Legend of the White Witch {#Wattys2016}

Chapter 17

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It takes every ounce of energy I have just to open my eyes. I'm laying on what is probably rock, judging from the way my back aches, in a dark room. Unpleasant waves of heat wash repeatedly over me, seeming to emanate from the very walls.

I feel like death, which is not an exaggeration since I died not long ago. How long ago was that? Four days of horseback, two of walking...then nothing. The last thing I remember is seeing the peak of Mount Inferno.

Something stirs beside me and I instinctively reach for my sword, although I know I won't be strong enough to fight anything off. My hand grasps at empty air and a piece of my shirt. Where is my sword?

"Alec?" a familiar voice muffled by drowsiness asks. I relax instantly, a smile spreading across my face.

"Edlyn." She's here, wherever we are. She's okay. She sits up quickly, almost knocking me off the ledge. My eyes are slowly adjusting to the darkness so I can see somewhat. They focus on Edlyn, who's leaning over me. Her eyes are wide like they don't believe what they're seeing.

"You scared me to death," she says. She half laughs and half cries before pulling me into a tight hug. In a daze, I hug her back. We stay like that for a long time. I don't even mind her closeness—normally, when people touch me, I hate it.

"Did I die again?" I ask, releasing her. She still looks close to tears. I hope she doesn't cry again. She shakes her head, smiling a bit.

"Nearly," she replies. She wipes underneath her eyes with her fingers. "How do you feel?"

I'm exhausted, thirsty, starving, I have a headache, my entire body hurts. "Where are we?" I say instead.

"Mount Inferno." Edlyn's eyes are bright, full of happiness. She likes it here. "You've been unconscious almost three days—the king told me you wouldn't wake up." She smiles again. "But I knew you would."

"King Cedric?" I ask. She nods. I've heard of him. Although he was put on the throne at a young age, he was mentored by his mother. She molded him into a great king. The fire fairies may be more violent than others, but they aren't cruel. Usually. "So I'm alive, you're alive, and we're with people who don't want to kill us." I allow myself to smile. "Something must be about to go horribly wrong."

She smiles too and lays beside me on the rock, gazing up at the cave ceiling. "I really, really hope not."

Edlyn is hesitant to let me sleep. She's afraid I won't wake up again. So she keeps me awake with constant chatter, mostly about her life in Achalia. When I first met her, I would have told her to shut up and let me sleep. Now, I want to hear all about her grandfather, the annoying woman that always followed her around, even her time with Peter. She's happiest when she talks about him.

While telling me about the day Peter was made a knight, Edlyn begins to speak slower, her sentences punctuated with yawns, until she eventually trails off. I turn my head to look at her. She's fallen asleep.

I study her face, my eyes trailing from her hair that's almost glowing despite the darkness, to her nose, and along her jawline. She has a smile on her lips so tiny that I almost don't notice it.

I don't sleep for a while.

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