Aetheria Falling

A Measure of Ruin

The chamber trembled, shaking dirt from the ceiling. Aureus's eyes opened to confirm his waking suspicion, and he quickly realized it hadn't been a dream.

There were people on the other side of the door, ramming it.

They found us.

He bolted upright, gathering belongings.

Another resounding boom shook the chamber.

"Shit... Fuck! How the fuck did they find us?" he thought aloud, hastily clothing himself.

Despite Xiomara's objections, he'd won the debate over who would keep watch and prevent them from staying overlong in the Unseelie chamber. It hadn't been a tough battle to win, as Xiomara had fallen asleep soon after they'd made love. And despite winning that battle, he'd foolishly fallen asleep anyway.

He finished putting on his shoes and shifted his attention to Xiomara. "Xio! Xio, wake up!" Met with nothing but silent inaction amid another reverberating tremor, Aureus shook her. "Xio! Xiomara!" She rolled limply over to face him, eyes closed as if asleep.

She was pale.

Aureus shook her again. "Xio, wake up!"

The stone walls of the chamber shuddered.

Aureus himself trembled as a horrific possibility wormed its way into his mind. No, he thought. He pushed the thought away.

The chamber vibrated again.

Unable to tell if she still breathed, Aureus desperately checked for Xiomara's pulse. Nothing. She was cold.

Quivering hands hovered over her lifeless form as Aureus released a steady exhalation, trying to control the panic rising from the pit of his stomach. His heart quickened as suspicion and despair uniformly assailed him.

I did this...

"No. No, no, no, no!"

Despite his efforts to ignore the truth, clear evidence now lay before him.

He'd stolen Xiomara's magic—and, thus, her life. He'd been foolish not to see it before, not to think of it. Of course, she wouldn't have been safe from his ability.

He closed his eyes to concentrate and allowed his palms to settle over her torso, hoping in vain to feel the rise and fall of her chest.

Xiomara was still.

I don't want it, he thought. Take it back. Please take it back...

The ram struck again, and a muffled cry rang out from the other side of the door.

The stone shifted.

Take it. Take it back, please. Please, please, please...

The most he felt was a warm, tingling sensation at the tips of his fingers. Otherwise, there was little else to show for his attempt to give back that which he hadn't meant to take.

Take it back... Gods, let her live—I don't want this. Give it back to her!

The intruders' shouts became audible as they heaved, and the weight of their ram slammed into the door.

"Take it back," Aureus cried, voice rising . "Take it back! Please, gods, take it back!"

He shouted as another quake rippled through the foundations, "Give her back to me! Give her back! I don't want it!"

"Keep at it, boys! Bring it down!"

Another quake.

"Come back to me!" Aureus roared.