They all rushed to her room. As Per swung the door open, she saw Clair struggling to sit up on her bed, rubbing her left eye.
Per took a seat beside her. "Hey, can you tell me how you're feeling?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
Clair glanced at her, blinking a few times. "My back hurts," she said weakly.
"That's because you've been asleep for a week," Per replied. "Would you like to take a warm bath? Or maybe go outside for some fresh air?" she inquired.
Before Clair could respond, she noticed Zach peeking through the door. "Zach?" she called out, her voice still weak.
He smiled back at her.
She slowly eased herself out of bed, pushing herself to stand.
Seeing her struggle to walk, Zach hurried over to her. As they met, Clair wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he caught her.
"Look who's complaining about her back," Per said after she didn't get a respond from Clair.
Clair loosened her arms from around Zach and met Per's gaze. "It's true. My back really does hurt," she confirmed.
"Then how did you manage to get there all of a sudden?" Per pressed.
"It's what humans call an adrenaline rush," Clair explained.
"Oh, now she's forgetting she's not human," Per reacted, raising an eyebrow.
Clair, still holding onto Zach's shoulders, glanced back at him when she heard him chuckle. "Hey, you're supposed to be on my side," she said, pouting.
Zach quickly composed himself, pressing his lips together. "Sorry, uh, yeah, Per. I'm with her on this one. It's just her adrenaline rush. Maybe it feels five times more intense for angthens," he said, trying to suppress his laughter.
Ark, leaning against the wall near the door, also let out a chuckle.
Once the tension finally lifted, Per recognized it was time to address the serious matter. "Zach, could you please help Clair back to her bed?" she requested, her tone serious.
Zach noticed the gravity in her expression. When he turned his gaze back to Clair, she gave him a troubled look, understanding Per's intent. Without waiting for Clair's consent, he gently lifted her into his arms and carefully returned her to the bed, following Per's instructions.
Per then reached for the neckline of Clair's nightdress and gently pulled it down, revealing a long, swollen incision on her left chest. When Clair noticed Zach's worried expression as he looked at it, she hurriedly pulled her shirt back up to cover it.
"You really went through with it," Per said, her tone filled with sadness.
"Can we discuss this later?" Clair requested.
"He knows it, and there's no use hiding it from him," Per stated firmly.
Zach recalled the dagger Clair had been holding back in the hall. The mere thought of her using it to harm herself was unbearable. It was no wonder they had heard her screaming in such agony. In that moment, he felt once again the surge of guilt and responsibility for her suffering. He now understood much better why she had chosen to leave him.
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Divine & Wicked: The Trapped Memories (Book2)
Fantasy(Fantasy•Romance) COMPLETED Zach woke up with an addled mind and empty heart a few days after his surgery. He seemed to feel that his life had begun again. As he continued with what he thought was his normal life, fragments of his lost past slowly b...
