Blessed By The Moon

Chapter 31

In the morning, the air between us settled, the frantic energy from before fading into something slower, softer. We lay there, side by side, our bodies still tangled but our breathing steady now. Axe traced slow circles on my arm, his touch feather-light, absentminded. Neither of us spoke for a while. There was no need to.

I let myself just exist, no battles, no carefully constructed masks. Just warmth, just the rhythmic rise and fall of our chests in unison. His fingers trailed through my hair lazily, and I let my eyes flutter shut, pressing my face against his shoulder.

"You're thinking too much again," he murmured.

I exhaled a small laugh. "I always think too much."

He turned onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at me. "Then stop," he said simply, brushing his lips against my forehead. "Just be here. With me."

And I did, I was.

I tried, at least.

What is wrong with me? Axe is my choice, Axe has always been my choice.

We stayed like that for a long while, lost in the quiet, until a soft knock broke the stillness.

I pulled myself up, we got dressed quickly and reached for the door. The doctor stood in front of us, his face unreadable as always, but next to him, Jenny was grinning.

"She's awake."

I lunged forward, throwing my arms around the doctor in a tight hug. He stiffened slightly, clearly not used to this kind of affection. "If you don't mind, I have other patients to tend to, Luna" His voice was stoic, his steps silent as he quickly walked away.

Axe smiled and stepped back. "I just mind-linked everyone. I'll head over first."

I let him go, smiling after him.

Jenny stepped beside me, looping her arm through mine, but the moment her fingers brushed my skin, her entire body went rigid. Her pupils blew wide, her irises swallowed by an unnatural, pitch-black void. A vision.

I froze. "Jenny?"

She didn't respond. She stared into nothing, lips parted slightly, her breath slowing as if something was pulling her away from this moment, dragging her somewhere far, far away.

Then, just as suddenly, she snapped back. Her eyes returned to normal, but the expression on her face sent a cold shiver down my spine.

She was terrified.

"Be wise about your choices, Echo," she whispered, her voice distant, hollow. "Or it'll end with death and dead bodies surrounding you."

My blood turned to ice. "Whose death?" I demanded, my voice breaking. "Mine? Someone else's?"

Jenny didn't answer. She just grabbed my wrist and dragged me toward Gem's room. "That's all I know, I'm sorry."

My stomach twisted, but before I could press her for more, we were already there. Jenny shoved the door open and pulled me inside, where the others had already gathered.

Gem lay in the bed, looking exhausted, her face paler than usual, her body visibly weakened. She was alive, but she looked like she had been through hell.

Kaiden was at her side, holding her hand tightly, lifting it to his lips, pressing a kiss to each of her fingers, one by one. His face was unreadable, a mix of relief and something else. Something deeper.

I forced myself to breathe, forcing the private mind-link open. "What happened to her?" I asked the doctor.

His reply came instantly, his voice calm but firm. "She was pregnant."