I needed to heal him…
Fuck. I should have been practicing my magic more!
I searched my memories of healing Myel. It had been skin to skin, so I moved my hand from Vyns’ back to his cheek. Then I closed my eyes. I knew — atinybit — more about magic now. At the very least, I couldfeelmy anima, sort of. I still wasn’t good at sensing it or using it, but I was pretty sure I could feel it inside me: a sort of strange warmth which flowed through me. I bundled it up and pushed it down my arm and out through my hand, into Vyns, focusing on the intention of healing him.
But this felt far different than healing Myel.
Myel had been hurt, but not on death’s door for one. So, with Vyns, I didn’t know when to stop, and I grew faint as I poured more power into him. Second, as I worked, I began to see — in my mind’s eye — the injuries Vyns had suffered.
And when the full scale of them hit me, I lost my breakfast onto the paving stones.
Jesus! Saldrea had really done a number on him! I knew elves could enhance themselves physically, but this… this spoke of a rather horrific rage.
My newly acquired internal sense monitored the progress of the healing, and it was that which did me in. I couldn’t stop till the man was whole again, but that meantmore and more power, and long after my faintness turned to exhaustion I kept pushing. I healed him till I blacked out, and as I faded into blackness, I only hoped I’d done enough.
I cameto in my room.
Myroom, not Rook’s.
My blackened and charred room.
I hated this place.
I wanted to leave, but I couldn’t. Pain coursed through me. Turned out this worldhadn’thealed my chronic pain. Also, apparently, healing someone to the point of blacking out could bring on an episode. The pain wasn’t too bad, but I didn’t want to move for fear of aggravating it.
Strangely though… that out-of-body ache I’d felt before… was gone. In its place was a rather soothing warmth, like the perfect blanket over me. And given the smiling face of Vyns looking down at me — my head in his lap — I was starting to understand what that feeling might be.
So…thiswas my spirit?
It seemed Iwasconnected to Vyns after all.
I’d felt his pain.
And now I felt his warmth and affection.
“Hey,” I croaked, voice rough, throat dry.
“Hey,” he said, smiling down at me. “You healed me, I assume?”
“Yup.” I smacked my lips on the word, feeling a bit dopey as I matched him smile for smile.
Vyns’ brow furrowed. “You’ve been here less than a week, when did you learn to heal? And you blacked out… how are you feeling?”
Could he not feel my pain through his spirit? Was this pain-connection thing a one-way deal. If so, I’d gotten the fuzzy end of that lollipop.
“Rough,” I said honestly. “Don’t want to move. I get chronic pain when I overdo it and apparently… I overdid it.”
“Then just rest for now.” He stroked my hair.
God, that felt good.
“I felt you,” I said after while of simply enjoying being petted. “Your spirit, your pain. It drew me to you. I can feel it now.” Not sure why I shared that. Though, I suppose after everything he’d been through, he deserved to know. “I’m not sure if it’ssingingyet, but it’s humming contentedly right now.”
He chuckled at that. Then a shadow passed over his features.
“I might have died if you hadn’t found me when you did. You saved my life.” His hand stopped stroking my hair, cradling my head. “I’m forever in your debt.” The sincere devotion in his voice was… there were no words… other than… wow.
Vyns’ commitment was a big thing, and yet it didn’t feel heavy or constraining, but… liberating. Vyns would do anything for me and that felt… pretty damned good.
