Hated to Loved

Chapter 18 : Flashback

Martha's POV

I woke up. Well, I thought I woke up...I could hear a dying fire and snoring. I couldn't see anything, still, though. I shifted slightly, and slowly took Ember's arms away from me.

Finally able to shift away from her, I probed my way around the fire and Ember until I thought I was a good distance away. I rose to my feet testing my ability to walk. It was still hard to adjust to being blind...

I stretched and listened. Other then light snoring, I heard the steady drip, drip, drip of liquid. I heard ominous roaring of cave spirits...and chatter of cave witches.

I had met a cave witch before, she had been wise and far stronger in her magic then I was. Perhaps she knew a spell to return eyesight to the blind? I'd not had my eyeball carved out or anything. It was only a powder of some sort...

When everyone woke up I could lead them there.

I frankly didn't even remember where we were going though...to some gem or portal..? I think? Aannnddd...we were lost because I had led us the wrong way...

Was that it?

I racked my brain to remember anything else, but couldn't.

So...Great! Gotta go to the cave witch, get eyesight back, and get back on track. Though...I was starting to feel guilty. So far this trip was just a bunch of heartache...for everyone...

Chase's POV

I started to wake up and mindlessly tried to shift my sitting position. Biiigggggg mistake. My shoulder, side and wrist all felt like flames had engulfed them. "God-" I muttered, breathing in through my teeth. "That hurts like hell..."

Light footsteps neared me. Oh shi-

"Chase? You over here?" Martha asked in a low volume. I tried to stay quiet and seriously wanted her to go--she was the last person I wanted to see right now. She was probably even worse then Thayne...

Unfortunately, it was too dark to see where she was and...she tripped over my foot. Her hands slowly moved up my leg, then up my chest til she found my face. I was too angry with her to think properly, and I could only imagine the small smile on her face as she whispered, "Found you."

I pushed her hands away, forgetting again about my broken wrist and hissed in pain.

Her hand grabbed mine--the one with the broken wrist--and she gently found my wrist. I fully expected her to squeeze it, or do something to hurt me badly, using the wrist, and my mouth felt dry. I was terrified to move or speak...terrified to be hurt again, especially because it seemed they would do enough to hurt like hell but no one wanted to actually kill me.

Martha started muttering..."Lets see...not used magic in awhile...hope I still can..."

Suddenly I felt a warmth enter my wrist and spread up my arm.

"Mn...A bone shattered...another fractured...mend the fractured first..." she said so quietly I had to strain to hear her. The urge to push her away intensified...I didn't need her help or pity...or whatever the hell this was...

A sharp pain like a needle entered under my skin, making me groan in pain and arch my back. Several more like that followed, before fading away like it'd never been there. "Fractured fixed...finding shattered pieces now..." I almost wondered if she was giving me updates, or if she was muttering that stuff to help herself know what she was doing.

There was more sharp pains throughout my lower arm and they all made their way to my wrist. There was a intense pain as I assumed the pieces found their way back to their proper places and she mended any muscle or nerves torn in the procedure, before I heard a sharp exhale and her hands fell away.