Wings and Heartbeats (Manorian Fanfiction and crossover between ACOTAR and TOG)

Part 38

Dorian hung on.

With every bare thread and shred of will in his body, he hung out to that flickering light as the dark threatened to swallow and pull him away. He hung on to the voice of the white-haired witch that was pleading for him to hold on. 

His lids were heavy, his breathing shallow as he was continued to be passed around and as several arms pulled him around. Sight flickered in and out of his vision, of stone walls, and injured soldiers and healers.

He was lowered down gently, yet the wound that pierced through his back straight to his stomach shrieked in pain, he grunted. He felt fluttery and warm magic probed through him, cleaning through blood and shredded muscle. 

"Shit." He heard a healer said.

Then silence.

Then everything went black.

-

He was conscious yet not, it was dark yet so bright, he felt numbness yet relief, empty and yet so fulfilled.

He hovered in that space, the border of life and death. 

He simply breathed in the air, crisp yet so thick.

"D-Dorian?"

He knew that voice, like the sighing of wind against the fluttering of crisp blooming spring, his eyes snapped open.

Sorscha stood, her form just as he remembered, her dark rich skin, those hazel eyes, her dove-like hands. 

"Sorscha," he murmured, a hand reaching for her, he dropped it last minute when she too reached for him.

Her lower lips quivered, suddenly nervous, as she was ", Dorian? What's wrong?"

He only shook his head.

She took his hand, her smooth soft skin sliding into his slight callused hands. The feeling was too real, almost impossible that he closed his eyes.

"It's time to go, Dorian," she said softly.

White hair and golden eyes flashed into his head, Manon's face as she snarled at him to stay alive even after she eventually started crying. "I-I'm not ready to go," Dorian stuttered, opening his eyes to meet a pair of confused hazel ones.

"W-why?" Sorscha said.

It was only silence between them, between the woman he'd loved so, a woman he'll always care for, yet he couldn't bring himself to cross that distance. To hold her, to whisper in her hair, to kiss her-he couldn't find it in himself.

Something in Sorscha's eyes solidified as a realization hit her, her posture suddenly straightened ", It's her isn't it?"

He hung his head ", I'm sorry."

Sorscha sighed sadly, her own tears shining ", I know you love-loved me but you are entitled to move on."

Their eyes met.

She smiled sadly ", You love her."

"I do," he said softly, though not weakly ", I loved you, Sorscha, and I will always care for you, I will protect you, but our time has passed. I. . . moved on, and I am happy and I wish for you to be happy too."

Tears ran down her face like streams of water, but she smiled, the gesture gentle and forgiving ", Go to her, Dorian, she's waiting."

So Dorian turned and ran, warm and fluttering light greeting him as he was pulled back to the world of the living, the woman he once loved smiling forgivingly, her tears shed, but it was true.