Chapter 51 I swear it, Valira
Ira's POV
I float in the air, watching a new scene play out. At first it’s just footsteps, small fast ones, echoing within the hall as though they are being pursued.
The sound grows, confirming my suspicion as two kids come into view, running down an unfamiliar hallway in fear.
There are two kids. A boy who looks about seven, and a girl who's younger. He's clutching the hand of the girl, her tiny sobs bouncing off the high, vaulted ceiling.
Her white hair sways rigorously behind her and I notice how it glows when she passes the lamps.
I don't need a soothsayer to say it. I just know this little girl is me.
Guards shout behind us…behind them… their strong boots slamming into the ground with a terrifying loudness that shakes the walls. But worse than their pursuit is the sound behind it all. There's people screaming, raw agony, so much chaos…
My stomach twists as I just know this is war and those screams are people getting killed. The air tastes bitter due to the swelling smoke.
“We have to go faster,” the boy pants, tugging the little girl forward. Sweat drips down the side of his face. His black hair, glossy as ink, sticks to his forehead.
His blue eyes are unusually bright, almost luminous as they scan the corridor like he’s memorizing everything, like he's considering exits.
Unlike the girl, he doesn't look scared-- Exhausted? Yes but he's certainly too young to look this calm during a war.
The girl stumbles. “Boo, I can’t feel my legs,” she cries.
“Yes you can.” The boy insists, not slowing down, pulling her along. “Just a little further. Come on, Val.”
Another scream pierces the air, sounding much closer now. The girl flinches violently but the boy immediately pulls her toward a wide staircase.
He sweeps aside cobwebs hanging beneath it, before pushing open a hidden door, revealing the dark space beneath.
“Get under,” he whispers, his voice urgent and for the first time, holding a bit of fear.
The girl moves but he suddenly grabs her face in his fury hands, his blue eyes shining brighter, nearly turning white.
“No,” She chokes out, her eyes wide and shimmering with tears. “...please, don’t hypnotize me,” she begs, trying to pull back.
The boy drops to one knee, cupping her cheeks in his shaking hands. His thumb gently wipes the tears beneath her eye, staining her fair spotless skin.
“Listen to me,” he says. “It’s the Captain’s order. I…” he swallows, voice cracking, “I can’t disobey him. He made me understand that if I can't do this, then I can protect you.”
“You said…” She sniffles. “You said you’d never hurt me.”
“And I won’t.” he responds immediately. “I’m doing this to keep you safe. It'll only keep you silent long enough so your powers do get triggered. Just stay hidden, don’t come out. No matter what you hear.”
The girl’s chest rises and falls too quickly. “W…wait.”
Another shout erupts from the hallway. The boy flinches, looking back, panic sneaking into his features.
“Promise me you’ll come back,” she whispers, clutching his sleeve with tiny fingers. “Promise you’ll come back for me.”
The boy meets her eyes, his gaze softening. “You are my master, of course I'll return for you.”
Surprisingly the girl smiles.
“I swear it, Valira. I’m your guardian after all.” he vows, placing a hand on his chest.
And then she lets him look into her eyes with those blinding eyes of his.
I gasp awake, my throat burning, tears well up in my eyes instantly from the memory.
But before I can jerk upright, a warm palm presses gently yet firmly against my shoulder, steadily guiding me back down onto the hard mattress. It feels strange.
“Breathe, Ira.” A familiar deep voice mutters and I inhale yet my face contorts into a frown as I blink my blurry gaze, wondering if truly Ruel can speak with such calmness.
I blink rapidly, vision swimming between dream and reality. It takes a moment before the room fully forms.
The first thing I see is the crumbling roof. And then Commander Ruel’s face.
Close. Closer than is healthy.
And dear goddess, why is his shirt gone?!
My eyes drop to his bare torso, the tense muscles under his ribs, his firm chest, his hair that looks messy as though he's run his hands through it too many times.
He looks… furious. And worried.
And I’m staring at him like the idiot I am.
Thankfully before I completely shame myself, another voice bursts in.
“Oh my goodness, IRA! You’re awake!” Cath squeals, practically tripping over herself as she rushes to my bedside.
Ruel releases my shoulder, the spot suddenly feeling empty.
Cath's eyes are red-rimmed, her hands fluttering as she tries to express herself.
“I thought you were dying, I swear!”
“Why didn’t you duck?” Ruel snaps, cutting her off instantly.
I flinch, my mind racing a second before I realize what he's talking about.
How could I have moved when my legs kept me rooted to the spot.
“You don’t stand tall when arrows are flying,” he growls, watching me with a hard gaze.
“You don’t freeze.” He continues. “You don’t hesitate. You hit the ground immediately you sense danger. Do you have any idea how reckless…”
Arrows? Wasn't there only one?
I blink up at him, confused.
I don’t remember there being multiple arrows. Just people running and barking orders.
“B..but there w..was only one... “ Catherine shrinks, her words hanging when Ruel glares at her.
Just then Sergeant Elric walks into pushing aside a roll of curtains. With the stench of antiseptic in the air, it's easy to guess that I'm in the clinic.
I immediately notice the thick bandage wrapped on Elric's shoulder. He moves stiffly but acts like he's barely feeling the pain.
“Did they get all the wolfsbane out?” Ruel asks, facing him.
“Yeah. It was barely a scratch, but Rita has handled it.” he nods.
Ruel gives me one last look. Before turning away again at the sound of footsteps.
Cortis steps in, her eyes landing on me for a second too long before she turns to Ruel.
“No one was caught,” She reports with disappointment in her tone.
Ruel says nothing but the anger in his eyes burns the whole clinic. Without looking back, he storms off, Cortis moving along swiftly.
“And where the hell has Scarface been?” Elric mutters before following them.
The moment they’re gone, Catherine leaps back to my bed with a squeal, nearly vibrating.
“He TOTALLY likes you!”
What? How on earth did we get here?
“You won't believe he stayed here for three hours!” she gushes. “Three! He refused to leave your side. Even Sergeant Elric, his best friend, didn't get that kind of treatment.”
My face heats up but I bite down on my tongue, feigning indifference. “He stayed so he could yell my ears off. That's not him liking me. That's him being obsessed with authority that he'll do anything just to act all superior”
I say it firmly. So tell me why a part of me wishes Cath is right?