Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog :) This is part four of a little story I'm writing. For anyone who is new here, I would recommend you start at part one and work your way through. Happy reading!
When I wake up, for a second, I don't remember where I am or why am I here. The straw mattress underneath me is not familiar and the sunlight is coming from the wrong angle. I try to sit up in alarm, but my body feels too heavy.
I close my eyes to stop the blurry world from spinning, trying to remember. There was a man carrying me through the forest... I guess I must have passed out at some point, as I have no memory of coming to this small room with rough wooden walls and one tiny window.
I groan in frustration, trying to remember.
"Megan? Are you awake?"
My eyes fly open, trying to make the images come back into focus. "Andrew?"
"I'm here," he says. I can feel his hand squeezing mine, and slowly, his face slides into focus. He looks worried and exhausted, but unhurt. It all comes back to me in a flash. The wild dash through the forest. Thinking we wouldn't make it in time. The fear of Andrew dying...
"You'll be ok," he says, brushing my hair off my face. "You were in a bad way when Breg found you, but he healed you. He says you'll just be groggy for a while, but you'll be fine.
"What about you?" I ask urgently. "Have they managed to help you?"
Andrew smiles for the first time, nodding before I have even finished my sentence. "The first thing they did was give me this." He shows me a plain black, shiny stone that fits neatly into his palm. "They taught me how to channel excess magic into this so that it doesn't hurt anyone. Later, I will learn to control when the magic comes out in the first place, but for now, this will keep me safe - and keep everyone else safe from me."
I sigh in relief, closing my eyes.
"Andrew." I wait until he is looking at me. "You ran away."
"I couldn't hurt you any - "
"I don't want to hear it," I snap. "You could have died. Died, Andrew. What I want is your promise never to do anything like that again."
"Megs, you know I only did it so that I couldn't hurt you. I can't promise I wouldn't do the same thing again, because I would."
I take a deep breath, praying for patience. "Let's look at it the other way around. If I had the power of a wizard and my magic was destroying me, you'd risk everything to take me to the training grounds and save me. Then say I kept hurting you, not being able to help it. Afraid of hurting you more, I ran off into the wilderness, knowing full well that I would probably die there.
"What would hurt you more, Andrew? What would a few injuries be compared to my death? What would anything be compared to that? Do you have any idea what it felt like to be left behind? To think I'd seen you for the last time? You don't - "
I hate myself for allowing tears to creep into my voice, but I can't help it. After all these years, how can he still not understand? I can't live without him; he should know that by now.
After wanting nothing more than to see Andrew alive and safe, I find that I suddenly can't stand the sight of him. I turn to face the wall, giving him nothing but cold silence. The silence seems to go on forever and I wonder if he has left the room.
His hand tentatively touches my back. I ignore it.
"I'm so sorry, Megs," he says softly. "You're right. I didn't think. I'll do better next time, I promise."
I am not eager to forgive him so quickly, but I can't stay angry with Andrew. I turn around to face him and reach out. We come together, wrapping our arms around each other. "I love you," he whispers in my ear.
"I love you," I whisper back.
We stay suspended there for what could have been hours, or perhaps only minutes. Andrew only breaks away when there is a light knock on the door. Breg comes in, carrying two steaming bowls.
"Good, Megan, you're awake. Come, eat. You too, Andrew." Breg sets the bowls down, smiling at me. "He wouldn't eat a bite while you were unconscious. Said he couldn't. Stubborn man you've got here."
I laugh, reaching for the food, finding that I am famished. Andrew and I eat in silence while Breg waits patiently. Finally, when we are done, he stands, gesturing for us to follow him.
"Come on, it's time to meet the others. These people will become like your family soon enough. You should get to know them."
Andrew helps me up, half-supporting me; I guess I'm still quite weak. Breg opens the door and I see bright sunlight streaming through.
"Welcome," Breg says, "to the hidden training grounds."
To be continued
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