The Rise and Fall

18 - Regardless

Emiliana sat on the edge of the small campbed that Leo was laying asleep on. Once someone had finally bothered to fill her in on what had happened whilst she'd been unconscious in the woods when the Risen platoon had emerged through the trees.

She knew Ramiel, annoyingly, rather well. He was a suitor who one-too-many-times had tried to convince Gabriel that he was the right man to offer Emiliana his hand because he had the looks - apparently - and was quite the handyman during a battle - as he'd tried to prove when kicking the life out of Leo's ribs until the Fallen fighters had ambushed the platoon and he'd had set off running, abandoning his troop and leaving them to be completely decimated by the Fallen angels.

She'd learned that once she'd passed out, Ramiel had found the both of them behind a tree, where she lay unconscious in Leo's arms. Emiliana liked the fact that Ramiel had witnessed her in the arms of another man, but at the same time, she felt a pang of guilt twinging in her stomach and in her head because it was probably this jealousy that had led Ramiel to want to attack Leo whilst he was at his weakest. 

She watched silently as Leo's eyes searched the canvas ceiling. They had a film glazing over them, adding a dull shine, showing that he still was partially out of it. 

"How are you doing?" Emiliana whispered softly though worry still hardened the tone around the edges. 

"I'll be fine." Leo wheezed, trying to sit up with his elbows propped up. "They gave me some of the Healer, so I'm healing already." He flopped back down as the force pressured down on his already weak arms and Emiliana pounced forward to see if he was okay. He let his fingertips brush over Emiliana's hand that she was practically clutching onto and she calmed down a tad. 

The curtain screeched on the rail that divided the small campbed from the rest of the medical tent and Haven appeared around it, retrieving his arm from the curtain. He stood over the bed and stared down at Leo without even glancing in Emiliana's direction. Emiliana raised her eyebrows and looked back at Leo, who was smiling at Haven. 

"How're you doing, Leo?" Haven asked. 

"I'm healing," Leo answered quickly, subconsciously rubbing his thumb up and down Emiliana's hand as she clasped onto it. "I'll be up before sunset, then we can plan an attack."

Haven lifted up the palms of his hands and shook his head. "No need. Your friend here has already done that."

Leo glanced at Emiliana and she shrugged and smiled wanly, but to her surprise, Leo smiled back and let his head hit the pillow. At least now he could rest. 

He didn't notice Haven eyeing up Emiliana as she watched Leo with eagle eyes, wincing at the occasional crack of his healing ribs. Haven watched her every move as discreetly as he could, noticing how she reserved herself a little in her environment, or how she seemed to act as though she was aware of his constant staring; she shifted uncomfortably quite a lot until she stood up quickly. 

"I'll be back in a minute, just need a drink," she excused herself and rolled her eyes as she pulled back the curtain so that she could escape out of the tent without Haven's eyes following her like she'd noticed they had been doing. She shook her head as she made for the door but something grabbed her wrist and basically threw her into the cubicle just next to Leo's. She slipped over the bed and tried not to go flying at the force of the push and she knew she couldn't use the tent canvas wall to stop herself because she'd probably rip through it and she didn't need that nurse whining at her again. 

"What are you playing at?" Haven's snarl rung in Emiliana's ears and she quickly noticed that his fist was clenched around the fabric of her top just beneath her chin. She yanked herself away from him and stepped back, looking at him with a sharp expression of distaste, her mouth pouting a little with confusion. 

"I don't know what you are talking about," Emiliana blinked slowly and let out a sigh, trying to make herself look as innocent as she could, though every time she tried, it just looked as though she was hiding something. 

"Leo has a huge influence in the Fallen kingdom, he's rising in society and you're going to ruin everything," Haven hissed at her as she brought her index finger to her lips and signalled towards the canvas wall behind her where Leo was still resting up. 

"I'm not trying to play anything." Emiliana whispered whilst still attempting to bite back. "Didn't I just help you plan an attack on the people that I lived with for my entire existence?" 

"How do I know that you aren't just leading us to be slaughtered?" Haven answered, crossing his arms as Emiliana raised her eyebrows, trying to see past the paranoia that Haven was radiating out of him like heat. 

"Yes, because I'm still loyal to the man who lied to me for eight hundred years, surgically removed my wings and forced another to give up theirs so that they could be stitched onto my back, and then stabbed me in the side when I confronted him. Because that makes sense, Haven." Emiliana spat sarcastically, waving her arms around to emphasise how annoyed she was right now. "I want him dead just like you. Only, you can't do it without me, but I can do it without you, so you either stick to my plan and I'll keep quiet and I'll oblige, or you can be an ass-hat and I'll make life worse for you."

Haven grabbed her shirt again and made perfectly sure that she could see the malicious, deathly look in his eyes. "Hurt Leo, and I hurt you, regardless."

Emiliana narrowed her eyes snidely and removed Haven's fist from her shirt calmly. If he wanted to play that game, then so would she. She sauntered over to the curtain and pulled it back about half a metre so that she could step out. Just as she disappeared around the curtain, she looked back and smirked. 

"Then you might want to keep Mira close." She whispered calmly and disappeared round the edge of the curtain and out of the tent altogether. 

Oh yes. 

The old Emiliana was back. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Guys, I'm freaking out like crazy. 

Results day in two days. 

I can't even.

I don't want to think about it.  

It scares me.

Hehee, are you getting your exam results? Or did you just get your A-Levels?

Gonna go cry again. Vote, comment, follow, pray for me?

Haha, seeyyaa soon

~ Clauds x x x