// won't you breathe with me? //
He always comforted her. The warmth leeching from his hand through the fabric of her knee and into the bones beneath soothed her, a subtle thrill that might consume her attention entirely if she let it. Liam's reluctance to indulge in her healing powers turned a grim and thankless ritual into a sacrifice she was more than willing to make. Not because she was capable of enduring, but because there was nothing she wouldn't give of herself to see his expression ease with the vanquish of pain.
Her own relief was but a moment away. Satisfied that he was properly mended, she winced as sharp teeth savaged another portion of her arm. The pain was staggering, but brief; turning the power onto herself, as the bloodboon worked its blessings on her injuries, Maea slumped wearily against Liam. Acid burns vanished, lacerations knitted back together; only the mental fatigue of the battle remained, and a bone deep awareness of how close they'd come to ruin today.
A damp breeze cut the sweltering heat of the region, soothing and revitalising. A dervish of ash and dust formed before their feet and swivelled past, dissolving against the rocks. Other than the subtle rustle of shifting sand and the churn of digestive systems still processing a sudden death, all was still.
"We did it." She was still alive. Liam was right beside her, warm and real. They had won.
Her own relief was but a moment away. Satisfied that he was properly mended, she winced as sharp teeth savaged another portion of her arm. The pain was staggering, but brief; turning the power onto herself, as the bloodboon worked its blessings on her injuries, Maea slumped wearily against Liam. Acid burns vanished, lacerations knitted back together; only the mental fatigue of the battle remained, and a bone deep awareness of how close they'd come to ruin today.
A damp breeze cut the sweltering heat of the region, soothing and revitalising. A dervish of ash and dust formed before their feet and swivelled past, dissolving against the rocks. Other than the subtle rustle of shifting sand and the churn of digestive systems still processing a sudden death, all was still.
"We did it." She was still alive. Liam was right beside her, warm and real. They had won.
Maea
// won't you take me to your heart? //
