{HIATUS} Éternel: Between Two Worlds (#3)

vii. Ice and Fire

Warning: This chapter contains a brief battle, including depictions of violence and blood.

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¹⁸ Upon waking, I burrowed myself further into the soft, warm sheets. Glancing towards the window and out to the horizon, the sky was a rosy pink, its vivid light extending and seeping into my bedroom.

Usually, when seeing the sun rise, I would feel utmost joy, knowing that a new day was starting, and all the troubles from the past day would disappear. But this time, I knew there was no changing what had happened. Now, the sunrise was taunting me with its radiating happiness. What would be so special about today?

Nothing would take away the pain of losing a close friend, someone I watched grow up before my eyes, someone I helped to come out of their shell and learn to love the world around them. She was gone.

I sat up, my body weak and tired. During the battle with the hunters, I had transformed and burned nearly every one of the hunters, but the leader managed to escape, proving the whole thing to be almost pointless. Of course, I got Toothless back, but at the cost of losing a dragon and a girl I considered my little sister; maybe even a daughter.

There was a quiet groan from beside me, and I sighed, turning away from Levi as he began to wake. I pretended to go back to sleep, pulling the covers back over my body and wrapping my arms around myself.

Levi groaned as he stretched his tattooed arms out, then he turned to me, placing his hand on my head to pet my hair as he leaned over me. I heard him sigh, almost pitifully, and he ran his fingers lightly over my cheek before he leaned down to place a kiss to the corner of my mouth. I had to hold myself from showing any reaction, and thankfully, Levi quickly pulled away and turned toward the window, looking outside as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

I heard Ghost whine as he trotted over to Levi, probably asking to be pet or just looking to be close to him. Levi laughed under his breath, and when I looked over my shoulder, he had lifted Ghost up and placed his front paws on his lap, petting the beautiful white fur on his head.

A smile broke out across my face watching Levi play with Ghost and wave his paws around, cooing quietly in a silly voice. Most people that knew Levi wish they didn't know him, based on his cold exterior and abrasive personality. But I was one of the few people that knew the truth about him. Though most would call him soulless, he was probably one of the most emotional people I knew. He just didn't know how to show it to anyone other than me. For all he had been through, it was a miracle he was able to trust me as he did still.

"You awake, Maya?" Levi suddenly said, not even looking back at me while he focused on the sunrise, still petting Ghost.

"Yeah," I whispered, sitting up again, the cold air hitting my exposed skin. My eyes wandered across Levi's sculpted shoulders and down his back, a tattoo of two wings across his shoulder blades, traveling all the way down to his lower back. He'd always told others it was to honor his family on The Bind, but in reality, he got it to honor me and the dragons. It was just one more thing I loved about him.

"Any more nightmares?" Levi asked, now turning around to look at me with gentle eyes, a rare expression.

"No. Just that one." I sat there awkwardly under his gaze, and, wanting to break the tension, I spoke again with a smile. "T-Thank you for staying with me."

Levi looked at me with an indecipherable gaze, his hand still petting Ghost as he took his bottom lip between his teeth, followed by a sigh and slightly raised eyebrows. "Of course, My Queen."