cascade | kotlc

9. Regret That Night For the Rest of My Days

your explanation for the previous chapter. some of you might be able to figure out the plot twist(?) in chapter 34 at right about word 2500, if you understand how fitz's new ability works.

tw: transphobia

-

"I think we need an explanation," Elwin said, and Fitz gasped, inhaling the suddenly fresher air as the Healing Center yanked away the golden light and brought him back into the present.

Tam and Linh were staring at them too, with startled expressions. Fitz wondered what must've happened when they were away in the- whatever that was. It was definitely his new ability, though.

"Your eyes are gold," Linh noted, pointing to June, who did indeed have gold sparkles in her eyes, kind of like Sophie's, which lookd like the time she'd been light poisoned. Faye's were glassy with a reflective coating of gentle amber hues, and Fitz wasn't sure what his looked like. Probably not great.

Electricity cackled and Faye gulped, her mouth swallowing nothing. June cast her gaze at her, then at her sister, before leaving them on Fitz. Her mouth hovered open.

"What just happened?" Sophie finally dared to ask.

"I'd like to know that as well," Elwin said.

A glint of golden light off Faye's eyes, and Fitz stared at his own palms, tracing the gentle creases that curved from between his fingers to his wrist. Tick-tock. That strange chiming was still there, stored away in a hidden chamber of his mind.

What had just happened? Honestly, he had no clue. But his friends were staring at him, as if he knew, and even June looked pathetically concerned.

He wished he could understand it, but he didn't, and the truth was so darned elusive. He could feel it in his grasp, but it felt oily, sly, slipping away fleetingly.

The tick-tock stopped, barely, had it?

His forehead ached, and his body flared with pain again, so he had to stagger over and clutch his throat, taking deep and raspy breaths. The panicked sweat coming from June's eyebrows washed away and she hurried over, letting him rest his chin in her hands, and his breathing steadied. Slowly.

"Alright," June whispered, her entire body trembling.

Alright, Fitz thought. But no. It wasn't alright. Fuck, nothing was right. Nothing made any sense. Tick-tock. How was it back again?

Some cool breeze trickled over his forehead, cooling his temperature, and sweet aromas filtered up his nose, calming him with its honeysuckle taste. And finally, his mouth opened and he could talk again.

He could talk, but he didn't, merely shaking his head. June's eyebrows softened and she fully climbed onto the cot, folding her legs beneath her and kneeling on the bedsheets to tend to his waist.

"You're bleeding," she muttered softly, applying a thick white salve.

He was? He didn't even notice, but he glanced down and yes, he was. There was a thin gash running down the side of his body, not even leaking blood, but it was tainted dark and red. Where did it come from? Nowhere? Or was it his...

Ability, sacrificing himself?

Things just became twenty thousand times more complicated.

He tried to move, but June stopped him as she examined her body. She found another cut running down his arm, and a third one over the small of his back. The wounds didn't hurt -- heck, they weren't even detectable -- but the salve was numbing and gradually he couldn't feel anything except June's gentle touches on his skin. It felt... nice.