Branded Souls

Falling Asleep

Abby's POV

I felt her slam against the wall under my weight. All I could hear ringing in my ears was the villagers, begging me to end it.

"I am finishing this!" I yelled at them.

Her wand was in my face. I grabbed tighter.

"S-somnun!"

The whole room spun, and I stumbled. Suddenly, all of my Mana was gone and I couldn't think of anything but sleep. But as always, sleep wouldn't come.

"Sit down." Her voice was suddenly gentle.

I flinched. I was too exhausted to defend myself if she was going to attack now.

"Why should I?" I snapped, reaching up to cover my head.

"Because I can help that insomnia of yours."

Oh no. Oh no no no. No one is supposed to know about that. Wizards aren't supposed to be sick, and they sure as heck aren't supposed to not sleep!

"I hit you with a sleep spell. Course you're a star mage. Never expected you to know anyway."

Okay RUDE. I know what you hit me with. I didn't realize insomnia could make it fail. "This is a trick isn't it?" It has to be. "A daemoni--"

"Emily!" She snapped.

What?

"Please, thank you." She glared at me. "Now Nebula--"

"Abby." I snapped back. Please for the love of heaven do not call me Nebula.

She turned and scanned me over.

I sighed and leaned back against a post, closing my eyes. Maybe if I fell asleep she'd kill me in my sleep. At least make it painless. Hey, she'd already beaten me once. The village could defend themselves.

A glass clinked, and I opened one eye.

"Drink up."

"What? No." If I've learned one thing in life, that is to not eat or drink anything I didn't make myself.

"It's an anti-insomniac. Just tea."

"Tea or poison?" I asked suspiciously.

She scowled. "Do you want help or not?"

I sighed. "Fine." She handed me the glass of tea. I took a careful, very careful, sip. It tasted good. Safe.

And immediately I felt more at ease. I opened my eyes fully and looked at her...Emily.

"Thanks."

"If you need to rest here, you can."

"That's awfully kind of you. Considering I just had you pinned to a wall." I remarked.

"Well then go home."

"Can't."

"Why not?"

"Because my village made it so that if I had a job to finish, I couldn't pass the border around my tower."

"Are..." her voice sounded disgusted. "Are you serious?"

"Yep." I took another sip and felt the tension in my shoulders loosen up. "I have two jobs. One is to defeat the daemonium."

"And the other?"

My exhaustion suddenly increased. The job I gave myself. Kill Nebula.

"Nothing of your concern."

"So what, you have to defeat me?"

"I have to defeat the daemonium." I was dozing off.

"That's me."

"No. You're--" I yawned, "you're Emily. I'm after the..." I slumped a little. "I'm after the daemonium..."

And everything went dark.