Of Fae And Fire [#Wattys2016] √

(|] 11: pain [|)

I let a strangled scream escape my mouth, but even that can't accentuate the pain that twists its way through my veins. I sink to my knees beside him, grasping his hands and his face. His beautiful eyes are closed, and when I try to lift his eyelids, they're misted and glazed over. I scream again, falling over his body. But I realize that underneath my heavy weight, I feel a faint heartbeat- one that doesn't belong to me. In case he can feel it, I kiss him passionately. "I love you," I weep over his blank face. He will surely die soon.

I find that the battle has stopped around me. Arrows litter the ground, blades dangle from fae hands. All eyes are turned down when they sense my pain. I stand up, gently dropping Faas' weak hand.

I face the huge crowd that has gathered nearby. "Do you know who I am?" I call. Nobody answers; they must fear my enraged expression and the sword that I still hold, firmly gripping the hilt. "I am the Golden One of Prophecy. And you-" I point a furious finger at the red haired fae "-just killed the man I love. And yes, I might be human. My life may mean nothing to you. But I have feelings. And so did he." I wipe tears from my face. "And Faas would have wanted this war to end. He would have loved to see a fae in silver and a fae in black holding hands, loving each other as much as I loved him. As I love him." Deep in the crowd, I see the faces of Farland and Ferin. While sad, they still glow. "So this war needs to end. Right now."

Before I can continue my speech, the red-haired fae- the one who killed Faas -lifts his coal-black eyes and grins that horrible grin. In a flash, he raises his bow, flicks an arrow from his quiver, and has that arrow pointed at me. And before I realize it, there's an arrow buried in the back of my neck.

I cry out, white spots dotting the edges of my vision. I fall back down next to my love's body again, this time only thinking about the arrow that has become a part of me. I gasp for breath, but none comes. And there, next to Faas, before a million eyes- black and silver, good and bad -I pass out.

···

The first thing that I think when I open my eyes is that this shouldn't be happening. I should be dead. I was dead- or at least dying. But I'm here. And two familiar faces swim into view.

Farland and Ferin are standing over me, eyes wild and faces frantic. "Holy skies, she's awake," Ferin breaths. "Meree! You're alive! We weren't sure if you would make it!"

I sit up slowly, expecting more pain than what comes. I reach a hand back to where the arrow struck. There's a long scar, and I can twist my head back enough to see that it's angry and red. Red. I've come to fear and hate that color. It means nothing but bad things for me. "W-what happened?"

Farland lets out a sarcastic laugh. "Well, after you passed out, Ferin and I continued your speech. Turns out that, if talked to long enough, even the cruelest fae can have their minds changed. So we have a meeting later where this war will officially be over."

"Also," Ferin continues, "after our speech was done and we called a meeting that everyone agreed to, we carried you and Faas back here. Farland and I worked together to fix your neck, and we called in the fairies with the strongest magic to help Faas."

I pause. "Wait. Does that mean..." Ferin nods, a smile slowly making it's way across her face. I fling the sheets back. "Faas is alive?!"

Farland reaches out a hand, slowing me down. "He's in his room. The fae fixing him have finished, and he needs to rest. So be quiet, and be careful. He's in a lot of pain." When I nod, he removes his hand from my chest and I spring up, nightgown whipping around my ankles as I race down the hall. I slow my pounding feet and heart in front of his room, and carefully open the door.

There he is. He's laying on the bed, eyes closed. He could very well be dead. He's wearing black pajamas, and is halfway under the covers. I cautiously make my way over to his bed and crouch next to him, gently stroking his hair. It's soft and slips easily between my fingers. Even though I'm doing it with as much care as possible, his amazing eyes open and he smiles slowly. "Meree." He breathes my name like it's his last word.

I gasp. "Faas. I'm so glad you're alive." When he starts to shift, I say, "No, no, don't move. Just talk. I'll listen."

He ignores me and reaches out a hand to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "I felt your kiss. Before I passed out. I also heard what you said."

I gulp, remembering those words that sound so foolish to me now. But he lifts his arms and pulls my face into his, kissing me. Into my lips, he says, "I love you too." I throw my arms around him, pulling myself onto the bed. I can't get close enough to him. I try to avoid his hurt area. I don't know how long I'm there before Farland calls me back to my room. "I have to go. Get some rest," I say to Faas.

But he springs up out of bed as if he was never hurt. "With the proper care, I'm a quick healer." He winks. "For me, the proper care is one of your kisses." I roll me eyes but kiss him as we walk back down the hall.

In my room, Ferin scolds Faas for being out of bed, but doesn't send him back. Instead, they explain to him what they had just told me.

"So who's this meeting with?" he asks, tipping his head to the side.

"Everyone."

"Well, who's in charge?"

Farland flicks a glance at me and sighs. "The Queen of Chaos."