Written March 10th 2021 7:56 AM

Feyra had died, and for too long a moment, so had a piece of Ailith. Ailith had felt it right under her chest bone, felt it whither away to nothing when Feyra didn’t immediately come back to her during Ace’s ritual. But, by the grace of the gods, Feyra had returned and Ailith was whole again.

It was a small mercy when it came time for Ailith to take watch that night. She had completely broken down in front of her friends and Ashrin; she relished the opportunity to be alone for a couple hours to overcome the humiliation. She tried to suppress a grin as the smell of pine wafted over her, soft footsteps approaching from behind.

Feyra sat next to her at the fire, looking at her with intense eyes. Ailith’s heart jolted at the proximity, the urge to touch Feyra almost overwhelming. “We’re making a habit of this,” Ailith murmured over the sound of wood crackling and snapping. Feyra didn’t reply, only reached out to cup Ailith’s cheek. “Feyra, wait-” The other woman’s touch was soft and Ailith found herself unconsciously leaning into it. When she searched Feyra’s face, Ailith found no indication that Feyra was in any sort of pain. Did dying cure her, somehow? Ailith kept the thought to herself, not wanting to ruin the moment, but she let herself feel the tiniest glimmer of hope. She remained still as Feyra’s other hand moved to settle on top of Ailith’s rapidly beating heart.

Ailith let out a shaky laugh at the contact. She didn’t know where this was going, but fuck was she willing to find out. Feyra remained silent, pulling Ailith in closer and closer, until their lips were a hairsbreadth apart. “Feyra,” Ailith whispered, eyes closing in anticipation. Gods, she had missed this, had wanted nothing more than this since the too short kiss they had shared only hours before.

Their lips never met. Instead, Ailith’s mouth opened in a silent scream as Feyra dug her nails into her chest. Ailith’s eyes snapped open, only to be met with a pupiless, bloodred gaze where there should have been green. Feyra kept her close as her nails – no, claws – gouged into Ailith’s chest, ripping her open. The hand on her face never wavered, fingers digging into Ailith’s cheek, keeping her still as silent tears began streaming down her face. Please. It hurts. Stop. No words came, no screams. In front of her, Feyra smiled, a twisted thing full of sharp teeth.

Blood was rushing in Ailith’s ears, the pain threatening to overwhelm her entirely. She clutched at the front of Feyra’s shirt, scrabbling for something tangible, something that made sense. Why? Why is she doing this? Ailith’s heart rate ratcheted up and up and up – until it seemed to stop altogether. Feyra released her, Ailith’s grip failing as her hands went numb, sending her backwards into the dirt.

Her vision started narrowing, darkness creeping in at the edges. Feyra stood, something clasped in her hand. Ailith grasped at her chest, expecting to feel a wound, the wetness of fresh blood, but there was nothing. She was uninjured, not even a hole in the fabric of her shirt, but the pain lingered, licking through her like wildfire. Ailith couldn’t feel her heartbeat, she could barely get a breath in. A shadowy figure coalesced behind Feyra, edges blurred and flickering.

“Oh dear. Did you forget? She belongs to me.” The figure spoke in a voice that echoed in Ailith’s head like a thousand whispers overlapping. It chuckled and leaned in to whisper in Feyra’s ear. “Finish it.”

No. “No,” a whimper broke Ailith’s silence. “Feyra. I love you. Please.” Ailith’s breaths came faster, harsher. Her vision blurred and her head swam. Feyra just stared at her, still smiling, as she crushed the thing in her hand. Pain exploded in Ailith’s chest, ripping a scream from her throat. It’s too much, please. Make it stop, please make it stop. Ailith’s vision faded to black as she writhed in pain, screams unending.

~x~

“One, shut up!” Xiv’s shout silenced the screaming construct acting as their alarm. Ailith jolted up, sticky with sweat and dried tears. Confused, she hastily wiped at her face before anyone noticed. Next to her, Feyra smiled warmly at her as she packed up her bedroll.

“Good morning,” Feyra murmured.

There was something playing at the edges of Ailith’s memory, a dream from last night that she couldn’t quite grasp. She shook her head, casting the thought from her mind. “Good morning,” she replied. It was a new day, and Feyra was here next to her. Ailith was whole again.