Miracle

Pt. 54

"Lay her on the couch!" Max urged, his voice sharp with urgency, as Alex gently, quickly, laid Lily's bleeding body onto the worn fabric. When Jinx had opened the portal, she'd made sure it brought them straight to Lily's apartment, a safe haven, for now "You're okay, Lily, just breathe through the pain," Bill said softly, his own face grim. Lily took a shaky breath, wincing, and Alex immediately hovered his hands over her side, a soft, golden glow emanating from his palms as he began to heal her.

"Fuck, I can't believe he just burned down Nearon Village like that," Max whispered, sinking to the floor beside the couch, running a hand through his hair. Jinx looked down at him, raising an eyebrow. "Really, you can't believe that crazy asshole did this?"
Max simply shrugged, his expression heavy, as he idly played with Lily's fingers, her hand hanging limply off the side of the couch.

Lily let out a frustrated groan, rubbing her uninjured hand over her face. "God, I should have fucking killed him."
Valentine, sitting on the other couch, gently petting a purring Momo, looked over at her. "You did the best you could with the situation you were in. We had to leave to protect the villagers of Nearon." Lily understood that, at the end of the day, she had made the best choice to save the innocent lives, but it still gnawed at her, this gnawing frustration that it seemed she was constantly running away from the fight.

"When this wound is healed, I'm going to kill him," she vowed, a frustrated tear rolling down her cheek, making River's lower lip tremble slightly as she looked down, her bright eyes filled with sorrow.
Lily sighed before letting out a soft yawn. Alex ran his fingers through her hair with one hand, his gaze tender. "We hear you, baby, but please rest for now." Jinx nodded in agreement, rolling her eyes as she watched Lily shake her head, another yawn escaping her. "Nooo... sleep is for... the weak." Lily barely managed to finish her sentence before she was fast asleep, her breathing evening out.

"She really wore herself out," River whispered, settling onto the ground next to Max. "When she wakes up, be ready to kick Alistair's butt."
Bill laid down on the floor, stretching out. "We should all sleep in here, just to be safe." Jinx settled into the space beside Valentine on the couch, laying her head on his shoulder. River and Max also lay on the floor, finding comfortable spots. Alex carefully lifted Lily's legs into his lap, continuing to focus on healing her wound.

He subtly opened the curtains slightly, glancing outside, his gaze hardened. "I'll keep watch. You guys rest. The last thing we need is a surprise attack," he whispered, his eyes glaring into the ominous darkness outside.
Jinx looked up at Valentine, a question in her eyes. "How were you able to use your powers back there? Were you really lustful in that moment?"
He let out a little laugh, holding her closer. "I don't know how... I just thought about keeping you safe, and it worked." He'd never been able to use his powers without a conscious focus on lust before, so he truly must have wanted to protect her more than anything.

At that thought, Jinx smiled, hiding her face deeper in his shoulder. "Well, I don't need your help protecting me or whatever, but... thanks, Val. Let's look after everyone tomorrow, alright?"
He kissed her hair, grinning, and closed his eyes. "Deal, beautiful."

****

Today was the day. This was it. Lily felt scared, a deep tremor in her stomach, but also an unwavering readiness to face what lay ahead. "Alistair, get out here and face me, you coward!" Lily's voice boomed, amplified by her magic, as she stood on his penthouse balcony, her friends standing strong behind her. Jinx had used a portal to get them exactly where they needed to be.

Alistair, already expecting them, pushed open the grand glass doors, a smug smile on his face. "Oh, Lily, I was expecting you. You're so predic—"
She cut him off mid-sentence, a massive fireball erupting from her hand and hurtling straight at him, striking him squarely in the chest. He slammed back against the towering glass doors, the reinforced panes shattering into a cascade of sharp shards across the floor.