I’d been drifting in and out of strange sleep but I could sense that they were there; all of them were waiting and watching, hopeful for a sign. A voice had been there earlier too; it was soothing and tranquil. The hands that went with the heavenly sound had so lovingly cupped my own cold ones. But now they were gone, he was gone, but he’d said that he wouldn’t leave. Why had he left me, broken his promise? Why had he come to save me, if only to desert me now when I needed him the most? I didn’t like it down there. I didn’t want to travel back to whatever that terrible emptiness was. It felt sad there, lonely and unforgiving. I didn’t want to go back to that blind place. There had been many faces, many souls wondering in that nothingness. I wasn’t one of them but I was stuck; I needed to find my way back. I was afraid. I could feel I only had a bit more to go but something in the blackness was pulling me down, yanking me back by my ankles. At first the tugs were gentle, but then I would feel the blunt force, the pulling. I cowered in a corner alone, waiting for those warm hands to pull me out again. I needed them, needed them to help me breathe. I wanted to breathe. I had to force myself, force my body to do it. Open my mouth, suck in air.
“CLEAR!” a voice screamed into my dream world.
Why were they shouting?
“Again! Again Anchille!”
“CLEAR!”
“MaJkata, do it again! Come on Lina, breathe! BREATHE!”
“One more time! Do it, do it now!”
“CLEAR!”
Only a single beep held the room in suspension.
20. Resurrected
Hmm? The monitor beeped again. It was slow, but it was definitely working. What a funny sound, distorted, muddled. Everything sounded funny.
“Did she just laugh?”
“Yes,” Anchille answered in exhale. “Yes, I believe she did.”
“Oh Dieu, merci,” Etiennette sighed in relief.
“What about the fever?”
“It spiked around twelve but has steadily waned ever since,” Anchille informed Will. He was back! I could hear him. I was desperate to see him too, but my body still wouldn’t allow it.
“What can I do?” he asked. His voice sounded divine.
“Well, she is freezing now. Perhaps you could lay with her,” Ahkmen offered openly.
“Ahkmen, I don’t think this is the time to—” Aeolian protested. She stepped in front of Will. It was Isis who intervened.
“You’ve done quite enough for one evening; don’t you think?!”
Aeolian folded her arms. Everyone stared at her and she didn’t like it. “Do not make me to be the bad guy! I am not opposed to love.”
“Just our love right? Or how about Ahnri and his poor girlfriend who you nearly filleted with your fangs tonight!” Will grumbled at her.
“That’s right!” she snapped, meeting everyone’s pity. “I did nothing wrong!”
“If you say so,” snarked Charles.
“You nearly ate Ahnri’s girl,” Thomas added. “What a damn waste that would have been.” He held his hand up for his brother to high five. Charles grimaced and declined.
“And you kill two and three prostitutes a month, what of it?!” Aeolian sniped back at Thomas. Everyone momentarily gaped at him. He half laughed and stood back raising his hands.
“What? Not me,” he defended, then he glared at Aeolian. “Don’t drag everyone else down because you screwed up!”
“You have done that, actually,” Charles whispered.
Thomas made a hideous face. “They were full of the pox, half dead anyway,” he retorted. “And, it was a long time ago!” he rumbled at Aeolian, who pretended to file her nail. Will ventured toward the bed and she leapt in his path. He waved his hand at her dismissively.
“Step aside,” he ordered.
Under her breath she muttered, “It won’t change anything for the two of you.”
“Yep,” Will agreed acerbically.
“As long as you know,” she reminded. Then Aeolian stood down. I tried to make my eyes open as I waited for Will to touch me. I knew I was back but not quite able to wake.
“Don’t be afraid Lina; everything’s going to be okay.” Will’s sweet breath brushed my lips and face. One large spasm came and passed as his hot body pressed gently against mine. I inhaled him deeply and then everything went black for the second time. Only now I was alive and I was safe.