Paragon Prince

Chapter Twenty-Five

Alexander

The sun begins to creep above the horizon, allowing a weak blue light to filter into the room. I shoot upright, eyes darting frantically as I search for the Dark Aes Sidhe who was here last night. My head spins, making me aware that I sat up too quickly, but Illius is there to press me gently back to the pillows again, quelling my panic.

"Where did she go? What happened?" I ask, suddenly aware of the pounding in my head. My mouth is as dry as a desert, making me feel as though I drank too much alcohol the night before when I have not touched a drop of it.

Illius notes my wince and presses a hand to my forehead, his pale face pensive. "She is gone. I sent her away, for now, so do not worry. How are you feeling?"

Taking comfort in his familiar proximity, I allow myself to exhale and lean back against my pillows. I notice that Sage lays at my feet and she rests her head on my leg, looking up at me with concern equal to that of My Captain's. "Like I have been kicked in the head by a horse," The whole scene from last night felt like a dream, though judging my Illius' response, it clearly was not. There are other Aes Sidhe, some of which are out to cause Illius harm. I try to swallow, but it escapes my lips as a cough.

Illius pours some water into a cup for me and I take it gratefully, feeling the tickle in my throat return with my anxiety. As I drink, I try to remember the snippets of what happened before I was swallowed by the darkness. I recall that the shadows that overtook my mind and eyesight seemed to be emanating from Czarina herself, which did not feel as terrifying at the time as it does looking back on it. The thought that there have been other people subject to the same feeling, except that they never opened their eyes again makes my stomach flip. I am grateful that she is on good terms with Illius, and that I had him and Sage here to look after me.

"I was able to remember much more after she left," Illius says, giving me time to drain the contents of the cup before speaking. "I had forgotten that humans have a poor response to Aes Sidhe... Typically," He adds, giving me a fond look. "Because the Dark Fae occasionally prey on humans, it would seem as though their presence tends to render them unconscious, much like the venom of a snake."

Illius visibly tenses at the mention of Czarina's dietary habits, though it does not come as much of a surprise to me that something like her would make a meal out of my race. Just looking at her, it was easy enough for me to tell that she was a predator, and the adrenaline that ran through my veins upon first meeting her was not a coincidence. It evokes the same feeling as a Vann-Hest must bring to a land horse, which I suddenly understand much more clearly than I would like.

I crane my neck back to look at Illius, realizing now that he is sitting very close to me on the bed, with his legs stretched out beside mine. It looks as though he had been sitting beside me like this for quite some time, though he rests above the blankets with his sword remaining at his belt. He stares back at me with his silver gaze, and I find it impossible to believe that Illius would ever be a danger to me, or to anyone else who was not being detrimental to me. As long as I have known him, he has never harmed anyone, let alone killed a human. Perhaps it is only the Dark Fae that have the urge to hunt humans for food.

"You are making that face. Are you alright?" Illius is close enough that his breath tickles my face, with an unsurprisingly odorless scent. In fact, he smells faintly of pine and freshwater, as he always does. He leans unnecessarily close to examine my face as if he would be able to tell my health from my expression and places a hand against my forehead once more. "You do not feel as feverish anymore, Praise God."

"Aside from a headache, I feel fine," I do not swat his hand away, though I find it suddenly hard to maintain eye contact with him. Instead, I lock eyes with Sage, who is being surprisingly docile given the proximity of Illius and I. She tilts her head, examining me with her amber eyes. Seeming to find nothing out of the ordinary, she rests her head on my leg again with a sigh, gaze unwavering.