Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 145: Auditory Embrace

Chapter One Hundred and Forty Five: Auditory Embrace

Xaphile's face was on fire.

After everything that had just happened between him and Ella, he needed time to himself so he could clear his head, because as time passed he was finding it harder and harder to avoid fanning the flame that had long-since been ignited inside him.

He dreaded it.

Ella's starlit hair did a good job of hiding her eyes, but her ears were deep red and she was making a point of eating her food so she wouldn't have to talk. Not that there was much to say after what had just happened.

"I'm going back upstairs," he said softly, rising to his feet. "Goodnight, Ella..."

She glanced at him, and gave a jerky nod.

He wasted no time, walking away stiffly, taking the stairs three at a time, moving faster and faster, heart in his throat, blood rushing in his ears, finally wondering what had gotten into him and questioning his own sanity...

Before his hand could reach the brass door handle leading to the room, he heard something and paused, long ears involuntarily drawing back and raising a little bit higher higher. Confused, he carefully pressed his ear to the door.

Low, pained whimpers and groans were coming from inside the room.

Xaphile's heart turned to ice and he threw the door open, bolting over to his little brother's bedside on feet that made no sound, pulse pounding in his ears.

The moonlight cast the little boy's face in shadow, but his frail body was twisting and turning, further entangling his limbs within the twisted sheets.

Sweat coated his pale face and his hands were clenched so hard that his knuckles were white, claws tearing into his own palms and leaving splotches of blood on the fabric clenched in his hands.

Xaphile lunged, falling to his knees and grasping his fingers, trying to pry those razor sharp claws away from his flesh. His brother tossed his head from side to side.

"N-no..." he whimpered. "Let go..."

"Adariel, shhh," Xaphile whispered, shaking him a little. "Its all right. Calm down."

Tears began to run down the child's ashen cheeks and he violently thrashed.

"Stop! D-don't touch me! No! Stop! Please!"

Xaphile jerked back when he flailed, staring at him in shock.

His little brother's face was contorted with an awful expression of pain and fear.

"Please," he rasped, slowly falling still and breathing raggedly. "Don't hurt me anymore..."

Xaphile's heart broke into pieces.

Snapping out of the funk he'd been in, he shook the kid's shoulder as carefully as he could.

"Adariel," he murmured. "Adariel, you have to wake up. Come on, buddy, wake up."

The little boy abruptly shot up from the bed with a strangled shriek, and when he saw Xaphile he lunged away with a frightened yelp, legs entangling in the sweat dampened sheets and causing him to fall out of bed.

Thrashing to get free, he kicked the sheets off and swiftly backed away, rapidly crawling across the carpet into the wall. His eyes were wild, glinting in the moonlight, pupils dilated, and Xaphile could tell that it wasn't him that the child was seeing... he was stuck in his nightmare.