It was impossible to tell how long I slept. It was deep, dreamless, and silent. The Legion, wherever they were, left me in peace. I reached for their strength when I needed it, and felt my calm return. I felt pain, sometimes, but not too often. It was only a reminder of life: I’d held on. I was healing.
I awoke to light - fair daylight, white sheets, and soft sounds. I could smell the sterility of the hospital around me. I felt stiff, weak...but human. I was covered with a soft blanket, and as my eyes focused I could see clean bandages wrapped around my bare chest.
“Samara.” Someone squeezed my hand. I looked - Damian. Eyes dark from lack of sleep, hair greasy and bedraggled, in a loose shirt with a bandaged throat. Alive...alive...he was still alive…
I began to weep. My hands shook, and I tried to reach for him, but he gently held me back. “Don’t move too much, love. You’ll tear your stitches.”
“Damian, I...I’m sorry…”
“Shh, shh, no, don’t you dare apologize. I’ll take you over my knee for that.” He cleared his throat hurriedly. “Once you’re healed of course.”
I couldn’t stop smiling...nor weeping...I was an utter mess. A screen gave us privacy, but I could hear voices speaking nearby, familiar voices…
“Damian,” I squeezed his hand, urgent. “I love you. I didn't tell you, I should have, I was afraid...I love you...I love you so much…”
He leaned over and kissed my forehead, my nose, my mouth. “And I love you. Don’t ever doubt it.”
“Oi, all this sap! You’ll make me sick.”
Kiiji sauntered back behind the hospital screen. He looked different somehow: his hair was more gingery than red, his eyes were mild, and he wore common trousers and a shirt. “Kiiji? I thought you’d...your sister…”
“Oh yes, my sister,” he said bitterly, snubbing his nose. “She sentenced me to death.” He rolled his eyes. “My sentence is ongoing and ridiculously unpleasant.”
Damian smiled and said softly. “He’s sentenced to live out life as a mortal man. A long and oh-so-agonizing death.”
“Oh stop making light of it!” Kiiji snapped. “I’m suffering you know!”
“Aye, I do know. Welcome to human life: it’s a great deal of suffering.”
“Oh shut up, you pompous ass, you didn’t even cry for me when you thought I was about to be tortured to death, I’m terribly offended!”
“Offended? You haven’t even cried once since becoming human, how about you give it a go and tell me how it feels?”
I listened to them argue with a smile on my face - a smile that only widened when Amma stepped back behind the screen.
“Oh, quiet you two!” she said, ushering them out of her way. “Samara needs peace and quiet, she needs to rest! Move, move, let me at my granddaughter-in-law.” She shoved Damian aside and grasped my hand, leaning down to kiss me lightly on the cheek. “My brave girl. Remarkable girl.”
“Thank you, Amma. You fought for me. I could never thank you enough.” I grasped her hand, and she just shook her head.
"There's no need to thank me, dear girl. I did what I've always done. It's my duty to help others: whether that's my calling from a higher being or merely what I love to do most, I couldn't say. But I couldn't have left you. And you fought with us, just as hard."
There was movement behind her, drawing my gaze. Margaux, looking tired and shy, peeked back at me.
"Glad to see you awake, doll," she said. "I thought I saw you wake."
I ushered her closer, just to hold her hand for a moment. Human touch...the touch of those who'd cared for me, aided me, anchoring me back to the world I'd nearly left.
I feared to ask her, but... "Is Abraham here? Did he...I mean..."
"He survived," she said, relief in her voice. "He's here too, recovering. He'll be excited to know you woke." She bowed her head. "I should be getting back to him, doll."
She slipped away to return to her husband. I closed my eyes for a moment, just basking in the pleasure of seeing so many and feeling their care.
Then my eyes flew open. Something Amma had said...something she'd called me...
"Amma," I said slowly. "Did you...did you call me…your granddaughter in law?”
The old woman's eyes widened, and she glanced back at Damian, who was slowly shaking his head. “You haven’t...oh! Oh gods! You haven’t asked yet…?”
“No, Amma, she’s only just awoken,” Damian tried to sound exasperated, but was too amused for that. “I wanted to give her a moment to breath.”
“Oh goodness me,” Amma stepped back hurriedly, and it was the first time I had ever seen the old woman blush. But my heart was fluttering, my breath catching. Damian took my hand again.
“I have no doubts,” he said. “None, not one. And when I thought I'd lose you, I felt every regret. I thought of all the things I should have done, should have said. I should have told you I loved you before all this, I should have already said it a hundred times...but I want to make up for it, if you’ll let me, for the rest of ours lives…”
I didn’t dare believe it. I was nodding but I still didn’t dare believe it.
“Will you marry me, Samara?”
Kiiji turned away, but I still caught the smile on his face. “Ahh, gods, I’ll be ill with all this weeping and whining and declarations!”
I hoped to make him very, very ill.
“Yes. Yes, yes, of course, Damian! I’ll marry you.”
YOU ARE READING
Love & Exorcisms | 18+ | COMPLETE |
Paranormal| 18+ | Damian looked so different with his shirt off and a crop in his hand. He felt more real: no longer wearing the mask of the good doctor, he was the Exorcist, the master over my wildest fears, the stones on the shore over which my ocean of ma...
