For The Love Of A Snake

Chapter 25: Recovery

    While I healed in the hospital the boys had made a schedule to rotate who was with me. I was surprised to find out that even Jaxon was apart of that rotation. Sebastian however had the most time with me. The doctor had explained that I had lost more blood than it appeared causing my body to go into a form of shock. I needed to recover before I could leave the hospital wing. Somehow Sebastian and Jaxon had found a way to coexist although Sebastian had explained to me that he still trust him. I couldn't blame him but after he saved me I found it hard to see him as the same person. Ominous seemed to think that Jaxon was trustworthy and would go on about how "just because someone's family sucks doesn't mean that they are the same as them". I figured he was using his own personal experiences to justify it.

     Sebastian had been mad at me for leaving but after talking to Jaxon he let the anger go and simply focused on my recovery. When I came to after being knocked out for a couple days, the first thing Sebastian had said to me was "So you can take on skull seekers but a sharp rock had the ability to take you out?". I couldn't help but laugh at his teasing and found myself embraced within his arms on the hospital bed. Not long after Ominous and Jaxon also came to see me. It was odd seeing them all get along. The days dragged on but I got closer and closer to release each day.

      After three days of rest today was finally the day I was going to be released. Sebastian would be the one to come and get me when it was time. I sat up in bed reading Potions-Even Dummies Can Make Them while eyeing the clock on the wall in between paragraphs. I could barley focus on what I was reading. I took a deep breath and forced myself to stop looking at the clock. A deep voice suddenly startled me.

    "I don't know why your reading that. It obvious your the best in the school at potions" Jaxon appeared around the corner of the curtain.

    "What else do you I suggest I read? It's not like I have a ton of options right now" I threw a little sass his way in response. Even though he may be right about that I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed when called out on my potion making abilities.

     "I don't know" he chuckled "Maybe an Anti-Clumsiness book?" He said as he approached the bed and sat down in a chair near me. I rolled my eyes in response to what he told me. I knew he was joking but in all seriousness I was curious if something existed to help people stop being so clumsy. "In all seriousness though, I came to speak with you before you get released". I stopped reading my book and sat it down beside me at his words. We hadn't spoken of everything that has happened and I assumed we finally were going to.

    "Okay, go ahead" I nodded to him giving him my full attention.

    "You know that my father is after you. You're probably wondering why" he let out a big breath before continuing. "Your blood, could possibly be the blood he's been looking for. Your family name has a history of being extremely powerful wizards and witches. One of your ancestors had the ability to use a different kind of magic. It allowed them to heal people with a single touch of a finger. However, this magic could also be used for evil, they had the ability to also kill another person with a single touch. When the ministry discovered them, they killed them. What they didn't know though was that the magic could be passed on and that your ancestor had already had a daughter. His daughter was your mother".

     I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My mother had never mentioned these powers nor my grandfather carrying this insane ability. "There's no way I have those abilities" I responded to him convinced his father had the wrong girl.

    "Ruby. Even though it hasn't shown itself yet, you carry the bloodline. My father wants to use your blood to absorb the magic within you, to take it for himself. He wants to purify the world from muggles. He has this ideology that the world would be better with just wizard kind. Even if he's wrong about your bloodline he will stop at nothing. He's a dangerous man. He killed my mother" he voice became shaky as he spoke, fear rattled through him.

   I began to realize how serious this all was as Jaxon spoke. His father was clearly dangerous and unstable. Even if these powers were mere myth I was still in danger. "What have you told Sebastian?" I asked him.

     "Everything" he responded, "..at first he didn't believe me. Then I explained everything like I just did with you, and he came around to believing. Look Ruby, I understand if you don't want to trust me, but I'm done hurting people and letting my father hurt people. It's not who I am. I've let his anger control me my whole life. I know you have this magic Ruby. After the fight between Sebastian and I, something had changed in me. I felt released and free. Like your touch had broken whatever curse my father had put on me. Obviously it took a moment for this to happen but eventually I was freed. Somehow you broke his control over me. Maybe you didn't do it intentionally, but you still did it". He had laid his hand on my knee as he spoke, his touch wasn't romantic but of pure sincerity and care.

    "How do you know it was me and not just Sebastian knocking some sense into you?" I responded looking him in his ocean eyes.

    "I've fought like that with Sebastian since our second year. When you got involved I became more aggressive. I wanted to kill just to have my hands on you, but once I had touched your skin I started to feel something changing in me. It was like an electric shock. Then Sebastian ripped me off of you and pounded my head in for a bit. I woke up in the hospital unaware of what had happened, but I felt free. I no longer herd my fathers voice in my head". He no longer looked at me as he spoke, clearly disappointed in himself for the event that had happened. "I'm sorry for what happened that day. I really am. I know I can't take back what happened but I can help you prepare for what is to come". He looked at me once again, his face serious and sincere. His wavy black hair fell messily to the side as he stared at me.

     "So how do you propose we go about this then?" I asked noticing he seemed to have an idea spinning through his thoughts.

    "Well I think your powers manifest through physical touch and intense emotions" he flinched at his own words clearly worried I would punch him then and there. "Before you get angry with me, hear me out. I've talked to Sebastian and Ominous. They agree that it worth a shot if we could prove that you do indeed have these powers. If you had them you could learn to wield them and then we could have a better shot at stopping my father. As long as your willing to try that is. Sebastian will be here in a bit. You can talk to him about it all. We have a couple ideas but Sebastian seems to have one he thinks would work. I won't make you do something you don't want to do though. We can talk about it more later, I'm going to head to dinner. Just think about it yeah?" He stood up with a smile and left me with all this new information.

   What kind of physical touch was he talking about? What were their ideas? What if I really did have this power? So many questions ran through my mind it was overwhelming. Just as my thought began to run off in my head Sebastian peeked his head through the curtain with a big grin on his face. "Hi love" he whispered as he approached me and kissed me on the lips. His touch always made me feel warm inside.

    "What plan do you have?" I immediately asked him.

  "So I see you talked to Jaxon" he paused his grin now turned into a serious expression.

    "Yes I did. I'm curious as to what you thought would work to bring out my powers" I was a bit angry with him. He had come up with a plan without even speaking to me about it. He sighed in response to my sharp words.

    "I don't like my own idea" he said pacing back and forth, "...I want to see what would happen if someone else kissed you and then if I kissed you. I have this theory that when Garreth and you got involved together that you may have used your powers unintentionally. You were angry with me and Garreth became crazy, obsessed even. When Jaxon and I were fighting, you were doing things out of love for me, and suddenly Jaxon is now different, kind even. Like he's been freed from whatever demon was holding onto him. If you have those powers we need to know. I think this would work even if I hate it". He looked stressed as he talked, he seemed to be battling himself with the idea.

     "If you really want me to I'll do it. I'm not going to like it though" I huffed as I responded to him.

    "Well there's one more thing" he paused again, "I think it has to be Jaxon"