Chapter Twenty-seven - When breath comes back.

Chapter Twenty-seven - When breath comes back.


JASMINE’S POV

“It is time to go back.”

The woman’s voice sounded far away, like it was traveling across water.

And I felt as though I  was already sinking.

“No, wait a minute. ” I tried to say.

I wasn’t ready yet.

I wasn’t ready for this strange grey world to disappear yet.

Not when Damien was finally warm in my arms.

Not when I could feel his heartbeat thudding against my cheek.

So steady and alive 

I clutched his shirt tighter, terrified that if I loosened my grip for even a second, something would snatch him away again.

“I’m not letting go,” I muttered.

“You don’t have to,” she said gently. “Just hold on.”

The fog began dissolving.

It wasn’t  fading, instead it was breaking apart.

Like ash blowing away in the wind.

The ground beneath my knees cracked into light.

The air thinned.

And all the silence from moments ages suddenly shattered.

Something snapped inside me, my chest sized and for a moment there, it took great effort to breathe.

I felt like I had been shoved back into my body too fast.

Everything slammed into me at once.

Sound, hear, smoke and even pain 

I collapsed forward onto something hard and gritty and began to cough

“Oh, gosh.” I rasped as I tried to sit up. Dirt scraped my palms, ash filled my nose.

And that was when I realised that I was back in the mines.

The smell of the place finally hit me.

Charcoal. Iron. Sweat. Blood. Smoke.

And my lungs burned as I dragged in a huge breath like I’d been underwater too long.

“Jasmine!”

“Is she okay?”

“What just happened?"

“Get water!”

Voices exploded around me and hands grabbed my shoulders.

Warm and real hands that had me blinking rapidly, trying to focus.

Liam’s face swam into view above me.

He looked pale and panic coloured his expression.

His green eyes were wide like he’d just watched someone die.

“Jasmine, hey… hey, please look at me,” He said urgently, cupping my cheeks. “Stay with me. Can you hear me?”

I nodded weakly.

“Yeah, I can hear you.”

My throat felt raw when I spoke, Like I’d swallowed sandpaper.

“What happened?” he asked. “You both just…froze. You and Damien just stopped moving. Then that lady grabbed your hands and— I don’t know— it looked like you fainted or something—”

Damien.

His  name hit me like lightning and I twisted violently.

“Gosh, Where is he?!”

“He’s right…” Liam began, but a harsh cough cut him off.

My heart stopped.

And Damien slowly –terrifyingly slowly–  rolled onto his side.

And coughed again.

It wasn’t a pretty sound.

It wasn’t strong either. It sounded painful and rough and dragged out.

But it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard in my entire life.

He sucked in a breath like he’d been drowning.

“… hell…” he rasped.

And even around us went dead silent.

Even the miners that were standing close and looking on went silent.

Hell, even the wind went silent as well.

It felt like the world was holding its breath.

“Alpha?” someone whispered.

I didn’t think or try to  wait.

I crawled the short distance between us so fast my knees scraped against rock.

“Damien!”

He blinked slowly.

His lashes clumped with soot.

There was dirt smeared across his cheek and a cut near his temple.
But when his eyes opened. They were gold.
Magnificently gold and bright and very much alive.

And they locked  instantly locked into mine, like expected to see me. “… hey,” he murmured.

My chest cracked open and tears formed in my eyes  before I could stop them.

“You absolute idiot,” I sobbed.

He frowned faintly.

“… that’s rude.”

“You nearly died!”

“… did I?”

“Yes!”

He stared at me like he was trying to piece something together.

“… huh.” He replied just like in the other dimension and the sheer emotion of it made me slap his shoulder.

Not hard, Just enough to release the heavy weight in my chest

“You scared me half to death! You scared all of us!”

He winced dramatically. “Ow. I just came back from dying and you’re assaulting me?”

“Yes, I am!” I shrieked, forgetting we had an audience.

I didn’t even realize I was shaking until he reached up slowly and grabbed my wrist.

His hand was warm.

So warm and I couldn’t help but remember how icy and cold they had been before

The memory made my breath hitch.

“You’re warm,” I whispered stupidly.

“Of course I am.  Should I not be?”

“I..” I shook my head, then began to laugh and cry at the same time. “Shut up.”

He studied my face then. Really studied it, like he was trying to memorize me.

“you were there,” he murmured.

My heart skipped.

“What?” I whispered

“I heard you,” he murmured.

Liam leaned closer. “Heard her? Heard what?”

Damien didn’t look away from me.

“You were yelling,” he said softly. “Bossy as hell. Telling me not to you dare leave.”

My throat tightened.

“ yeah…” I whisper, “ I think I remember saying all of that.”

He smiled faintly.

“That was good.”

“Good?”

“Yeah… because I was really tired… and then you sounded so pissed… I figured it would be in my best interest if I just listened.”

I laughed wetly through tears.

“You’re impossible.”

“… I know.”

Silence stretched between us.

It was heavy, soft and intimate all at the same time.

Like the world had narrowed down to just the two of us.

And then, he reached out and brushed his thumb over my knuckles.

Slow and gentle, making me smile.