They rushed Valentine to the hospital in Nearon, a bustling wing dedicated to magical ailments, where elven healers, their nimble fingers glowing with soft green light, immediately began their work. Though an incubus could heal, his body was severely injured, a testament to the brutal captivity. The healers carefully hooked him to an array of glowing tubes and intricate cables, infusing him with restorative energy to speed the agonizing healing process.
Four days had passed since his dramatic arrival, and he had yet to wake. Jinx sat, a constant, worried vigil by his bedside, watching his steady, shallow breathing. When she had seen him just fall to the ground like that, so weak and broken, it had truly broken her heart. He was wearing a ripped, blood-covered shirt when Momo had delivered him; the elf healers had carefully cut it away to properly access his injuries.
She had taken in his chest, a roadmap of fresh cuts and angry bruises, his black hair matted with grime, his lip busted and swollen. Jinx could only guess that whoever was holding him captive had tortured him extensively before the giant fluffy cat was able to rescue him, otherwise most of the less deep scars would have already healed.
A wave of guilt washed over her. She felt like she should have tried harder to save him, to find him sooner. She desperately hoped he could forgive her. Gently, she reached out, pushing some of the matted hair from his face. He stirred, a low groan rumbling in his chest, and his eyes, heavy-lidded, slowly fluttered open, finding hers. "Beautiful?" he whispered, his voice raspy.
A sad smile touched her lips, and she nodded, a tear escaping her eye. He tried to sit up, but she gently placed a hand on his chest, easing him back down. "Don't, you're still healing, Val. I'm so sorry you had to go through all this. I should have come after you...I...I..." She watched as tears, hot and unwelcome, rolled down her cheeks, and she angrily brushed them away.
He let out a weak, soft laugh, watching her familiar defiance, before settling back against the pillows, looking up at the sterile white ceiling. "I'm happy you didn't try to save me," he whispered, his voice barely audible. She looked at him, confused, her brow furrowing. He sighed softly, a faint wisp of discomfort. "You know what I was thinking about the whole time I was there?" he asked, his voice full of hesitation, a rare vulnerability in his tone. He turned his head, looking over at her, his dark eyes meeting hers, and something in their depth made her heart melt.
"What?" she whispered back, leaning closer. He looked back at the ceiling, his gaze distant. "That I missed you. But I'm glad you weren't stuck there with me. You're tough, Jinx, but you're not that tough. You would have died there. And I realized that... I'm... I'm kind of attached to you. It would really suck to see you hurt." she frowned, looking at the angry scars on his face slowly beginning to fade and heal. "Do you think me seeing you like this doesn't hurt me, Val? Because it does. Why did you do it, Val? Why did you do it...?"
He slowly sat up, reaching for her hand and linking their fingers together, his touch surprisingly gentle. "I would do it all over again, beautiful.... Jinx, I realized while I was trapped there that our relationship may have started out physical, but I love you. I think I've loved you a long time. I only want to be with you. You're like my family. I would do all that over again just to be with you."
Jinx froze in her seat, staring into Valentine's eyes.
This wasn't the seductive charm of an incubus; this was raw, honest emotion. Yes, Valentine was an incubus, but she knew, deep down, he wasn't using his magic to make her feel this way. He had always been there for her, the closest thing she'd ever had to family since the very beginning, slowly, steadily, making his way into her guarded heart. A slow, tentative smile finally spread across her lips. "I love you too," she whispered, the words feeling right, solid.
He carefully put his hands on the sides of her face, his thumbs gently brushing her cheekbones, and kissed her softly on the lips. He had never kissed her like this before; it wasn't about pleasure or lust, but pure, unadulterated affection. He poured all his loving into it, a silent promise of forever.
****
"Momo? How did you find me?" Lily asked, her voice full of wonder, as she sat at a rustic picnic bench, watching the fluffy orange cat gracefully walk around the wooden surface. It remained a delightful mystery how this small cat had managed to find her, traversing realms and distances. Yet, in a way, she was profoundly happy he had found his way back.
Momo was a tangible connection to her mother, who had given him to her all those years ago "I guess we'll never know how he found us," Alex said, settling onto the bench beside her, leaning his head on his hand as he watched the cat roll around playfully on the table. "When I tried to ask him earlier, he just blinked at me like he doesn't speak English anymore."
He then simply asked, "So, do you think you're ready to fight Alistair?"
She turned, looking over at him, a flicker of doubt in her eyes.
"I think I'll be ready after I train some more... Do you think I'll really be able to kill him all alone?" she whispered, looking down at her hands.
He gently lifted her face, guiding her gaze to meet his, his eyes full of unwavering belief. "Of course you can beat him on your own, Lily, if it comes to that. But you don't have to worry about going in alone. You'll have your friends. And I'll never let anything happen to you; I'll be right by your side, always."
She smiled softly, a genuine warmth spreading through her.
She leaned in, kissing him deeply, pushing her tongue slowly into his mouth. He moaned softly, a low sound of pleasure, as she pulled away, her eyes sparkling, and stood up. "You know, we hardly ever get any alone time anymore with everything going on."
She took his hand, pulling him up from the bench. "Mmm-hmm," he hummed, a playful grin on his face. "Jinx is watching over Valentine. Max is probably lost in a new game. Bill's taking a well-deserved nap."
He grinned, biting his lip. "But what about Momo?" he joked, looking over at the orange cat, who had now jumped off the table and was curled up, already dozing in the soft grass. "He'll be fine on his own," she laughed softly, tugging him closer by the front of his shirt. She leaned in, whispering seductively in his ear, "Why don't we get a room at the inn and make good use of this alone time?"
His eyes widened in delighted surprise, and he quickly lifted her off her feet, a joyous laugh escaping him. "Well, what are we waiting around here for?" he exclaimed, before literally sprinting all the way to the inn, holding her securely in his arms.
He burst through the door, quickly securing a room. He carried her inside and gently tossed her onto the soft bed before pulling off his shirt, his gaze full of anticipation. "I think it's time for some well-deserved 'us' time, don't you?"
YOU ARE READING
Miracle
Romansa***** Lily has always been a clumsy unlucky person all her life tripping over chords bumping into walls where a normal occurrence for her in her verily normal life but a traffic light falling on her head, was a whole new level of unluckyness who kne...
