Embers

You left me

Chapter 35
You left me - Eira POV

She didn't want Geralt to leave the room. Yet, the witcher closed the door behind Jaskier's back and left her alone with the bard. Eira grunted, part out of pain when she swung her legs over the bed, and part out of frustration.

"You're still here," she spoke, and touched the cold, stone floor with her toes.

The chill made her squint her eyes, but Eira was able to handle that. It was the harsh pains that ran through her body that made her close her eyes. Her body trembled and her stomach grumbled.

"Geralt and Yennefer would have my head if I left," Jaskier said, the joke hung in the air and passed again.

Eira opened her eyes when the pains faintly ebbed away. With all her might, Eira pushed herself from the bed and realised too late that she moved too fast. The chamber started spinning around her and nausea took hold of her.

"Shit," she was able to mutter before her knees buckled underneath her.

The bard moved faster than she ever thought he could. Before she was fully aware, he had her by the waist and gently put her back down on the bed. Her hands held onto his neck to hold herself steady.

"Go slow," he murmured, concern in his voice. "Your body needs food and water. You'll be strong in no time again."

Eira felt his gaze on her face and looked up. The humour in his voice and features were completely erased. His brows knitted together and Eira felt a warm rush that flooded her when Jaskier held on to her a bit too long. It was then that Eira saw she still had her hands around his neck. She quickly let go, as if she burned herself.

"You left me," she suddenly snapped, but her voice wasn't as harsh as she hoped.

Jaskier stood up straight again and nodded slowly, his eyes towards his shoes instead of her.

"I did," he admitted.

"Without a word, you just left," she spoke matter of factly. As if hadn't happened to her, but someone else.

"Eira," he started and when he looked at her, Eira shook her head and slowly stood up to face him.

"No, you knew I was scared to be alone," she said. "Still, you left without saying a word."

"I was surprised! You lied to me. I thought you were human not some ... magic creature who is able to destroy every living being in this world!"

He raised his voice, Eira balled her fists angrily.

"I never told you because I was scared you would leave! I was right, wasn't I?! Do you really think I'm able to kill anything? Other than the occasional monster?"

She scoffed and shuffled to the other side of the room.

"No," Jaskier replied and leaned against the wall with his back. "You have to understand that I knew little about Elementals, Eira."

His voice was calm, reasonable which only angried Eira more.

"Oh," she breathed, "and now you do?"

"I went to Oxenfurt, I read all the books I could found that even mentioned Elementals."

Eira scoffed, held herself steady against the only chair in the room. Jaskier opened his hands while he took a small step towards her.

"The only thing I knew is that Elementals tried to kill almost everyone. Destructive powers and crazy things," he said calmly. " I panicked. I never saw anything ... bad in you. And it turns out you have these incredible powers."

Eira watched him come closer and tried to calm herself down.

"You know me," she eventually spoke. "I had hope you would see through it."

Jaskier went through his hair with one of his hands and sighed heavily. The silence like a shroud around their shoulders, heavy and hard. It made Eira uncomfortable and she shifted on her feet.

"Geralt was here," Jaskier suddenly spoke, a cold undertone in his voice and Eira narrowed her eyes when he looked at her. "He never left your side, if I'm not mistaken."

Eira opened her lips to speak up, but decided against it. Jaskier's blue eyes met hers and the Elemental clenched her fists.

"You had him," he finally spoke and Eira felt her magic twirl inside her.

Weak, but there her magic was and although Eira meant to make it rain hail on the bard's stupid head, all she got was snow. The crystal white, soft flakes rained down gently from the ceiling towards the floor. Jaskier looked up amazed  and didn't notice how Eira had closed in on him.

She stood before him, anger in her eyes.

"I need you," she snapped. "I wanted you."

Jaskier huffed, took a step back from the angry Elemental.

"I don't know why," he spoke, "Geralt is as strong as you are and you obviously like him."

Eira took a deep breath in, couldn't hold back and grabbed him by the shoulders to make him look down at her.

"Because I'm in love with you!" She screamed. "I'm in love with you, you jerk! Not Geralt! I like Geralt, I love Geralt. Not like you. I needed YOU!"

The snowflakes clung in the bard's hair while he looked at her wide-eyed. Eira pursed her lips together, let him go as if she just burned herself and took a large step back away from him.

The snow stopped falling. Her magic silent in her body and Eira felt dizzy.

"I need food," she murmured and she could hear Jaskier move towards her, but the Elemental took a small, weak step back. "Don't," she whispered.

"Eira," the bard murmured, his hand came to rest on her elbow, but with the last strength that she had in her frail body, Eira pulled herself loose.

"No," she shook her head and felt defeated. Who knew what Jaskier had done in those months they weren't together. She shouldn't have held the secret from him, but Eira expected more from the bard. He could have said that he would needed some time, not just leave without a word.

"Enough, bard," Geralt's voice disturbed the pair and Eira lifted her head to look at the witcher. The single tear that streamed down her face was quickly wiped away by her hand when Geralt told them there was food waiting in the main hall.

She didn't look at the bard when she left the chamber. Nor did the Elemental look at Geralt while she brushed past him and into the nice, cold corridors of Kaer Mohren.