Heal Me

9 hours

We lay on the bed, my head resting on his chest and his fingers gently combing their way through my hair.

"Stop fighting sleep," his fingers trail down the side of my face and my eyes flutter close, but I open them. He lightly chucked and I feel his chest vibrate, "sleep, my love," and I finally decide to let go of all my burdens and with a final deep breath, I close my eyes.

~~

I wake with a jolt and Zeke looks up at me with curious eyes. The letters.

"I need to go home," I try to get off the bed but he stops me.

"You cannot, why?"

"I left something there that I need to-that I need."

"I can have someone bring it to you," he offers, pulling me back to his chest but I refuse.

"I need it hidden."

"Alice, what is it?"

"A stack of papers. I put it under my pillow when I left and I need to put it back into my desk drawer. My family will go looking in my room for me and if they find it," I gasp, feeling tears form in my eyes, "they can't find it, Zeke."

"I will send someone to hide it, where would you like it put?"

"The bottom drawer in my desk, all the way in the back there's a purple notebook. It needs to go inside that notebook." I explain and rest my head back on his chest, needing him to calm me.

After a few moments pass and after I catch my breath, I decide to ask, "How long was I asleep?" I need to try to grasp any concept of time.

"A half-hour, it's probably 6 in the morning."

"My parents would be waking up soon. Maybe I can call May down here and she can-"

"Someone is taking care of it, love, relax, and sleep. We have a long few days ahead of us." I nod my head and he resumes combing his fingers through my hair.

"How did you-"

"An ability that pureblood vampires have is speaking to each other through our minds," he explains and I just nod my head, faintly remembering that.

~~

I hear muffled voices and I stir in my sleep with a groan. I feel a chilled hand intertwine their fingers in my hair, trying to soothe me back to sleep. Instead, I open my eyes and see Zeke. I look around to room and my eyes land on May's parents. I sit up in bed and wipe the sleep from my eyes.

"Oh, Alice, honey,"  Trisha rushes over and hugs me. She lets go and rejoins her husband and I feel an unsettling feeling wash over me. I look over to Zeke and I know right then that it was his feelings. This is weird.

"We have to be leaving for work soon. I suggest remaining here until we return," Nate says and he lets his wife take the lead up the steps. "You have 9 hours to prepare," he turns back and looks at Zeke with nothing but pure worry

"What's going on, why do we have to stay here?" I ask, my eyes still heavy with sleep.

"Everyone is monitored. Darius had guards watching over your family and friends. If even the slightest moment seems different, then it could put people in danger."

"Wait-the paper. Someone went into my house to hide them, is my family okay?"

He sits beside me and cups my cheek soothing me, "Your family is safe, they were informed of your disappearance. You wrote a note saying you are safe and call when you can."

"But what-"

"Alice, I have everything taken care of, you do not need to worry." Somehow his words calm me, "now you are still exhausted and to be honest I am unsure of how future events will transpire so I think it will be best you get your rest now," he pulls me close to him and pulls me into his chest once again. The feeling of his arms around me makes me think that the rest of the world is a dream because this moment right here, well it feels more real than anything. This is reality.

"How much danger are we in?" I whisper.

"It depends how you look at the situation. We are either fighting a battle we are probably going to lose and being idiotic to attempt to revolutionize against someone as powerful as Darius. Or we are fighting for the benefit of others and a change. We are fighting to go against a corrupt ruler who has done worse than any event that would happen to us within the next few days."

"So nothing tragic is going to happen?"

"Everything that will occur is a tragedy but the benefits will outweigh the doubts." I nod my head and close my eyes, trying not to think about what could happen but focus on his arms around me. I focus on the beat of my heart, each exhale of my breath that follows an inhale. The pure tranquility I feel next to him.