Chapter 44 AWAKENING
"He's still asleep," she responded gently. "He's really pale though."
"Thanks for helping, sis." He turned to look at Xyra, but he was sure that no matter what he said, it wouldn't help or change anything. She was completely zoning out, her eyes locked intently on the floor. "Xyra?" She didn't acknowledge him. "I'm gonna head out for a while, but I'll be back, alright?" All he received in recognition was a small nod. That was good enough though, and he turned around and left the room with Astrid, leaving Xyra completely alone.
The thief wasn't sure what to do right now. No matter what she tried to think about, her thoughts would return to Magnus. She kept seeing him, seeing the pained expression on his face. The sound of his agony-filled scream was still ringing in her ears. It hurt so much, especially since she knew that everything had been her fault. Magnus was always looking out for her, but she had sold him so easily.
She got up from her chair, deciding that there was something she could do right now. She quickly left the room and began heading down the hallway. She didn't say a word to the servants that passed her, didn't even acknowledge their existence. Her mind was closed off for the time being. Eventually, she arrived at the place she had been traveling to.
Quietly, Xyra opened the door, peering inside. When she was sure the room was empty of the castle residents, she stepped in and began making her way over to the bed. Lying there, covered in sporadic places with bandages, was Magnus. She went to his side and looked down, seeing the dressings on his wrists. There was one spot that was a bit pink in color where the blood was still leaking through, but other than that, the damage was minimal.
She pulled up a nearby chair and placed it near the head of his bed. She set it backwards and sat down, resting her arms on the back and her head atop her arms. She kept her eyes on the sorcerer, watching and waiting for any sudden movements. His gentle breathing wasn't enough to guarantee her that he was going to be alright. He needed to move, to open his eyes. She wouldn't even mind if he got up and started yelling at her. Even that was better than silence. That's probably what will happen when he wakes up.
"I'm sorry, Magnus," she whispered. "Until you wake up, I'm going to stay right here. I promise."
In the evening when Darren returned, he wasn't at all surprised to hear that Xyra hadn't shown her face once. He knew she was still upstairs, still distraught over everything. This would probably haunt her for quite a while, but it was a lesson well learned. She had to understand that her actions had consequences, and what Magnus had told her was true. This was a world where you either killed or got killed, a world where you had to be careful about who you decided to trust.
Darren went upstairs, wanting to check on his companion. She had been alone for far too long. However, when he went up to the guest room she was staying in, he was shocked to find that she wasn't there. However, he had a good guess as to where she would be. He quickly left and walked over to Magnus's room, and lo and behold, there she was. She was sitting in a chair right beside his bed, fast asleep.
The hunter smiled a bit as he walked over. He glanced down at Magnus and then over to Xyra. That position didn't look very comfortable, but he wasn't about to move her. If she wanted to stay with the sorcerer, he wasn't going to deny her that. When you wake up, Magnus, go easy on her, alright? She ain't so bad.
He turned around and left just as quietly as he came, a warm smile still on his face. Despite all of what had happened, he was happy to see his two friends again. Things were just going to get more interesting from this point on. Besides, when Magnus woke up, they'd have a lot of catching up to do. A lot had apparently happened in the short time they had been away. He was greatly looking forward to it. Plus, he had a few things to discuss with the sorcerer. He had heard quite a few rumors in the last town…about the Lazufeer talismans.
A full week passed, and Magnus still wasn't awake. Everyone was starting to worry by now. His injuries had all healed up, but they all had to keep in mind just what he had been through. His very life had been drained, and he had been dealt a rather severe electric shock. No normal person would get up a few days later and act as if everything was fine. Magnus was indeed unique and a lot stronger than most sorcerers, but he was still human.
Astrid was in the room with him, removing the last of his bandages from his wrists. She frowned a bit when she saw that the slits were still there. The needles they had used had been pretty wide ones, and Xyra most likely hadn't been gentle when pulling both of his wrists. It was possible they would have scars, but that was hard to say. Even if they did, he could always heal himself.
When Astrid was getting ready to leave Magnus in his slumber, she saw him flinch. That was the first movement he had made since he fell into his unconscious state. She glued her eyes to him, waiting to see what would happen next. His eyelids fluttered a bit, a sign of him stirring from his sleep. Before long, his eyes were starting to open. He slowly turned his head, his eyes meeting hers. He looked a bit confused, so he blinked a few times to clear his vision. However, he still seemed just a little shocked to see her there.
"Hello," she greeted softly, not wanting to startle him.
"Hi," he responded, not thinking entirely straight. He didn't even find it strange that she was there. "Astrid, right?" She just nodded. "What happened to me?"
"Just wait here," she said while getting up, purposely not answering his question. "I'm going to get your friends, okay?" Before he could agree or ask why, she had already run out of the room, heading down the hallway. It didn't take her long at all to reach the room that Darren and Xyra were currently in.
She shoved open the doors, letting them slam into the walls. All five people in the room were startled. Christian and Darren had been playing a game of chess, and Xyra and Scarlette had been conversing quietly. Reeve had come to visit as well, and he had been listening in to the conversations before Astrid had burst in.
"Darren," she began, her voice carrying some alarm to it.
"What?" he asked, sounding a bit worried. "Is something wrong?"
"It's Magnus." Their faces all paled just a bit, fearing that the news she had wouldn't be good. However, she quickly broke into a smile. "He's awake."