Take Me Away

Chapter 7

"I don't care what you have to do, Azir. Just wake her up."

"Sir, the potion is far to strong for her condition. She's far too weak, only halfway recovered from the process of becoming an ethereal being."

"I know, Azir, but we have no other choice. It has been three days. She will not die. The fates would not do that to me."

A sigh erupted from Azir. "Master, even the fates do not have control over outside intereference. Has it even occurred to you that you were the one who put her in this position?" Azir's voice snapped.

"That is none of your concern," came a gravelly, low tone, one that sent a shiver down my spine. "You will do what I tell you to. Or have you forgotten about all of the things I have done for you since you arrived here?"

"Sir, I really think we should allow her to sleep it off. You don't know what this could do to her. It might put her into a coma of sorts."

"If she dies, I will give her back the life she lost."

"The fates... you cannot control the time of her death, Master. Only the fates can decide."

"They would have foreseen it if she had truly ceased this early on in our lifetime. Give her the potion, or I'll give it to her myself."

"...Yes, Master. Whatever you wish."

***

"Melisande? Melisande. Wake up." The voice was Cyril's. He was calling out to me, and I found it necessary to obey. But my eyelids were heavy. I wanted to sleep. "Now, Melisande. Do as I say."

Unable to resist his demand, I forced my eyes open. "Cyril," I murmured, my lips curving up into a smile. The weary, tired look on his face worried me, though. "What's wrong?"

"You're okay, thank the gods. I'm sorry, Melisande," he whispered. "I didn't catch on to it soon enough."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused by everything. I remembered everything up until I told Cyril that he was mine, and then my mind went blank. 

"What do you remember last?" He questioned, pulling a blanket over my chilled body.

I thought hard, trying to remember, and then I stumbled across my last memory. "I-I came into your office," I whispered. "And... we-we kissed." My face was flushed and I remembered how inappropriate I had acted. What had come over me? I... I had acted like a hussy. Oh my gods... The people in my village were right about me. 

Hot tears welled up in my eyes and I bit my lip, trying not to let Cyril see. Guilt stabbed my stomach, twisting me like a knife. I would never fit in here. I would never fit in anywhere. 

Cyril's hands reached for my face, gently wiping away a tear that had rolled down my cheek. "Don't cry."

"I'm sorry," I replied instinctively, clutching at the bed sheets and avoiding eye contact with him. If I looked into his eyes now, surely I would lose any bearings I had. 

Warm, strong arms wrapped around my body from where I sat up on the bed. Cyril buried his face in my neck, and another tear leaked from my eye. I was shocked that he could even touch me after I had made such a fool of myself. "Cyril?"