Chapter 50 Bonus POV
Bonus POV
Maines Madden
After the Forgotten Archives
I’m awake, yet I don’t open my eyes.
A blinding pain forces my eyes shut, and I don’t dare move out of fear and the burning sensation that travels through my legs and lower back.
The sheets are soft, but nothing matters except the pain.
I hear shuffling around me, and the scent of herbs fills my nose.
I know that healers are here. The rhythmic motion of their actions and the scents immediately clue me in that they are working.
On me.
I remember the Archives, the beast that haunts the space, and the overpowering smell of smoke. So much smoke. I squeeze my eyes tighter, perhaps hoping that this time I’ll wake up and this won’t be real. I won’t be injured, and my legs won’t feel as if they are melting from my body.
Around me, I feel the warmth of the sun filling the room, yet no matter how many blankets lie upon me, I still feel cold to my very soul, as if something stains me.
I move my hand over the soft sheets, still sluggish from sleep and the medicine, and I pause.
Another hand rests gently on the bed. My fingers trace the large, calloused hand that lies on the sheets, and I immediately know who it belongs to.
Oak.
I hear the rustling of the sheets, as if someone is lifting their head off the mattress.
I keep my eyes shut, not quite ready to see the pain I know will rest upon his handsome face.
As quickly as I find his hand, Oak’s fingers slowly trace mine.
His skin is warm and almost burns my icy flesh.
His hand travels up my arm, and he slowly pets my broken body, but doesn’t speak.
I can only imagine the chaos swirling in his brilliant mind.
Even with my eyes closed, I feel as though I can perceive a bright light radiating from Oak. However, no matter how much light spills into the room around me, I can’t shake the feeling of something dark creeping into my mind.
It started slowly, like a dull itch I could never scratch, but every day, it seems to be growing like vines up a decaying tree. Darkness is normal to us as Shadow Wielders, but this is different. Darker and more ancient than anything I’ve ever experienced.
I need to inform the others, but doing so would only lead to more concern, and I’m not trying to frighten them further than I already have.
I hear Oak whisper something to one of the healers beside the bed, but I can’t make out the words, as if the daze I’m in is dulling all my senses. The large wooden door creaks open and is quickly shut once more, as if she is alerting someone in the hallway to my growing consciousness.
“Maines,” Oak whispers, but I keep my eyes shut. His hand travels back down to mine, and his rough fingers wrap around it like a perfect fit.
I don’t respond, partly because I’m not sure if I can, but instead, I squeeze Oak’s hand twice. I hear a muffled sob escape his throat as he stands, moving even closer to the bed this time.
“Maines Madden, open those beautiful eyes, darling,” his calm voice calls. “Please.”
I feel myself drifting back into the darkness of sleep, as if someone else is calling to me, pulling me deeper into thoughts of nothingness.
I try to speak this time, but the pull drags me further down, and I can’t fight the sleep knocking at my mind.
But fear floods me, because my last conscious thought is, this isn’t sleep.
Seconds, minutes, hours pass—I’m not sure which—and I feel myself resurfacing into reality again. I return to the pain and my own body, where I sense the ever-present light—Oak—surrounding me once more.
Another opening of the door catches my attention, and I hear footsteps approaching the bed. Oak lifts his head from the sheets once more to greet whoever is coming. The familiar smell of fresh florals mixed with a dark amber fills my nose, and I know who stands at the end of the bed.
Briar.
I slowly crack open my eyes, and the bright light blinds me momentarily.
I squint against the contrast of the darkness I’m used to, and she comes into focus.
Her beautiful black hair falls to her waist, and it’s soaking wet as she wears a face of concern.
I smile, unable to resist the sight of her before me.
A rat.
She looks like a soaking wet rat.
I let my lips part, and a soft smile spreads across my face.
Briar moves around the bed and sits next to Oak.
I slowly shift my gaze until my eyes find his.
Oak’s eyes are red and swollen, and a pang of hurt fills my heart, knowing I caused the worry reflected in his expression.
His usually cheerful, handsome face is now clouded with anxiety and unease.
“There you are,” Oak whispers. “Thank the fucking Gods.”
He leans forward, kissing my forehead and nose, then moves to my lips, even as exhaustion washes over him. Oak’s kiss is tender and perfect like usual, yet I can taste the desperation on his lips, as if he never believed this would happen again.
I say a silent promise to myself that I will never cause him pain again until the day I die.
“I’m… here,” I respond.
Through the worry, he smiles, and I feel the pain in my legs disappear as happiness spreads through my body like wildfire. His dark eyes burn into mine, and I take a deep breath. Oak gently brushes my hair from my forehead, and I can’t help but let myself beam with love for him.
I’m safe.
I’m not sure what I’ve done in my life to deserve Oak Hombern, but I thank the Gods every day for him.
He quickly stands and helps me sit up a bit in bed to get a better look at my friends before me.
I can’t help but make a joke about Briar’s rat-like state, and her laughter fills the air like a wonderful dream.
We engage in a conversation about the chaos I caused, and I learn all the information I missed while I’ve been asleep.
I try to stay alert and as cheerful as I can, but the pain is nearly unbearable.
Every time I wince, Oak is right there, checking in or ensuring I can shift in bed to keep me as comfortable as possible.
Without him, I doubt I would be here now.
The healers approach the bed, slowly lifting the sheets to examine my legs, and I fight the urge to give them orders, as if I’m back at the House of Hedro working on my own patients.
With each question I pose to Oak and Briar, I’m met with resistance, as if the true news they possess would overwhelm me too much.
Exhaustion hangs over me like an ever-present veil, and I can’t shake the feeling of darkness coursing through my veins.
Everything hurts, but this only amplifies my discomfort.
“You rest right now,” Briar says. “I love you, Maines.”
I smile and watch their faces fade as I close my eyes, only pretending that I’ve fallen asleep. I can hear them rustling around the room, and their voices begin to fade. Briar likely pulled Oak to a corner of the room to give me the quiet I need to rest.
Yeah, right.
I hear them begin to speak about me in hushed voices that I can barely make out.
Their voices are filled with concern, and I fight the urge to open my eyes to announce that I’m not asleep and they should stop talking about me as if I’m dying.
However, I guess I’ll cut them some slack, because I almost did.
The door opens once more, and I hear another person enter the room. Darkness envelops the space as it always does when he enters a room, and I recognize who has crossed the threshold.
Silas Nastronde.
I remain completely still, not alerting them to the fact that I’m awake and listening to their conversations. I hear Oak and Silas drift into their usual annoying banter while Briar huffs at them to pay attention by snapping her fingers in their face. I fight back the urge to giggle.
A discussion arises about the recent events. They share their findings about the book, the ancient language, and how Oak’s grandfather can likely assist with the translation once we reach the mainland again.
The longer I remain still, listening, the closer I get to falling.
I fight it as hard as I can, but the nothingness that sleep offers knocks on my mind.
Oak argues with Briar and Silas about when his translations will begin, and warmth spreads through my cold body when I hear Oak mention that he won’t be leaving my side anytime soon.
I tell myself that it’s okay for me to drift off to sleep when I hear the words leave Oak’s mouth, and my entire body goes rigid, sending a wave of pain through my system.
“I have to tell you both something,” he whispers to Briar and Silas. “I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something more. She seems to be her normal self, but there’s something else—a darkness I’ve never felt from her.”
He knows. Oh, Gods, he can feel something too.
My entire body goes rigid, causing a flash of pain to nearly make me flinch.
Briar chimes in, assuring him that it’s nothing to worry about, and I relax a little bit, knowing that she doesn’t feel anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it’s in our heads, and the effects of the injury are making me feel off. That’s all.
Oak speaks again, “I felt it before that.”
Dread envelops my broken body, and I nearly jolt up at that. He’s felt it longer than I have. How is this happening right now?
Sleep is near now; I can’t resist it or the medicine coursing through my body.
Stay awake.
I drift further down the tunnel of my mind, unable to make out their words.
I only hear mumbles and the faint movements of my friends in the room with me.
Before I completely fall asleep, I feel Oak sit down beside me, and his glow shines into the darkness of my mind brighter than the sun.
I’m safe with him around; the darkness can’t find me with him close.
“You are not safe,” I hear a voice whisper into my mind as I fall asleep.
Iawake in pure darkness.