Chapter 46 Him
632words
My eyelids were heavy, but I somehow managed to look at whoever was next to me.
He was beautiful.
Otherworldly.
I recognized the creature, but I could not form the exact word for it inside my mind.
His skin was of pearl. Scales in iridescent hues of aquamarine ran down his muscular arms and formed around his hips, where it met with a magnificent tail.
It dawned on me that the blue, electric light came from him, and I knew then he was the one who saved me from the beast.
Pity, it was too late now.
Desperate for a final form of comfort, my eyes flicked to his, and I immediately became lost in them.
Aquamarine.
I knew those eyes.
It all felt like some kind of dream. I was dying—or I was already dead.
I knew what I was seeing could not be real.
Yes, this had to be it.
I had died, and this being was taking me to the next place I'm moving on to.
I had a sudden sense of security, and I knew he was here to protect me no matter what.
I could hear him say my name inside my mind.
I wanted to respond to him, but instead, I managed a slight smile and slipped into oblivion.
***
Fire.
I was on fire.
No, wait. That wasn't right.
I was ice—the kind that scorched skin and burned holes into your soul.
My insides were a glacial hearth. The unbearable pain hindered my ability to breathe, and my breath became solid inside my throat.
I opened my mouth, biting air that refused to fill and soothe my lungs.
I was dying all over again, but this time, it was worse.
This time, I begged for death.
"Die…" I wheezed, hot tears scalding my cheeks. "Please."
I wanted to scream, but it was bottled, and the cork was stuck, and I only managed breathless heaves.
"Carly?"
Gentle hands touched my hurting skin, reassuring and welcoming. A different kind of warmth formed across my body, ravaging the pain and turning it into something else.
My lips shook as I finally expelled a breath, and an obliterating heat cut through my chest.
A scream exploded from me, and I grabbed onto whatever I felt could be the solution to my pain.
Whatever I tried to hold onto fought away my desperate hands. My arms got pinned down beside my body, and I whimpered as earth cut into my skin.
"No, stay still." The voice was calm, but there was an edge of suffering in there. I didn't know how, but whoever it was, was in great pain too. "It'll go away in a minute."
"It...hurts."
"I know. I can feel it," he forced out, confirming my suspicions. "I feel everything."
I tried to move again, but a pair of hands pushed me back down and held me there.
"If you stay still, the sooner it will feel better. For both of us," he urged. "Please, give it a moment. I know it hurts."
As I attempted to sit up again, a sudden tingle replaced the heat across my body, and the pain gradually subsided.
A relieved breath escaped past my lips. "That feels nice."
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?"
I stayed still, allowing him to do whatever he was doing to make the pain go away.
The tingle flared up and morphed into a familiar fluttering sensation.
I was still cold, but the pain was gone.
I breathed in a deep, relaxed breath, recognizing the floral and ocean scent I knew only one person carried.
My brain kicked in, and panic washed over me.
My eyes flew open to find Kayn, staring down at me.
Naked.
