Indebted

86

Esti had been with Norman and Nigella, Atticus was nearby finally getting a chance to catch up with Fowl. Everything had been fine. Until a white hot pain had gone through Esti's back. She was terrified. She had felt the pain, felt a blade bite through her skin. She felt nothing now. It was hard to breathe. Esti's ears were ringing as she tried to keep looking at Atticus as she died. Until she saw Delia's face in front of her. The pretty witch had placed her hands on Esti's shoulders. Esti had felt blinding pain until everything had gone dark.

Esti sprung to sitting up. Hands reaching for her back. Trying to figure out what had happened. Finding nothing wrong with her. Remembering as she looked at her hands. Wriggling the fingers on each hand; She hadn't been able to move, had not been able to even breathe. Esti paused her racing heart by focusing on right now.

Three things about now. She was in a bed. She could move. Atticus was with her. Esti repeated her truths at least ten times before her heart rate slowed. She was missing memories. Atticus was sat on a chair directly beside her. Draped over the bed, sleeping. He was deeply asleep, and hadn't stirred yet.

They were in a luxurious room all done in shades of green. The sun was rising in the east, revealing a beautifully maintained Victorian garden outside the window. With a little pond shaped like a heart at the center and ducks swimming happily in spite of the colder weather. Leaving Esti wondering if this was a dream.

Esti was in a massive four poster bed, delicate white organza hung between the posts, a garden of wildflowers carved in the headboard behind her. Atticus asleep on the white linens keeping Esti warm. This could easily be a dream. A lovely one so far. Maybe this was death. 

Esti managed to escape from the bed without waking Atticus. All her limbs seemed to be in working order. As she hesitantly tested each leg. Esti took her chances and opened the door closest to the windows hoping it was a washroom. Esti silently opened the door and tried to pretend that her jaw had not fallen open when she saw the insanely opulent, modern washroom. There was a separate shower room, with more shower heads and nozzles than she had ever seen in a single shower before, with a marble bench built in, and Esti fantasized of being in that shower with Atticus. 

Esti took care of her needs, brushed her teeth, washed her face, brushed her hair. She studied herself in the large mirror. She was dressed in a simple tank top and soft elastic pants. Esti turned around and looked at her back. Only to see unblemished skin. Everything was fine. Normal. Like nothing had happened yesterday.

She had felt the knife.

She had tasted her own blood on her tongue as her body suffocated.

Esti knew something had happened. She just couldn't seem to remember what happened after being stabbed. Esti slipped herself back under the covers, and watched Atticus as he slept. She liked the longer hair. Loved the angles of his jaw. Esti loved the man Atticus had become. Thrilled that Opal was also newly impressed with the calibre of the man who had mated her to save Esti from execution.

They were not at court, Esti did not know this room. The view out the window looked strange and foreign to her. She had no idea where they were. Or what had happened. She looked at Atticus. He was so tired, she could see it in his face while he slept. Esti was willing to wait for Atticus to wake up on his own. More than happy to watch him sleep. Wishing he was in the large bed next to her instead of sat on a chair bent in half over the bed.

She loved him. Esti looked at him, and felt her heart leap. Felt everything, Atticus was hers and she was so happy to be his in return. Esti watched the sun rise higher as she watched Atticus sleep. Felt in her heart that everything else was ok. Opal assured her, that those she cared about were safe. Everything had been taken care of. Opal told Esti to wait for Atticus to learn more. That was human business.

Atticus tried to turn over, only to realize that he was asleep in a chair. Sitting and bent over. Atticus sat up, stretching his shoulders up and over his head, surprised to see Esti Awake and waiting for him. Looking at him with a soft, scared smile. "Hi" Esti said to him.

Atticus looked at Esti. Speaking. Breathing. Sitting up on her own Esti. Atticus sprung towards her. Wanting to wrap her in his arms, barely stopping himself from crushing her, "Oh gods, you're ok, you are actually ok." Atticus had not allowed himself to believe the witch had actually healed Esti until this moment. Atticus looked over Esti in shock. He had felt everything, knew Esti had been dying. "You are okay? Right?" He asked, hesitantly. She nodded, turning her body, her back perfectly smooth. No wound, no mark, no scar.

Atticus finally wrapped her up in his arms. feeling her uninjured, breathing body. Heard her heart beating strong and even. Moving to sit behind her, and hold on to her. Needing to hold all of her, have her scent surround him. He had been so scared. 

Both of them savored the closeness and privacy they had. Eventually though, Esti needed answers. "What happened?" Esti asked. It had all been going so well at the court. She didn't understand what had happened to her. She couldn't remember what had happened. Her memory was fractured with pieces missing. Esti needed Atticus to tell her what happened.

Atticus radiated shame that he quickly tried to subdue. "Myrrh stabbed you. Almost killed you, Delia has awe inspiring powers, she healed you." Cementing solid proof to all those of the Sovran court who had been present. The dragon court had seen a miracle. Aligning with such a power was wise and prudent.

Atticus's voice was wavering as he spoke. Holding Esti a little tighter in his arms in the large bed. "I was holding you, I felt you dying in my arms. Then Delia did a spell. After you were deeply asleep. Have been for two nights and a day." Esti was shocked it had been that long. "Norman turned around the instant you had been harmed and swung a punch hard enough to dislocate Myrrh's jaw. His face and hers equally surprised as they made eye contact." Atticus was glad he was holding Esti, and behind her. Atticus wasn't certain he would be able to tell this story while looking at her.

Esti stayed still, letting Atticus tell her what had happened at his own pace. "Then it was chaos. Magnus was yelling for guards to protect him, Nigella, Holly, Mace, Zinnia all screaming. The Council people were huddled together like sheep, Dotty had come from nowhere, singing a song without words as she bound Myrrh to the floor with air magic." Atticus had been impressed with the witch Esti had found while in the village.

"Marzipan was guarding Nightmother who now looked seriously pissed off. Night mother walked across the room, promising me that you would be ok even while I held your nearly lifeless body in my arms." Esti's breath hitched as the pain and fear Atticus had felt in that moment seeped over to her. "Nightmother stood looming over Myrrh, 'I swore that I harbor no ill will for crimes committed in the past, new crimes and their perpetrators were given no such protections.'" Nightmother had promised. Atticus had seen the look in Nightmother's eyes as she looked at Myrrh, and Atticus had known that his aunt had made a bigger mistake than anyone else knew in that moment.