𝕸𝖘. 𝕴𝖓𝖋𝖆𝖒𝖔𝖚𝖘 (𝕻𝖆𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖊 𝕽𝖔𝖞𝖆𝖑𝖊 - 𝕭𝖔𝖔𝖐 1)

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕹𝖎𝖓𝖊 (9) - Revising (unfinished scene being added in)

"Is it almost he-healed yet? Those stitches are it-itchy." I groan in vaguely truthful annoyance, wincing lightly as Sebastian fixes my sweater back to its rightful place.

"It's almost healed sweetness." Remington reassures, smiling fondly from his place sitting next to me on one of the two couches in the living room.

"Just a couple more days and the stitches can be taken out. You've recovered much faster than any of us thought you would. This is nearly supernatural healing." Sebastian remarks, ignoring Emerson as he tosses a piece of popcorn at him (my popcorn), the kernel harmlessly bouncing off his head.

"Ph-physical injuries always hee-healed fast." I shrug, leaning my head against Remington's arm, fixing the shoulder of my (Remington's) t-shirt.

"Hey, can you do the thing again?" Emerson asks excitedly, easily steering the conversation away at the dark look Remington and Sebasriwn share, sitting up from his place on the other couch, where he'd been leisurely kicking his feet off the back of the chair as his head hung off the cushions.

"Again- again Em? It's the t-third time y-you've asked this week." I laugh, already allowing the shadows in the room to creep up my legs where my boots just barely scrape the floor.

Small little tricks with my powers don't drain me too much and Emerson has taken a liking to watching me mess around with the shadows. It's rather amusing really, and a good way to keep in touch with my magic. A powerful vampire-witch hybrid wanting a mere human to do her little shadow tricks.

'He is still the youngest, sweetness, even though he never acts like it.'

'Even I've never heard of a person with the powers you have, and I've lived for quite a few millennium. Little drummer boy has a right to be in awe of your gifts, darling.'

I don't bother replying even though I'm overjoyed Andy has spoken up again, and instead let the shadows that resemble vines curl around my hands. He's been a bit quiet since the night he helped me to sleep. I concentrate, forming the picture I want in my mind and letting the shadows mimic it.

A small pirate ship forms, identical to those Emerson draws because those are the only ships I can remember, and a little more concentration is all I need for it to detach from the mother shadows to begin floating around the room. The ship twirls around Emerson's head, and brushes against Sebastian's hair before disappearing.

Hm... I wonder if I can still...

I close my mismatched eyes, sitting up and no longer leaning on Remington, letting my arms rest on the couch with the palms of my hands facing downward and hanging over the edge of the cushion. It couldn't hurt to try, I suppose.

'Darling?' Andy's confused voice rings through my consciousness, the smoothness of it breaking my concentration for only a moment.

'Shh.' I respond to which he falls silent, curiosity thrumming across the bond the three of us share.

I can feel eyes on my still form, though I try to ignore them, picturing how my magic should work. First, a circular cluster of shadows will appear at my feet, the inky blackness festering like an infected wound as dark tendrils of smoke curl out of the darkness. Then, bones will claw their way out of the void, skeletal paws scratching at the ground in attempts to escape their tenebrous confines. Little by little, the creature will crawl it's way up from the dark depths, ending with the tip of a tail made of a dog's backbone.

The skeletal dog let's out a small yip as its boney tail wags happily, the sound hollow and haunting. Smiling, overjoyed at the sight of the somewhat resurrected animal, I note that it took more concentration than my previous trick. I can already feel exhaustion creeping up behind my eyelids and thrumming through my veins, but I haven't summoned since I was a child so it's to be expected. I'd kept this part of my magic well hidden for the most part, scared of what it could do, but it seems I'm mainly drained of energy, body aching all over. That's a far better outcome than I was expecting, and it was worth it to see the look of elation on Emerson's face, his gaze never straying from the skeletal creature.