Celestial Heartbeat (Book One) COMPLETE

Chapter Nineteen - Where We Lay

“They’re gone.” I whispered to myself, the moment that I came back to consciousness. I expected to find myself alone, in the dark damp room that Sylvie had left me in. But I wasn’t. I was surrounded by the familiar comforting touch of my blankets, my head pressed into my pillows.

Light was still trickling in through my light coloured curtains and for a split second I thought that I’d dreamt the whole thing.

That was until the pain from the mark on my chest revved up once more, and I was reminded of the absence of the tickle from my feet.

“What’s gone?” Ren’s voice piped up from somewhere on the other side of me.

I turned over in my bed to look at him.

He was leaning back against my door frame, watching over me with a pained, yet hesitant expression.

“Did you bring me here?” I asked, lifting my hands to rub at my eyes. Ren gave a weak nod back.

“How did you know?” I murmured, pausing the rubbing of my eyes to look into his. But they darted away as soon as our eyes met, looking down to his own shoes instead.

“It’s a long story.” He said simply.

“I have time.”

Ren’s eyes crept back up to my face.

“I don’t.”

His words stung. They had a double meaning of sorts. Referencing both his disinterest in continuing the conversation, but also the outcome of his curse. Ren really didn’t have time in the same way that I did.

“I meant I should get home.” He added wearily, reading my expression. “But I want you to tell me what happened first.”

I shook my head at him and then patted a space on the bed next to me, urging for him to come sit with me. He seemed to toss up the idea for a couple of seconds before giving off a groan and joining me, sitting on the edge of my bed.

“What happened, Evie?” his voice was distant and he was still staring down at the ground, avoiding me.

“I was with Sylvie.” I admitted, pulling myself up into a sitting position, watching the side of Ren’s face as he winced. “She was the only one who could help me with the family book.”

“You shouldn’t have been using your magic! All it does is hurt people!” Ren’s voice was a mixture of frustration and hurt.

“I know.”

“Then why would you do it?” For the first time Ren turned to face me, his eyes boring holes in my face.

“It doesn’t matter.” I pulled a pillow out from behind me, hugging onto it, watching the edges as I played with them.

“It does!” Ren’s voice rose and he stood up from my bed, throwing his arms in the air in exasperation.

“No, it doesn’t matter anymore.” I squeezed the pillow tightly.

“Why not?”

“Because they’re gone.” I told him.

“What’s gone?” Ren’s eyebrows were forming a small ‘v’ as he watched over him, his eyes begging to understand, but his tone telling me that he didn’t.

I stopped playing with the edge of my pillow, and forced myself to look up into Ren’s eyes. He searched my eyes for a moment, trying to find answers, but I just shook my head at him.

“My powers.” I said softly, my hands still trembling a little.

Ren fell back onto the bed next to me.