The Great War

XVI

I tiredly open the apartment door, Theo keeping close behind me. Yet to leave my side for even a moment. "I promise you, I'm okay, Theo." I mumble as soon as he grabs my hand and pulls me to my bedroom.

"Yeah." He mutters absentmindedly. He opens the bathroom door and pulls me in.

"What're you doing?" I ask, watching as he bends down, opening the cabinets below the sink.

"Looking for your first-aid kit."

I scrunch my brows and cross my arms. "Why?"

He looks up at me, "What do you mean why? You were literally bleeding, Daphne."

I shrug. "I'm not anymore."

He stands up and faces me placing his hands on my forearms. "That doesn't matter." With no further words he lifts me up without asking and sets me onto the sink counter.

"I— Theo, will you please just calm down."

He shakes his head and grabs a small hand towel from the cabinet and wets it down. "I'm fine." He places one hand on my cheek as the other gently wipes the dried blood from the side of my face.

"No, you aren't, you're shaking." He ignores me and tilts my head to the other side to get the blood off. "Theodore." I grab his wrist pulling it away from my face. "Take a moment please."

His eyes find mine as he releases a pent-up breath. His shoulders tensed; he was very clearly panicking. "I'm okay, we're all okay." He nods and silently pulls me into a hug. His arms were shaking and squeezing tightly.

I place my head on his shoulder and rub his back. Gladly giving him the comfort, he needs. "We're never doing that again."

I smile into his shoulder and nod. "Okay." He pulls away and cups my face in his hands. A small smile adorning his face.

"I love you, alright? I promise I won't do that again."

His eyes squint as his smile grows. "Alright." I cup his face in return and press a small kiss to his cheek.

"Hey guys! Where are you? I got the books!" Lilium yells as the front door closes. Wherever Theo had gone mentally he snapped out of and looked outside the bathroom backing away from me letting me hop down.

"Coming!" I call out after her. I look up at Theo with a smile. "Let's find out what the fucks happening shall we?" He nods silently.

𖤐

"Okay so, I managed to get that one document we read at the library, the one about the journalist."

I scoot closer to the coffee table and pick up the folder she had set down. "Really?" She nods, and flips open a book about the town's history.

"Who was she talking about though? None of these ever mention who she spoke of." I mumble and sigh leaning back onto the sofa.

"If she was born in 1720, and the school burned in 1739. She was 19. That note, Daph, where's the note?" Lilium got up and pulled me up, Theo stayed seated on the couch reading through documents.

"What why?" I rush out stumbling slightly as she opens my bed-side table drawer. She pulled the note out.

"She was writing this to her husband. Her husband who died in the fire." I felt my body envelope in chills. The room suddenly felt like it was spinning. "Daphne? Daphne, what's wrong?"

I move my mouth to answer her. But my body felt like it was spinning with everything else. It made my head hurt. "Theo! I need help!" Lilium grabs ahold of my arms as I loll to the side, dropping unconscious.