44. Chapter 44 #2
“I’m sure they’ll manage,” he said as he put the dagger back on the table and took my left hand in his. “Consider this my promise to you,” he said as he wrapped a tiny, thin piece of string around my middle finger. The same finger my parents wore their wedding bands on.
“Ophelia, I promise I will protect you and avenge those who have wronged you. And if there is a moment where I fail, know that I will do anything to make amends—even if that turns my life forfeit. I would rather fight Cisoi or Thuvina fist to fist than to ever see you harmed.”
My lip quivered from his words. Ora and Sury had always seen me because they had to, but Peiro saw me because he wanted to. Chose to.
“I love you,” I whispered again as I continued to stare at the simple piece of fabric wrapped tightly around my finger. While his words were rough, I heard his meaning, and it warmed me. He’d fight for me. He’d protect me. He’d love me. “Protective much?” I mused against the tears.
“I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but I would not change it for the realm. I mean every word as a promise to you.” He kissed my middle finger and the cloth ring on top. “I know it’s not extrava—”
“It’s perfect.” I placed my hands on either side of his face and pulled him in for another kiss. I pulled back to speak but my heart dropped. Instead of pure brown, a bright gray crept along the very edges of his right eye.
A deep part of my magic quaked, like an old foe had come to visit.
No.
How could I have been so naive? Of course it would come back. For that thing to have been gone this long was surely a gift, but my stupidity thought I had helped rid it altogether. Unbound it from his soul somehow.
Peiro looked at me in confusion. “Naa’n le’ya, what’s wro—” His words were cut short as his eyes widened momentarily before slamming shut.
His fists clenched the side of his head as his body tensed and turned red from the strain.
He fell backward onto the ground, his knees bent at terrible angles, and his mouth opened into a terrifying, silent scream of agony.
“Peiro?” I scrambled to hover over him. His head started thrashing. I looked around the room and to the bed. Quickly I gathered the pillows and set to work adjusting his large form against the edge of one, hoping it brought comfort.
His breathing stopped as his body bowed. I didn’t know what to do; my own breathing quickened as my eyes watched Peiro thrash and bow again, his hands still tightly clenched.
“Peiro!” I cried out and grabbed his wrists in hopes I could provide help with my Healing. The moment my skin, full of magic, made contact, Peiro howled with torture and his mouth began to foam. “Shit, shit, shit!”
I ran to the front door, Peiro’s screams chasing me outside.
I almost knocked over someone in the process.
“Fyom!” I shouted, looking around the huts and trees for any sign of him.
“FYOM!” I shouted again, gaining too much attention from the Followers who stopped what they were doing and watched.
“Has anyone seen Fyom?” I screamed over and over.
“Phe?” I heard his call behind me as he jogged through the trees.
I motioned for him to follow me. “Peiro!” That’s all my lungs could muster as I put all of my concentration into getting back to him.
Fyom overpowered my stride to where I now followed him. Peiro still lay sprawled against the floor. His breathing was heavy and his body was scalding and covered in sweat.
“What happened?” Fyom asked as he overlooked Peiro with Healing in his hands.
“Nothing! We were just sitting here and then…he changed.”
“Shit,” he said gently as he forced Peiro’s eyes open. “I hoped whatever you and Ora did had helped, since it wasn’t wholly present, but it seems our theory was wrong.”
I choked on a breath seeing how bright the silver was in his eye.
“I’ve never seen it revert back this fast before.
And in one eye. Have you?” Fyom shook his head.
“What would make that happen? It’s usually a slow progression.
” Bitterness stirred at how the thing inside Peiro continued to steal pieces of him.
Peiro gasped and flinched away from Fyom’s hold. His body continued to spasm as he shifted his legs. He looked at me with a wordless but deafening confirmation in his gaze: it was back.
“I’m going to grab a tincture from the Healing quadrant that might help the muscle spasms. I’ll hurry.” Fyom retreated out the door in swift steps.
I grabbed a cloth from the washroom and wiped away sweat, feeling his muscles twitch underneath my touch.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered. “I had…I had hoped we fixed it somehow.” Peiro’s brown and silver eyes flashed wide as he sat up faster than I could register.
His fingers gripped my wrist tightly and an animalistic snarl escaped his chest.
The squeeze turned into a vice grip, the pressure magnifying with each rapid breath.
His face contorted as his lips pulled back on the right side of his face, his canines showing more the wider the sneer formed.
He leaned in closer, a conflicted crazed look overpowering his features.
His other hand found my throat, squeezing until hardly any air could enter.
“Peiro?” I choked as I tried to beat his arm with my free hand. “Come. Back.” I gasped the words, stars forming in my vision as a cloud of black laced the edges.
Suddenly his fingers flexed momentarily, then softened to release their hold. Fresh air entered my lungs and pushed back the black. Peiro’s face crashed into shame. Someone pounded hard against the door but didn’t wait for me to respond.
Ora rushed in, panting. “We have a problem. It’s Ariadne. She’s here.”