The Son of Salazar

Chapter Nine

May the gods be ever in your favour!

-James

Sammael groaned as he slowly woke up. His head was pounding, and his skin felt like it'd been scraped raw. A small head was laying on his chest, making it a tad difficult to breathe. Agape lay sleeping, curled up into his side. He ran his fingers through her silky hair. She shifted slightly, but remained fast asleep. Sammael looked around; He was in the mediward. Thick blankets were lovingly tucked around him, a soft pillow placed under his head. The room was empty except for himself and his little cousin. Sammael found this somewhat odd, usually Helga would be bustling about like a mother hen.

Sammael racked his mind, closing his eyes tightly, trying to figure out what the heck had happened. He remembered the Mundanes attacking. The burning of Hogsmeade. Saving Lilith. Agape… in the collapsing building. Rubble falling… Sammael craned his head to examine Agape, checking her over for any signs of physical damage. When he was satisfied she wasn't hurt, he laid back down.

He had almost managed to fall back asleep, when the doors of the mediward opened. Two voices were heard drawing nearer: his Aunts'. Sammael kept his eyes closed, not wanting to be fretted over, just wanting to rest; he felt somewhat worn. "That idiot," Helga was saying, if Sammael hadn't been pretending to be asleep, he would have raised an eyebrow. It wasn't everyday you heard sweet Helga insulting someone like that. Especially with that level of venom in her voice. "Trying to negotiate, after what they've done to poor Sammael!" Sammael stiffened. Was it Papa? Please, please don't let them be talking about Papa.

"I tried to speak reason into him," said Rowena. "But he blames himself for Sammael's condition. He's sure it was all a misunderstanding. The blind fool, he always wants to think the best of everybody. In any event, he's trying, in his own way, to prevent anything like this from happening again."

"They have already proven that we can't live side by side with them!" Helga raged. "Let us leave them alone!"

"I know, sister, it's not me that deserves to be scolded. Besides, Salazar is already on his way. He'll drag Godric back by his toes if he has to. Salazar despised Mundanes before. But now that his dearest child was so damaged by the Mundanes, he's not just hateful; He's fearful. And fear leads men to do desperate things."

'Damaged?' Sammael thought. 'How am I damaged?"

The women were silent. "I see that Agape is yet to leave his side," noted Rowena. "Has there been no change?"

"No," said Helga. "His own magic tried to heal him while the stones were still crushing him, while the beams were holding open the cuts. He completely drained himself. The scar on his face will never fade, I fear. Though I was able to mend much of the others; they weren't as serious. His bones are still brittle though. It will take a good few steady meals and regular doses of potion to change that. Kai even wept over him, but his tears did nothing. That can only mean there was nothing left to heal. His phoenix and his snake were so distraught, I had to lock them in his chambers. But as for when he will wake up…" Her voice broke, trailing off. And then, to Sammael's alarm, he heard her begin to sob.

Quickly, Sammael opened his eyes. "I'm awake!" he blurted out before he could think twice. Then he blushed. "What happened?" he asked, gently removing Agape from on top of him and placing her down onto his pillow. He stumbled from his bed, to put his arms around Helga.

"You-you-you… Oh!" Helga was trying to glare at him, but the relief and pure joy in her eyes quite off balanced it. She embraced him fiercely. "You little rascal!" she chided, still crying. "You've been asleep for over a week!" she said, not letting go of her beloved nephew. "We were beginning to think…. I feared…" She heaved a shuddering sigh.