The Raven's Source

Chapter 45 - Healed

The manor was buzzing with people as they approached. Rose helped Cerno wrap his cloak around Sheja to keep her not only warm, but out of sight for a little longer.

"Let's head up to Shej and Leena's," Cerno said, turning and continuing up the path to the north of his home instead.

The home was cold inside as it had been uninhabited since the Gala and Leena was quick to get the fireplace going as soon as Twyn set her down in the living room. With her brother's assistance, she slowly waddled over to the couch and sat down in the middle of it, leaning back with her hands over her face.

"Twyn, I need some assistance. Could you come up here, please?" Cerno asked after descending halfway back down the stairs. There was no panic in his voice and it helped keep Leena looking calm.

He looked at his sister, "You gonna be okay without me for a bit?"

"Go. I need you to help her, too," Leena said softly. She knew Sheja was safe now so she felt no panic herself, but her heart still ached knowing Sheja was injured.

Twyn took the stairs in multiples and walking into the master bedroom, Cerno was already leaned over Sheja again, his hands glowing above her shoulder.

"I need your help healing her shoulder since it's a re-break," he said softly. "I'm pretty drained after tracking Leena, closing all of Sheja's cuts and even healing father twice...just to name a few of today's exertions. And I still need to help down at City Hall."

"I think you should have let the man die," Twyn said lowly as he came up and gently pushed Cerno out of the way instead of joining beside him, forcing him to his feet. "You and Rose go take care of my sister, I'll take care of Shej."

Cerno folded his arms across his chest and lowered his head. "Twyn, I didn't let him die because I want to make him watch Sheja and Leena thrive. I want him to watch their children be born and live happily here. I want Jhonnis to suffer knowing that he lost this war and she won. He can't suffer if he's dead," Cerno said as he walked to the door. "Yaya will understand."

Once Cerno was gone and had shut the bedroom door, Twyn gently cut away the top of Sheja's dress to better heal her shoulder. Even though part of one of her beautiful breasts hung out before him, he grimaced as his eyes focused solely on her injury. It was still completely bruised, the purplish markings actually having turned dark and spread clear across to her collarbone and along the side of her neck.

"This isn't how I was hoping to heal this for you today," he whispered softly to her even though she laid unconscious. "I imagined a hot shower while maybe making you moan a little to take your mind off the pain." His hand glowed gold again and it took several minutes before the bruising had completely vanished. The only markings that remained on her flesh was dried blood.

She felt warmth through her upper body and began to stir with a groan. She hissed painfully through her teeth as she had started to sit up but was quickly pushed back down by a hand to the center of her abdomen.

"Lay still, I'm still working on it," Twyn said softly.

Sheja's vision was still a little blurry as she looked up at him, but she could make out his gentle smile, his red hair, and his vibrant green eyes. She laid her head back on the pillow as she let him continue. Her shoulder was still in quite a bit of pain, but not anywhere like it had been. "Is he dead?" she asked.

"No," Twyn admitted.

"What!? Oww!" Sheja cried out as Twyn had put his hand on her shoulder directly this time as she tried to sit up, making his point about healing her still.