To Bewitch a Devil

Chapter 299  I feel sleepy

Neera ran the fastest she had ever run in her life. She was barely aware of Azriel limping his way over to Zavian from another end of the field, and Freya screaming, a helpless hand stretched out to her brother.

She ran through smoke, over bodies, her heart thumping, the wind carrying her, her lips housing a plea that sat on her tongue.

Zavian couldn't die, Aloysius couldn't win.

She saw the plaque sword Aloysius had kicked over, saw her weak Zavian, and the dagger raised to stab him right at his heart.

She jumped for the sword and rolled over to Zavian just as Aloysius's dagger shot down at Zavian.

….

Zavian tried to fight back.

He tried, but even he knew his end had come.

He had always heard that one's life flashes before one's eyes before one dies, but he had always thought the saying belonged to humans, born from an intense fear of death, looking for the one who was the most likely to save them, or follow them as the darkness of their end took over.

But as death stared him in the face, Zavian knew this to be true. And all that flashed before his eyes was Neera.

Her beautiful silver hair.

The warmth of her company.

The healing magic of her laugh.

The infectiousness of her joy.

The litheness of her voice.

She engulfed him like sunlight, soft and bright, and he welcomed the embrace.

But then, Neera was in front of him, her silver her flashing before his eyes, and as Aloysius's dagger came down on him, he heard her cry out.

…

Aloysius's eyes shifted between confusion, then shock, then disbelief, and finally, panic.

Neera drove the sword deeper into his chest, and the pain soared through her. White clouded her vision as she stared at Aloysius's dagger blade burrowed deep in her chest.

Aloysius backed away, and Neera's hand fell from the hilt of the plaque sword. Aloysius stared at the blade in his chest, still with that unbelieving expression, and back at Neera.

"Neera!" Zavian's hands were holding her face, her arms, everywhere. She held back the cough, her body strung tight with pain, and she saw what happened before her.

Aloysius splintered into flames and tiny sparks swan in her vision. Far off, she could make out Lydia and Uriel running to save Aloysius, and they were both combusted, vanishing the same way as Aloysius. All around them, the enemy's soldiers went into fireworks, disappearing back to where they all came from, and where they all belonged.

Neera almost didn't believe the victory, wanted to laugh and cry and hug Zavian who placed her on his thighs, wanted to tell him to treat his wounds, to be okay.

He had to be okay, for her.

"Neera, stay with me," panic so raw coated his words, begging, crying, trembling. "Neera, you are going to be okay, just stay with me."

Neera managed a smile, the one action that didn't hurt her to do. "We won, Zavian."

"Yes, we did, so I need you to stay with me, Anna will be here," his eyes searched frantically, and he yelled for Anna in desperation that Neera almost told him to keep out the noise because her world was growing quiet.

"She will be here," Zavian said to her. "Neera," Neera felt a tap on her cheek. "Don't close your eyes, stay here with me."

"But I feel sleepy," she said.

"No, you will sleep later. In our chamber, and I will be there next to you when you wake up," he promised. His words sounded like a beautiful dream. "I will hold you till you are fine. And I will bring you food in bed every day. You won't have to lift a finger to do anything, so please, just hang on, Neera, for me. There is so much I have to tell you."

There is so much I want to tell you too.

She coughed, and pain gutted her everywhere she was dizzy from it.

"Neera, please," Zavian begged. Something rained down on her face, his tears. Neera reached a hand to his face, and he leaned into it, pressing a kiss to the cut on her palm.

"I want to hear it all," Neera said.

Then promise me you would stay." Zavian's voice was strained.

"You can start telling me now," Neera offered, her voice cracking. "Then you can continue as we ride back to the castle. Talk to me, Zavian, let me keep myself awake by listening to you."

Zavian's face fell apart as more tears squeezed out between his closed eyes. There was no dagger to his heart, yet it felt like someone had ripped it out and torn it into tiny bits.

 He pressed his forehead to Neera, and let out a loud sob.

"First of all," he began, exercising as much control as he could muster to hold back the tears. "I have always loved you, Neera. Forever have. And more than anything, I wanted only to win this war for you."

She smiled. "You have."

"And I forgive you, Neera. You don't deserve my anger. I was blinded by it, and I am sorry. Neera, please, I am so sorry." More tears fell. "Please don't leave me. Anna will be back soon. Stay with me. I love you, Neera."

Something warm wrapped around her, like an invisible blanket. It was beautiful, and heat tingled from the tip of Neera's fingers all the way down to her toes, and she was transported to an illusion of one of the mornings after the war. It was so real, and she was before the fireplace, warming herself from a cold morning, and Zavian seated next to her, an arm draped around her shoulders.

But there was something else. She could see the children, a golden-haired girl, and a silver-haired boy, both agile with quick feet running around, doing all the hyper things children do. She could almost smell the tea cozied in her palms; mint. Could almost feel the thick winter clothes Zavian wore; made of wool from a bear, that brushed against her hand. And she could smell the food being served, roasted duck and potatoes.