The Source (Chronicles of the Elements #1)

Chapter 25

Aiden was hesitant to open her eyes still wanting to retreat to spend more time with Niall because she wasn't sure she was ready to face the emotions that would come as soon as she woke, but she knew she must. Opening ears first, she listened to see who was present before making it known that she was rousing, but fury hit her hard and boiled her blood as she heard Olc scolding Imogen.

"Why can you not wake her?"

"She has gone far within her own mind to deal with the trauma. Only she can wake herself. It goes too deep for any healer of any power to do it for her."

"Did you heal her body?"

"Yes," Imogen replied with fear.

"Enough for her to conceive again immediately?"

"Yes, but...but it's dangerous for her to do so."

"What do you mean? I took you and your sister because your healing powers were somehow showing even before your battles proving the strength of it and was gracious enough to enhance them with forbidden magic. You owe me for your wretched life!"

"There are certain things that take time even with magical assistance. I am doing everything I can to speed it along, but conceiving again within the next couple of days could result in the pregnancy not surviving the full term, especially if you try and progress it along quickly with your magic."

"How long?" he barked as he attempted to cast the spell on Aiden that weighed her magic down, but it bounced right off as if she had brushed it away with a simple wave of her hand.

"She needs at least a week if not two."

"She gets two days, and then I will have her! You send word as soon as she begins to stir, or I will make your sister's death look like a mercy!"

Aiden kept still and quiet even after she heard Imogen breakdown hysterically which signaled Olc had departed, but she was not going to risk her alerting him out of sheer terror. After a few minutes, Imogen quieted down, and Aiden heard her rearranging things on the bedside table in what was probably an effort to calm her nerves.

Opening her eyes only enough to take in the scene of the room, she assessed Imogen wondering if the female was brave enough to not call Olc immediately. She had to attempt it, but before Aiden could sit up, a flash of light appeared behind the healer immediately followed by her falling to the floor revealing Fiadh standing over her.

"Fi?" Aiden gasped as she bolted up out of the bed.

"It's me, Ai! Do you want me to tell you the story of the holiday ball when we were sixteen when you finally got up the nerve to ask the Captain of the Guard to dance? Or I can tell you about the time we made Valkyrie wings and stole armor from the armory."

"It is you. How are you here? Why are you here?"

Fiadh went to Aiden and pulled her in tight. "I know about the baby. Liam told me."

"Does he hate me for not protecting him?" Aiden worried as her eyes began to pour.

"Of course he does not hate you. He loves you! It is killing him that he cannot be here to help you through this terrible loss."

Aiden sobbed harder as Fiadh began tearing up as well hurting for her friend and what she had endured while wishing she could allow Aiden more time to grieve, but she knew time was limited. "We have to get out of here, Aiden. Do you have any idea how we can break the wards keeping you locked in?"

Aiden immediately stopped crying and looked to Fiadh with pure, unfiltered wrath in her eyes that began shining like molten metal. "I will bring this entire mountain range crashing to the ground," she swore with icy violence coating each syllable.