Chapter 16 #3
Carmen sucked air through her teeth and sighed heavily. “The shirt, too. I need to see the full extent of her injuries. If I go in blindly, I could do more harm than good.”
He felt Azahara move and tilt her head back. Her darkened eyes and glazed-over expression made his breath shaky. She didn’t need to say anything. He knew what she was telling him through her silence.
With a gentle nod, he shifted and put her down into the bed, laying her flat on her back and quickly moving to the other side. His hand captured hers as soon as he was situated beside her. The squeeze was that of a child, even if she tried to hold him tight.
Carmen stepped over and slipped the shirt over her first arm and then her head, and when it came to his side, he did the rest.
Nearly immediately, Carmen looked away and took a trembling breath. Jayce held her mismatched eyes as they stared blankly up at the ceiling. “You’re safe,” he ran his hand across her temple, wiping away the single fallen tear.
After a moment of gathering herself, Carmen came back.
The door opened, and Jayce glanced at Xol, who was stepping through. “What do you need?”
Carmen, leaning over Azahara, said, “I’m going to move you a bit, okay?”
Azahara didn’t object, which was all Carmen would get for confirmation. Moving her leg over, Jayce peered down, seeing new and old cuts marring her thigh. It astounded him how she even managed to walk with how bad they were.
“Water and crackers. Just to start.” Carmen said to Xol.
He moved his eyes to see Xol staring down at Azahara.
The forever neutral creature faltered and pain pulled between the space between her eyebrows.
“Is he dead?” She said, an echo in her voice reverberating in the small space.
His eyes trailed to Carmen, who was heavily focused on pushing her Magic through to Azahara.
Jayce shook his head, his jaw setting as anger ripped through him.
Xol exited swiftly then, hastily making her way.
He returned his gaze down to her and rested his opposite hand against her cheek, turning her to look at him.
Caressing her sharp jawline, he watched her eyes slowly return from the haze.
He could never understand how someone could hurt her, never like this.
A breakup, accidentally knocking her over, or the death of a friend or family member was the only pain she should ever have to endure. Not this, absolutely anything but this.
As she looked at him, the tears stopped falling from her eyes. Her pupils focused on him as though she was coming from a darkened room to one filled with light. His thumb was gentle as it brushed against her cheek.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered, and while she made no move to acknowledge, she hadn’t needed to; her soul confirmed she knew. It had returned to her and was finally back where it belonged.
“Jayce…” Carmen called to him, and he shifted his gaze to her. She slowly closed Azahara’s legs, pushing them together and shutting her eyes. “Can I speak with you outside?”
Feeling Azahara’s hand squeeze, he was going to say no, but when the door re-opened with Xol and Alyse walking through, he conceded. “I’ll be right back; you won’t be alone.” He slipped the sheet over her, covering everything but her face.
She didn’t fight for him to stay, and when Xol sped to her, he passed her hand over, moved quickly around the bed, and headed out the door with Carmen.
“Make it quick, please,” he said with haste as he closed the door.
“He—”
“I know,” he cut her off.
“No, Jayce, you don’t know.” She lifted her hands, and they were shaking, “I tried to repair what he did to her, and it took every bit of my Magic nearly instantly. I didn’t even get one of the cuts completely healed.”
Somehow, that did not surprise him. The extent of the damage that he did to her, and that it was inflicted by a divine being, to that of a mere human. He was going to make sure that piece of shit suffered.
“That’s not all,” she hesitated, “I can’t tell if it’s new, but…
” She explained then that the first thing she looks for in these situations is if she could be pregnant.
With as long as she was gone for, it would not have surprised her.
While no one has ever been known to birth a gods child, it didn’t deter Carmen from checking.
She then went into detail that she detected no means for her to carry. “There is major scarring inside, and I don’t think it’s new, nor do I think it was done by… someone trained for that.”
Jayce straightened his back, needing to find peace, or else he’d destroy the ship. “Okay…” She loves the color green because it reminds her of home. Her favorite flowers are Oenothera because they only bloom at night. She bakes the best bread this realm will ever be graced with…
Carmen continued, “I’ve healed victims of rape, but this is something else entirely.
I’m unsure if it’s because he is a god or the constant repeat abuse, but.
.. I truly don’t know if she will completely heal.
There may be permanent damage.” Everyone on board knew her affinity to self-heal through her drunken tirade.
However, even with this knowledge, she still tried to bring what fraction of Azahara she could back to him.
Carmen’s pain came through in her sigh, “Stay with her; just be by her side. She needs to eat and drink. I’m not sure how strong her healing is.
” He would give her the strength to heal.
Secret be damned, he wouldn’t allow her to suffer longer than she already had.
“Even with all the Magic in the world, I don’t know if she’ll ever—”
Her voice cracked, and she let out a cough. She was trying to keep herself together.
“Thank you.” He touched her arm for support and gave her a gentle nod.
“How could a god, someone that is supposed to protect its people, do something like this?” Her voice was shaky, and he understood her trepidation.
“I don’t know, Carmen, but I need to get back to her. We can talk later. Go get some rest. Restore your Magic.” He left her then and returned back to the room. Alyse had her face into the bed, sobbing, while Xol stood beside Azahara, still holding her hand.
Jayce didn’t want to push anyone away from her, but he needed to try and get to her. For her to speak to him and find out where to help.
“Did she drink?” He asked, closing the door behind him.
“With help,” Xol stated, “I’m going to fucking rip him apart.”
He crossed the room, sitting beside her and resting his hand over the sheet on her leg. He slowly poured tiny bits of Magic through her. It would be nearly indiscernible, which would take a lot longer for her to heal, but at least it would speed up the process.
Alyse lifted her swollen eyes to Jayce, “Where did you find her?” She was barely able to form her question.
“She was on the beach, walking…” He watched for any reaction by Azahara, but she just lay there with her head tilted towards Xol.
She had her eyes closed as if she were sleeping.
He knew she was awake, embracing the peace she had fought so hard for.
“A portal of some kind—” Xol tensed beside him, “opened, and I ran to it. Then, she was just…there.”
Alyse choked and wiped her tears away, “Did she make it…”
“I don’t know.” He said quickly, not wanting to prolong his own lie.
Xol knew his truth, and she eyed him with both anger and understanding, translated through a soft nod. Her mouth moved, ‘thank you.’ Her blue eyes glossed over before they looked back at his redhead.
“Can I ask for you both to leave?” He understood why both of them were so close to Azahara. Alyse, who had bonded with the redhead nearly immediately on the dock, and Xol, who was only who she was because of her. The last thing he wanted was to push them away, but he needed her. Just her.
There was a moment of hesitation, but in the end, they both conceded. Xol told Alyse they needed to get moving, and that would be what they would focus on before coming back to check on her.
When they were alone, Jayce went to his knees beside the bed, her hand cupped between his, “Hear my voice,” he watched as her eyes slowly opened, “I’m here. He will never get you again. I swear it.”
She turned her head towards him, her hand shifting to try and hold his. The bruises on her face were so deep, so prominent, that he knew she could still feel the pain as if what caused them was still being inflicted on her.
“Where…” her voice cracked, struggling to speak, “is Sam?”
Jayce ran his thumb across her palm, “Who?”
Her eyes closed then, and a stream of tears rushed from them. He hated himself for not being honest with her.
“Thank you,” she opened her eyes again and looked at him, “for finding me.” The cut on her lip would sever if she smiled, but she attempted anyway.
“Always—” he was cut off by her broken sobs. Her body tried to turn towards him but failed. The frustration in her expression was evident, and as she tried to turn again, he didn’t let her fall. He placed his hand on her hip and helped her to face him.
Her tears continued to cascade from her eyes. “Tell me what you need.” His entire being called to take the pain for himself. Seeing her suffer tore him to pieces.
Feeling a chill against his cheek, he focused, now seeing her hand wiping away his tears. “You.” Her hand moved down his face to behind his neck and tugged him. “Please…”
There was no hesitation. He shifted her gently and slipped under the sheets beside her. His arms took hold of her and brought her to his chest. The trembling that was a steady vibration of her body began to slowly reduce until it was just a mere twitch that would come from time to time.
Her head rested against his chest, arms tucked between them, seeking warmth and protection. She cried until silence flooded her and she fell into a deep, unhindered sleep. She was so still that he’d fear her dead if it weren’t for her heartbeat.
His arm moved to the small of her back, pulling her closer to him, curving her body to his so he could warm her.
She needed to eat and drink. But Jayce knew that she would do what was best for her. If this was what she needed, then so be it. He could protect her like this, keep the memories at bay. Hold off the darkness that would try to take her from him.
Placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, he rested his head on the pillow, slowly moving Magic in fragments into her.
Oh Sunshine… I am so sorry.