VISION ✔️ || The Keepers of Astraela #1

15.1 || Of Betrayal and Shattered Barriers

EVA

EVA WOKE WITH A GASP. Air flooded her lungs; she gulped down the precious oxygen, trying to rid her chest of the burning pain that had yet to subside. Her throat, bone dry, felt ready to collapse in on itself with each accelerated breath. She opened her eyes, hoping—searching—for the loved ones she had left in her slumber.

Harsh light flooded her vision.

It came in stark contrast to the blinding smoke, so that even the dimness of the room was too bright. Colors blurred together in looming masses, and she blinked rapidly to restore their definition. Footsteps thundered in the distance. Their frantic pace faded in and out of earshot.

A pair of hands wrapped around her wrists. She jumped at the gentle touch.

"Bobbi! Hurry up!" The male voice was thunder against her eardrums, but the sound brought waves of comfort crashing over her.

Emrys.

Her Emrys.

As her blurry surroundings cleared enough to make out distinct forms, Eva reached for a human-shaped object with trembling hands. It was then that she noticed her entire body shook with vicious chills. The cold made her long to be closer to him and bury her face in his shirt. He was warm.

He was safe.

"Hey, hey... you're all right," Emrys cooed, though the quiver in his voice proved he was anything but calm.

His hand left her wrist, and when the world returned to focus, his fingers found their way in front of her eyes. They brushed the stray hairs clinging to her sweaty face and pushed them out of sight.

Their gazes met for hardly a second before Emrys broke the calm to holler: "She's drenched!"

"I'm coming!" Bobbi's frantic voice came from the kitchen, followed by the distinct whoosh of water flowing in the sink.

When Emrys turned back to Eva, his walls dropped long enough for her to see the true colors of his current state—shoulders tensed, eyes wild with fear, and arms trembling from adrenaline. Something wrenched deep in her gut, twisting sharper than any knife.

The tears came before she could stop them. Hot trails snaked down her cheeks, blurring the world once again. She pulled her hands away from Emrys' and flung her arms around him.

Emrys stiffened at first, as if unsure how to react to the sudden affection. Still, she tightened her squeeze in desperation. It was then that he wrapped his arms around her waist, allowing her to bury her face in his shirt. The way he melted into her brought a new sense of security—like she would have nothing to fear so long as she remained in his embrace.

"I'm so sorry." His words were a low rumble, muffled with his face pressed into her hair. "The herbs should've protected you... I don't understand..."

Even when soft footsteps drew closer, Eva wasn't ready to leave the comfort of his arms. It wasn't until she felt a gentle pat on her shoulder that she forced herself to pull away.

Bobbi sat on the edge of the coffee table, having cleared just enough space for her to rest. The motherly look in her eyes was unmistakable. It came out any time one of her loved ones was in pain or hurting... or, in this case, returning from a mental hellscape.

This time, however, the way she wrung a clump of damp paper towels, nearly shredding them between her fingers, revealed her own worry brewing under the surface. She forced a weary smile.

"We've got to clean you up, hon," she said, her tone smooth with well-practiced composure.

Bobbi reached out to guide Eva's arm away from Emrys. As she pulled back, glistening blood shone in the dim lighting. Both of her palms were bloodied—superficial wounds, scraped from what Eva could only assume were the stone floors from her vision. She winced as Bobbi pressed the paper towels to her raw flesh.