm sorry..." he whispers, his voice barely audible. "For everything."
Blood trickles from the corner of his mouth as he speaks, and my heart nearly stops. I've never seen him this vulnerable, this human. The mighty naga who once manipulated me, who I thought had used me and thrown me away, now lies broken because he chose to save my life.
I shake my head, tears spilling hot and fast down my cheeks. "No. Don't apologize. Just stay with me." My voice cracks as I press harder against his wound. The blood keeps flowing, warm and sticky between my fingers.
"You're not allowed to die," I whisper, leaning closer. His skin feels colder by the second. "Not when I finally understand what you mean to me."
His eyes, the startling flash of green, struggle to stay open. "Vera..." His voice is barely a breath.
Desperation claws at my chest as I feel his life slipping away beneath my hands. The thought of losing him now, after everything we've been through, sends ice through my veins. I can't lose him. I won't.
"You promised to serve me forever," I remind him, my voice stronger now. "I haven't released you from that oath."
My hands begin to glow with an ethereal light, magic pulsing beneath my skin. I close my eyes, reaching deep within myself, past the anger and hurt, past the betrayal and pain, to something ancient and powerful that has always been there, waiting. The magic burns through my veins, different from the destructive force I wielded before. This feels pure, healing.
"Stay with me," I whisper again, focusing all my power into my hands. "Please, Aurel. Stay."
Magic surges through my body, a torrent of raw power that makes every nerve ending sing. The energy flows from somewhere deep inside me, a wellspring I never knew existed until this moment. It courses down my arms and into my hands, making them glow with an intensity that bathes Aurel's wound in brilliant light.
"I won't let you die," I whisper, pressing my palms harder against his chest. The magic responds to my determination, pulsing in time with my heartbeat. Beneath my fingers, I feel his torn flesh begin to knit together.
Aurel's breath hitches, his body arching slightly off the ground. "Vera..." His voice is strained, caught between pain and wonder. "What are you doing?"
"Saving your life." The words come out through gritted teeth as I channel more power into him. The light grows brighter, almost blinding, and I feel the dark magic from the noble's spell fighting against my healing.
My arms shake with the effort, sweat beading on my forehead. The wound is deep, and the spell's corruption tries to push back against my magic. But I refuse to give up. Not now. Not when I finally understand what he means to me.
"Stay with me," I command, my voice stronger than I feel. The magic surges again, more powerful than before, filling me with a strength I didn't know I possessed. It burns through my veins like liquid fire, but I welcome the pain. "Fight it, Aurel. Fight with me."
The light from my hands pulses one final time, so bright it illuminates the entire battlefield. I pour everything I have into it, every ounce of power, every bit of hope and love and forgiveness I can muster.
Under my hands, the wound begins to close, flesh knitting together as my magic pulses through him. The corrupted spell fights back, but I push harder, channeling every ounce of power I possess. Sweat drips down my face, my arms trembling with effort.
"Come back to me," I whisper, watching color return to his pale skin. His chest rises and falls with stronger breaths now, the rattling gone from his lungs.
Aurel's eyes flutter, then open fully. The familiar green depths lock onto mine, no longer clouded by pain. "Vera..." His voice is hoarse but steady.
A sob escapes my throat, relief flooding through me so intensely my hands shake. "Don't you ever do that again." I collapse against his chest, feeling his strong heartbeat under my palm. "You stupid, reckless..."
"Had to protect what's mine," he murmurs, his hand coming up to cradle my head.
I lift my face to look at him, tears streaming down my cheeks. "I did it. I actually saved you." The realization hits me fully, and I laugh through my tears. "I didn't even know I could heal."
"You continue to surprise me." His thumb brushes away a tear from my cheek. "Though perhaps next time, try not to wait until I'm nearly dead to discover new abilities."
"Shut up," I whisper, but there's no heat in it. Just pure, overwhelming relief that he's alive, that he's still here with me.
A movement catches my eye - Max rising from the rubble, his mother Lady Morana beside him. Their angular features twist with malice as they lock eyes with me. Blood trickles down Max's chin, but his sneer remains intact.
"You think you've won?" Max spits blood onto the ground. "A pathetic slave like you?"
Lady Morana's laughter echoes through the destroyed hall. "Look at her, thinking she's something special now." Her perfectly manicured hands smooth down her torn robes. "Still just a defect playing at power."
Memories flood through me - years of their abuse, their cruel words, their beatings. The way Max would kick me when I cleaned the floors. How Lady Morana would "accidentally" spill hot tea on my hands. The countless times they made me feel worthless.
My magic surges within me, responding to my rage. It swirls around me like a storm, crackling with raw power. The air grows thick and heavy with energy as I rise to my feet.
"No," I say, my voice steady and cold. My eyes burn with newfound strength as I stare them down. "You're nothing."
The magic pulses stronger, making my hair float around my face. Behind me, I hear Aurel's sharp intake of breath as he senses the power building within me.
Lady Morana's smile falters slightly. For the first time, I see a flicker of fear in her eyes.
"You're nothing," I repeat, taking a step forward. "And I'm going to show you exactly how worthless you truly are."
The power surges through my veins, raw and electric. Years of abuse, of being called worthless, of being treated like nothing more than dirt beneath their feet - it all fuels the magic building within me. The air crackles with energy, making my hair float around my face like a dark halo.
"You dare challenge us?" Lady Morana's voice wavers slightly, her perfect composure finally cracking. "You're nothing but a-"
"A defect?" I cut her off, my voice eerily calm. "A burden?" The magic pulses stronger, responding to my rage. "I've heard it all before."
Max takes a stumbling step backward, his sneer faltering as he feels the raw power emanating from me. "Mother-"
"No more words," I whisper, raising my hands. The magic burns through me, pure and devastating. "No more pain."
I release everything - all my anger, all my suffering, all the years of abuse - in one massive burst of power. The blast erupts from my hands in a blinding wave of pure energy, so intense it lights up the entire mansion.
Lady Morana's eyes widen in terror as the wave hits them. There's no time for them to scream. Their bodies simply... dissolve, turning to ash before my eyes. The blast continues through them, leaving nothing but grey dust scattered across the marble floor.
The silence that follows is deafening. Where my tormentors once stood, only their ashes remain, already beginning to scatter in the gentle breeze from the broken windows.
Behind me, I hear Aurel's soft intake of breath. "Vera..."
I lower my hands, watching the last remnants of the dark elves who made my life hell drift away on the wind. "They're gone," I whisper, almost not believing it myself. "They're finally gone."