Shadows of Ash and Gold

Chapter twenty two

Everson

He heard the melody of his song. He heard it drift through the air like a broken promise. He hadn't heard his song in years. The song tore through him but also made him feel euphoric. It was a strange thing. To feel the agony and the purest bliss at the same time.

Everson was consumed by darkness, he was trapped in a world where could not open his eyes. He could only suffer in silence. He distantly felt fingertips glide across his cheekbones as if the person touching him was trying to memorize every curve of his face. He thought he heard someone crying beside them.

Nyan probably.

She was always too emotional.

He wondered where he was. Why he couldn't open his eyes. He wondered why there was a strange tightness in his chest. He wondered why he could hardly breathe. There was a twisting pain in the center of him. A pain so strong he would scream if he could. But he can't. He is trapped. Trapped in darkness and pain.

And then the pain was gone.

Not fully but slightly. Enough to where he felt stronger. Enough to where his eyes opened slowly. He peered up into five awaiting gazes. His family looked like they were on the verge of crying. They were all looking down at him wide-eyed and crazy. "Why do you guys look like some cult that's about to sacrifice my body?" Ever managed to murmur jokingly through the agony in his chest.

Nyan giggled but he thought he heard a sob mixed in with it. Bash's grip tightened on his brother's arm as if he never wanted to let go. His green eyes gleamed with ... dare he say tears? And a small smile of relief started at his lips. He looked next at Mara who did have tears streaming down her face. Hell, even Kaida looked like she was going sob.

"Geez, did someone die or something?" Ever said, looking at each of them.

"You did," Mara said. "Well, you almost did."

They all looked disgusted at the words. They all seemed so distraught. It was only then he realized where they were. They were in their private infirmary at the Crestwood mansion. Ever frowned. "What happened?" He turned his head and his eyes caught on the gaze of soft brown ones. Octavious slumped against the medical bed beside him, a hand clutched to his chest.

He seemed oddly pale and his eyes seemed red. As if they flowed with sickness. Concern along with panic rose in Everson's chest. What had happened to Octavious? Had someone touched him? Had one of those awful Greers gotten to him? He would kill them. He would hunt them down and kill them all.

"You were stabbed," said Bash in a calm manner. "By Greer."

"And?" If he were stabbed he would have been healed in an hour tops. He didn't understand why they thought he was going to die.

"And, you were stabbed with a Cellaurian blade, Everson."

The word Cellaurian rang through his head like an obnoxious alarm. Cellaurian was a rare stone in the light realm that was poisonous to Devara. It was a stone that the Greer had turned into weapons. But this was thousands of years ago. This was before their ancestors burnt and destroyed them all. How was it possible he got stabbed with one? Why wasn't he dead right now? "Oh," was all he managed to say. "Why am I not dead?"