Numen (Draft 3)

Chapter 3

We were both laying on the couch and he insisted I lay down too, so I gently rested my head on his thigh and curled my tiny body close to him.

"Now, tomorrow I don't want to wake up to an empty cell, okay?"

"Mhmm."

"Sleepy huh? Want to hit the hay for the night?"

"Yeah, please..."

Gently, he lifted me in his arms and into the dimmed cell. He set me down on the blankets and made sure my wings were comfortable before he draped a blanket over me and stroked my hair.

"To new beginnings, Ari."

He'd also dragged my IV into the cell and replaced a new bag to keep feeding me. Then, I watched in awe as he dragged his pillow and some more blankets inside and shut the door behind him, but didn't lock it.

"I'm worried about your health for tonight, I want to be here in case of an emergency..."

"Master, I'll be fine..."

"Please, let me bunk with you... For my own sanity... My OCD's saying something bad will happen if I don't..."

With that, I nodded reluctantly and watched him settle into the blankets beside me. Then I felt his wing open and rest softly over me, like another blanket, except it radiated warmth and helped my freezing, achy bones to relax to be overcome with exhaustion. Slowly, I shut my eyes and nodded off, comfortable and safe after six and half years of suffering.

I awoke the next morning to find Connor still sound asleep and I ever so carefully manoeuvred myself out of his wing and then slipped out of the cell. I turned his kettle on, placed two slices of bread into the toaster and dragged my IV around in the process. His large windows allowed me to look out at the sunrise and for once, I felt well rested and healed in some places. I waited until the toast popped and I buttered them both the way he liked it before placing them on a plate and then on the table. I finished making his coffee, (he'd written his whole breakfast on a sticky note that stayed in the kitchen as well as instructions on how to butter toast the correct way.) His coffee consisted of black instant coffee, hot water, and nothing else. No milk or sugar or pumps of caramel, vanilla or chocolate like Loki liked it. Just plain and boring. I set it on the table and watched him stir and groan in the cell.

"Ari? Are you already awake?"

"Yeah, I made your breakfast."

I watched him grumble and utter nonsense under his breath and he looked at me with grumpy, still half-asleep eyes.

"Thank you..."

"I even buttered it the way you like it."

Connor examined the toasts then and his eyebrows raised.

"Aren't you an observant one...! What's happening today?"

Connor handed me his keycard and motioned to get the newspaper from outside. I did so and returned with it like a dog would with his owner, playing fetch. I sat beside him then and spoke quietly.

"Loki's also coming today... To make sure I'm what he wants..."

Connor nodded silently and then pushed the paper over to me.

"I want you to read these three articles out to me."

Yesterday, I'd told Connor that I only had my reading skill up to grade six, and now he wanted to test me.

"In the last twenty-four hours, Power Three Ivy has been located and captured, now living with her- sa-saver?"

"Saviour."