Flame Touch

Chapter 45- Melody

Don't you hate it when your grandma stabs your friend's arm and twists the knife until he passed out?

Yeah, me too.

The sight of a pleasant little lady cruelly jabbing Taris was weird enough to keep me conscious because I would have otherwise passed out at the sight of blood. Ripping a piece of cloth from my shirt, I tried to tie a makeshift tourniquet all the while mumbling something incoherent and shaking uncontrollably. Thankfully, Semba raced over and finished the tourniquet.

"Thanks." I said, feeling sick as I nervously waited for Taris to wake up. He stirred and and opened his eyes with a groan.

"Morning princess" he said groggily and attempted (and promptly failed) to sit up.

"Morning to you too." Semba replied and set him against the wall to lean.

"Wasn't...talking...to you." he replied, his eyes clouded over in confusion.

"Sure you were. I'm you're pretty princess right?" Semba said, batting his eyelashes and inspecting Taris's arm closer. 

I almost hit Semba, screaming that it was not the time to joke, but Taris must have heard something else in Semba's jovial tone because his eyes cleared and he asked, "That bad?"

I stopped and looked at the wound. It couldn't have been that bad, only a flesh would on his upper arm, but Semba didn't reply. I put a hand on Taris's shoulder, "Don't worry, it's only a gash, I'm sure it'll close up soon as long as you don't use your arm for a bit" I said cheerfully and looked at Semba who tried to smile back. I felt my blood go cold, "What?" I asked to which Semba turned Taris's arm around.

This time, even the grandma vision didn't stop me from getting dizzy.

The dagger had cut through Taris's flesh and was perfectly aligned with the arrow mark that pulsed weakly. The flesh had gone a deep black and was pulling back, exposing more tissue.

"You've got to be kidding me." I said, sinking to my knees, "It was just a knife."

"A knife handled by a figure head" Semba said, "Our marks symbolize our power, but also are a source of weakness. A direct hit to a mark by another figure head-" Semba shook his head, "bad. Very bad."

Taris laughed, "Thank you for the optimism." he said, trying for a smile that turned into a wince. The two were chatting like they had met for coffee, but I felt like the world was spinning. Where were Knox and Sunny? I caught them from the corner of my eye, were they digging? I didn't care, my vision began to blur.

"Mel?" I heard Taris call softly, but I shook my head and held his hand. I could see his eyelids drooping.

"This isn't happening. You're going to be fine." I said, more to myself, "and you can manage the last two syllables" I added. He laughed, but I wished he hadn't because it sounded more like a rattle.

"Ok, Melody, I have something to tell you." he said, his voice a whisper. Semba must have sensed something because he got up to leave.

"No, you stay. And you can tell me later."

"Mel-"

"NO." I held his hand to my forehead, I couldn't see clearly, "you have to try a lot harder than that to get away from me hothead." I choked out and channeled all the grief I was feeling and thought of all we had been through. No way anyone, especially not a friggin jumper wearing goat and deer lady, was going to take anything away from me. I pushed out all the adrenaline, fear, anxiety, and hope.

"Please let this be enough" I thought.

And the world went black.