Covens and Proxies

60

It's another three days of pacing Slenderman's hall, stress killing, eating and almost no sleep before he opens his doors to let her out. In her hand is a golden glowing mass, like the magic in the giant glass tubes in the complex. Except it doesn't reek of year-old shit baked in the Sahara sun. Her smile is soft and small, leading the way to the doctor's office. Everyone we run into, which is almost half of the mansion, falls in behind us to see what happens. Clustered around Dr. Smile's mini emergency room, we watch her convince the medical consultants and Liu to step into the hall.

She takes one of his drips off, carefully kneading the mass of energy into the pocket and putting it back on it's rack. She pauses, looking at his grey-green-tinted face. If I'd blinked, I wouldn't have seen her kiss his forehead.

I almost break the glass, but since it's her initiating contact I keep it down. Liu looks shocked as well, though no one else seems to have noticed anything.

She steps back, everyone watching with baited breath as the cure slowly seeps into the tubes, sliding down to the needle and into his veins. The arteries in his elbow glow faintly as the solution spreads through his body with each heartbeat.

She steps into the hall, lacing her warm fingers through mine. We watch with the doctors, Liu, BEN and EJ as it starts to take hold over him. Another hour and his skin's gone back to it's normal snow-white complexion; everyone's also gone back to their rooms or out to kill or patrol.

She's gripping the door frame too hard, watching him and praying her cure works. I squeeze her hands, soft and small in mine. "It'll work." I tell her.

She glances at me, her eyes wide with worry and fear. I realise that, regardless of what she says, she terrified of what Slenderman will do to her. And not for my sake.

"I hope so." She mutters, her foot starting to tap. I pull her closer, arm firm around her waist and rest my head against the window. Liu paces behind us, EJ and BEN are playing some sort of finger game.

Another hour and his hand twitches. Liu almost breaks the door down, skidding to a stop next to his brother. EJ and BEN follow, though obviously less hesitant to be in close proximity to a freshly-awakened Jeffery Woods. Speaking from experience, it's not a good idea to wake the killer. At all. Ever. (Y/n) drags me in after them, standing by the wall to watch intently.

His blue eyes blink open, dazed and dreary for a moment before the sharp gaze of a hunter focuses them. He zeroes in on Liu, standing over his little brother and looking very relieved. Jeff's fist meets his brother's nose with a soft thud. Liu staggers back, his nose twisted and bleeding profusely.

Nurse Anne grabs Jeff's arm before he can rip out the IVs anymore then he already has, carefully removing them and patching up his holes. He glares at his brother, not having noticed anyone else until Dr. Smile blocks his view.

"How are you feeling?" The doctor asks, shining a light in Jeff's eyes and jotting down the results.

"I feel like shit. And I feel like someone better explain what's going on before I kill something." He growls back, glaring from EJ to Ben before finally spotting (Y/n) and I.

She steps out of my reach, which I don't really appreciate, to explain everything that happened after he breathed in her plague. She explains how she made the cure, how Liu came as soon as I called him about Jeff. When she finishes, he stares at his feet for a long time.

"Sorry about the punch." He finally mutters to Liu. He looks at my mate. "Don't let this go to your head, witch, but I'm sorry for being such a jackass."

She smirks, and I have to fight down a snicker. "What was that?" She leans forward, hand cupped around her ear.

He scoffs. "I said I'm sorry, whore!" He bellows, almost making her flinch. "I wouldn't have chased you outside Slender's borders if I knew the damn God Killers would catch you. Or that Liu would get in my way." He glares at his brother, who shrugs.

She straightens, not looking as cocky, "It was going to happen eventually. It was good timing, actually. I got to wipe them out. And get payback for you being a jackass."

She smacks his shoulder, walking back to my side. He sneers, hoping off the table and pulling his jacket to him. "I'd slice open your mouth if you hadn't just saved my ass." He stops, looking at his brother for a long moment. Finally, he grabs the older Woods boy by his scarf and drags him out.

Chuckling, I follow (Y/n) out and upstairs. She collapses onto my bed. It makes me pause, looking at her sprawled form over my worn blankets. She's so relaxed and open--so beautiful.

I let myself fall next to her, laying my arm across her waste. She smiles at me, her eyes shining so perfectly. Over three years and she's not lost an ounce of her enchantment.

"What now?" She asks, turning on her side to face me.

I smile, a million and one fantasies running through my head. "What do you want to happen?" I murmur, pulling her a little closer. Her warmth, her heartbeat, sinks into my skin and blood.

She hums, pressing her forehead to my chest. "I want to stay here with you for a long time." I chuckle and nod, running my finger down her spine. "I want to explore my new magic."

"We'll need subjects for that." I warn her on reflex, though she wouldn't have suggested it if she didn't have a solution.

"I know." Looking at her from the corner of my eye, I see a smile that makes my blood sing and my heart beat faster. "I was counting on it."

I have to stifle laughter pushing it's way up my throat, "What else?"

"I want to go to war with Jeff." She grumbles, which makes me laugh lightly. "And I want to keep being friends with Zemra. Do you think that's plausible?" She looks at me with her big, beautiful (e/c) eyes.

"We can make it happen. You might need to do some favors for Slenderman, but it's plausible." She smiles, distracting me from what I wanted to say next. I shake it off, watching her rest her head on my chest again.

We lay there, her warmth soaking into me. I can feel her pulse in my stomach, her chest rising and falling under my arm. Her very presence relaxes me.

I can't help but remember the first time we laid like this. "Can we try that thing again?"

She hums, sitting up so I can sit back against the wall. Her warm fingers brush my temples before we're sucked into unity.