73.) Sprout

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The cloth was cold and i shrank away from it at first. My hot skin was to dofferent in temperature, making the difference startling. Dab. Dab. Dab.

Never rubbing the wound or the papery new skin. Dipping the rag in the water, pulling it out again. Crushing the water out causing a small rain into the bowl before dabing again. I dont know why I couldn't just lay in a bath. It would be over faster to submerg myself in the water but then again moving myself wasn't an option.

I saw Vihar peek around the door holding his book in hand. His face held an anxious curiosity.

"Pssss pss pss." I whispered as if calling a cat.  It didn't take much energy like talking. Vihar looked back from where he came and then walked in.

My brain was very groggy and I knew I wasn't thinking straight but I wanted him near. He came close and peered over me to my back.

"Dame you got wings now." He grinned. "Just like me."

I hummed a purr back at him.

"But they are tiny like the sisters." He said reaching out to touch them. Dante swatted his hand away with his tail and I heard him grunt at him.

"Does it hurt alot?" He asked.

I blinked very slowly.

"I'll read you a book!" He told me proudly standing next to the bed. I could sort of see the pages behind his body but not really. He seemed more than happy to be helping.  Dante continued to clean my back.

"The History of Celestial Meteor effects on Terrestrial Life."

I think there was at least three words i didn't understand him saying in the first sentence. The words sort of ran together and even when I felt i heard them it was useless.

I heard the animation in his voice as he read the text and how he taped the drawings on the page.

"That book is blasphemous. You must have picked it up in Pyros study." I heard Dante say. There was a dragging sound in the background and i tried to listen for the girls. It would have made me feel better if Talon wasn't in my space and next to my kids. Especially Jen. He was to unpredictable.

"Its true." Vihar argued.

"Dont let your grandsire hear you talking like that, or he will burn that boom to cinders. The older generation hates hearing about evolution." Dante warned him.

"Dame evolved." He argued.

"They will only accept her as a special case not the rule. A lesser vessel capable of producing offspring." Dante informed him. I dont know if his words or his dabbing stung more.

"I dont like it." Vihar stated.

"When you grow up you will have to accept many things you don't like." Dante told him.

"If they come here, I'll close the door so they can't come in!" He grumbled.

"If we dont let them in, they will force their way in." Dante said sternly. "Better to save face and receive benefits where you can than lose everything you have. When winning isnt an option, losing as little as possible should be your goal."

Vihar huffed.

"Go out and guard the hatchlings with Talon." Dante said shooing him away.

"This is my Dāmes wing. I'll stay if i want." He argued.

"Your Dāme is my responsibility now and her body is weak. Go out." He ordered.

I felt myself being raised up, my body was limp like a doll. The mattress was removed by maids and replaced with a new one. My clothes were also replaced much to my distaste. Something that a maid had brought from a drawer. I was placed back into the bed on my front.

"Monitor her condition. Ill be in the bath, alert me if her condition changes." He ordered them.

I could finally relax after he left. I wanted my kids back but I was in no condition to call for them and in this state no one is going to bring them back to me.

A maid came to take away the bloody water that Dante had used to clean my wound.

"Leave it." I choked out. I had plans for it.

I heard her place the bowl under the bed,out of the way and busied herself elswhere.
...........

Cerastes had woken in the night. No. He had been startled awake in the night. He doubled over in pain feeling the wind knocked out of his lungs. He gripped the tattoo on his arm, saw the red pattern there and was sure she was dying. He jumped out of bed and ran to the door when the the alert went off.

He couldn't breath. What happened to her? To their offspring? He ran. Up the mountain. Moving poorly when he ran because the pain was trying to consume him. He had to be there. Up stairs down cooridors. Cuting his nails into the carpet runners when he fell from the torment. They need to be together but his sire had seperated them. They dont understand. She is no different than an arm or leg, a piece of him.  She was in agony and she needed him.

In his panic he had forgotten that he had been banned from entering the High lords personal domain. But it dodnt matter. He needed in because they needed him. Cerastes banged on the door. Someone would surely come if he was loud enough. The door crackled with electricity and nausea and numbness rolled through him as the current ran in his bones.

He couldn't stop here. He moved back and threw himself into the heavy doors, over and over. A burning smell began to emminate from his skin. Kicking it. Clawing it. Throwing his body into it. The door didn't budge.

"Let me in!" He roared. "Open it now!"

But despite his noise no one came to the door. He started clawing at the joints around the door to weaken it.
The door must open. It had to open.

"Open! This! Door!" He shouted with each kick.

Maybe they would kill him for this. Beat him to the point he was unconscious. It didn't matter she was dying so he was dying. There was no difference in his mind.

"Young lord." A servant in dull brow clothes appeared. There was maddness about Cerastes. A cubric stare that went entered the opponents  soul and made them feel small.

"Open the door." He whispered. Stalking closer in an agile fluid motion that made every nerve in the young servant scream.

"I've been tasked with bringing you a message." He said bowing his head.
"The high lord commands that you return to the lower floors."

"Open the door." He repeated getting closer.

"The mistress is iss in stable conditition." He began to tremble. "And the lords hatchlings are all well."

"I wont ask you a third time." Cerastes said picking up the man by the front of his clothes. 

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