Chapter 28 #2
I held my concentration on the command, and he was about halfway done when I started to feel lightheaded.
Sweat dripped from my forehead as an influx of nausea came and went.
I clenched my fists, trying to disregard the sickness that threatened to break my control.
I fought through the pain, rolling over my memories of Sebastian again and again until I felt my magic halt with the commencement of his powers.
I opened my eyes slowly, my lashes wiping away the darkness that clouded my vision. A translucent blanket of ice stood firm under my feet, shining so clearly that I could see my reflection. I smiled at my success.
Sebastian studied me intently, waiting for me to show any signs of collapsing. The all too familiar twinge in my skull appeared, and I knew that if I didn't get out of here soon, I risked showing the king how much the command took out of me.
“Amazing,” King Hawthorne said in awe as he inspected the frozen floor of his study.
He came towards me, close enough that I could smell the fear mongering on his breath.
“If you continue training as you are, soon you will be the most powerful mortal in the world. The things you will be able to do to others, will make you unstoppable.”
With a sudden shift in disposition, he stepped back and clasped his hands together. “That's all for today. You both may be excused.”
Relief washed over me, and I had never moved as quickly as I did then. I burst through the doors and into the corridor which luckily, was empty. Sebastian followed me out of the study, making a point to close the door tightly behind him.
My vision blurred again with my sudden movement. I stumbled to the nearest wall and pushed my temple against it, using the stone to try and block out the agony that was cracking my skull.
Firm pressure from Sebastian's palm rubbed my back. I wanted to push him away, but had no extra energy to waste. My stomach was in shambles, and I needed to find a washroom before I created a mess in this hallway.
Just when I thought I was getting some control back, my head sent a shooting pain down my nerves and my eyesight tunneled. I began to waver in and out of consciousness.
Sebastian's voice said my name, but I was not lucid enough to respond. My body shook with fragility. I was close to blacking out when I recognized the feel of his arms as they wrapped around me, unsticking me from the wall and pulling me upright.
He supported most of my weight as he rushed us through the hallway. We stopped in an abandoned corridor away from the study, though I was too senseless to make out exactly where we were.
My head bobbed as Sebastian helped lower me to the ground. I struggled to stay awake, my surroundings fading from my view. Was he talking to me? I couldn't make out the words. Why was he speaking so softly?
Everything was so dark. Black like the night, aside from two twinkling, cerulean stars that shone right into my eyes, trying to rope me back in.
There they went, flickering away with the rest of the world.
I came jolting back when something bone-chilling grazed my clammy skin. My eyes snapped open and I lifted my heavy head to meet Sebastian’s gaze latched on to me.
His hand was pressed against my forehead, the other resting on my shoulder, preventing me from toppling over. I shivered as he pulled his hand from my temple and flashed me his palm, coated in a thick layer of ice.
I glanced around, allowing myself a moment to recall what happened. I was too weak, but tried to stand up anyway, only for Sebastian to hold me down.
“Don’t get up.” His voice was stern and demanding.
I cleared my throat. “Let me go. I’m fine.”
“Absolutely not,” he growled. “You are not fine, Maeve. Stop telling me that you are. Nothing about any of this is fine.”
I looked away from him, but he grabbed hold of my face and forced me to listen.
“You are going to kill yourself if you keep this up. You’re sick, and it shows. You think I haven’t noticed that you can’t eat? And I know why, so don't even try to give me some bullshit excuse.”
My heart skipped a beat at the idea of him paying attention to me in such detail that he knew if I was showing up to meals or not.
But I rolled my eyes at him. Who was he to act like he cared now?
“I know how I look. You and everyone else have no trouble telling me that I look like crap,” I snarled.
He released me and his expression softened into a more sympathetic one. “I don’t mean it like that.” He laid his hand on my arm, but I shrugged it off.
His mouth drew into a tight line. “You need to let me train you again. That's an order.”
“You of all people don't get to order me around.”
“At least let me tell Sawyer what’s going on so he can take it easy on you. You two can stick to the plan we had.”
“I’m surprised you haven't told him already,” I croaked out.
“Oh trust me. I want to and am very close to doing so if you don’t let me help.”
I could tell that he was struggling to have patience with me, but I didn't give him the satisfaction of agreeing. I stared at him blankly, telling him no without verbally responding.
Sebastian rose to his full height and ran his hands through his hair. “Fuck, Maeve!” he shouted out of pure frustration. “I hate seeing you like this. Please just let me help you,” he begged.
Not caring if I pissed him off, I gave him the two-word answer that he was no doubt sick of hearing. “I’m fine.”
He threw his arms up, and I just sat and watched him in awe. How could someone who went from wanting me, to wanting nothing to do with me in a matter of minutes, now stand here and claim that he cared. It didn't make sense. He didn't make sense.
I pushed myself off of the ground, fighting my knees as they quivered and quaked. Once stable, I stepped towards him. He straightened his posture, and I looked right into his face.
“I don’t understand you,” I said with a shake of my head.
“I don’t understand you! You're being so damn stubborn, it's unbelievable. I don’t know why you just won’t let me help you!”
“Have you considered that maybe I’m not being stubborn, that maybe I really just don't want to be around you?”
I can't be around you.
“I don’t care if you want me around or not. You need help and—”
“You have made it perfectly clear, Sebastian, that you don’t care what I want,” I flared, and he knew exactly what I was referring to.
His lips parted slightly as if he was going to speak, but I dismissed myself from the situation before he got the chance.
The walk back to my room made for quite the journey as I stumbled over my own feet and battled the blurriness of my eyes. Fortunately, I made it back just in time for me to black out on my bed.