The Space Between

Chapter 5

Her arm was on fire. Or so cold it felt like flames were burning under her skin. Abi didn't want to look, couldn't. She wasn't sure what had happened but she was so close to losing consciousness that if she looked at her arm now she would surely topple over. Her eyes betrayed her though, glancing over she could see why her arm was having such an odd sensation. It wasn't as if she punched the tree that her arm was in. It was as if the tree had grown around her. Her arm was fused with it.

She cursed herself when she let out a small whimper, knowing full well she had just screamed so loud all the birds in the area startled and flew away. She dug the fingers of her good arm into her palm to try and stave some of the pain from her now tree-arm. She couldn't take her eyes off it. Even with her vision blackening at the edges because of her racing heart.

How was she going to get out of this? She would have to cut her arm off, and she knew that the palace healers were good, but not good enough to grow an entire arm back. This would be the end of any dream she had of fighting in any war. Or just fighting, period. She would be happy if her parents just let her out of her room after this.

Her breathing had begun to quicken and she knew she needed to calm down lest she actually pass out.

That was when fingers grabbed her chin and turned her face to look at him.

Him being Fenrys, Abi could see him now that her eyes had been taken off the arm and her brain could catch up to her surroundings. He was saying things but her mind was still slowing to a speed that could comprehend sounds. After what felt like ages she finally understood what he was saying.

"-look at me and breathe. Okay princess, can you do that? For me?" His sentence finally slowed her breathing enough for her to let out a weak reply. Even though she was not going to pass out from panic there was still the possibility of losing consciousness from blood loss.

"What makes you think I would do anything for you?" She asked to show him that she was fine and would be fine.

Something in her tone must not have convinced him of that though because the concern he had on his face deepened and he turned to Lorcan, who Abi just remembered was here. Lorcan pulled out his knife and brought it to the tree inches above where Abi's arm was.

"Stop!" Fenrys yelled before Lorcan could dig his knife in. He paused confusion written all over his face.

"We don't know how her arm landed in the tree. Parts of it could now be spread out into the entire trunk, you put that knife in there and you could be risking her chance of keeping her arm." Fenrys explained. The explanation though did nothing to calm Abi's just keeping it together mindset. She felt her eyes widen and Fenrys saw.

His fingers had moved from her chin to cup the side of her face nearest to her arm, keeping her from turning her head to look and blocking her eyes from peeking. His touch was surprisingly grounding.

"I'm not going to lie to you Princess, this isn't great, but there is no reason to panic. You are going to winnow out just like you winnowed in and you will be fine." Fenrys' eyes searched her face looking for the confirmation that she could do this.

But, Abi didn't know if she could, she could see that the ground and roots at the base of the tree had begun to turn red with her blood, and could also feel the lightheaded feeling that came from blood loss. She had just learned to do this and she fucked it up already.

"You think... I can winnow... out?" Her question came out breathy and slow. Her vision began darkening again, the edges blurry and black.

"Of course you can. Lorcan over here said you mastered his power in two days, and he's the scary death man." Abi found the air to give him a small laugh. "See, and you were flying through the space just a minute ago, you just need to feel-"

She lost the end of his sentence as her head began to droop, the muscles in her neck suddenly weak.

"Hey, hey-" She felt strong but gentle pats on her cheek awakening her. Fenrys had lifted her head. "Open your eyes Princess, or I am going to have to winnow you out and then you will definitely lose the arm." She hadn't even realized that she had been speaking aloud earlier.

So she did. She opened her eyes, looked into his. He believed she could do this. She saw it. The look he gave her told her more than his speech earlier could ever say. The look said. You have strength. You have power. He said to her with his eyes. I am here, I am with you.

She nodded, the only strength her muscles had left. Took a breath, gathered her arm as much as she could in her mind. And jumped.