Sixty-Three

“Vlad, he’s terribly hurt. I can feel it. Why isn’t he answering me?” She kept hugging her middle, and perspiration poured over her face, tears cascading down.
“I’m linked with him, he’s fine. He will give us news later and by morning he’ll be here.” I reassured her, but she didn’t listen to me.
“It’s always just a battle wound! You dismiss it like it was nothing. I almost lost you on countless occasions, because of battle wounds!” She screamed, rage charging the air. “The last one you’ve got, you had a gash almost three inches deep down your ribs and another on your shoulder, keeping you in bed for almost a month, Vlad!” Her eyes shoot daggers at me. “Battle wounds… To hell with you two!” Liz got herself up, grabbing the sword and looking at me.
“Watch it!” A low, menacing growl escaped my lips. It wasn’t my intention, but her distress got out of control, and her sorrow flooded the entire room.
Liz stared at me with a belligerent look and chin up. “I’m tired of living this life with death always knocking at my door. It was then, it is now. Oh, honey, don’t bother, it’s just a scratch!” She scowled, making a curious voice. “Don’t worry, dragă. It’s just a battle wound.” She mocked me, and it was funny to see, but I didn’t dare to laugh. “Enough with this idiocy!” Alex hissed the last words.
“Believe me, that was the best battle wound I’ve had, dragă,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows. She flushed scarlet. But she got so pissed at us, she didn’t even pay attention to what she was saying. Finally, both Liz caught up with each other. She wore her fear on her sleeve and needed to let some steam out, so I fell for her little quarrel.
“Why is that?” she hissed and charged, catching me off guard since I distracted myself by teasing her. I just had the time to raise my sword, blocking her attack.
“Because you were there, taking care of me.” The cling of the metal resounded, and I pushed her sword back with mine, regaining my ground as I advanced on her, and she diverted me with a low cut, blocking me with another blow.
“You were so stubborn I had to strap you in bed!” She glared at me, charging again as we waltzed around the room, blow by blow.
“That was the best part, dragă.” Her cheeks blushed even harder, and an impish look brightened her face. She brought her sword up and stepped closer, giving me access to attack her and end this at once.
But then she descended a blow, locking her sword with mine as she said, “I can’t wait to do it again!” She winked, and a wicked smile made its way to her lips. I got so enthralled by the whole matter I didn’t notice her stealth move. She pushed her foot against my stomach with such strength I met the floor hard, reaching for air. She came to me, putting the tip of her blade in my throat. “And this time, I’m the one having all the fun.” It was her sinful promise. My eyes darkened and then flashed golden with all the lewd thoughts crossing my mind while she held me there.
“Liz…” My demon was calling to her. She breathed hard while staring at me, and I felt the shift, her words sinking in. In the heat of the fight, she didn’t stop to analyze the circumstances. She let go of the sword, advancing on me.
“You almost died, back then! You’ve never listened to me!” Several punches hit my chest. “Never, not once!” Her fists connected with me hard, and she didn’t realise she was injuring herself. When her eyes changed color and the room came alive, I captured her wrists, prompting her to me, embracing her. She fought against my hold like a wildcat, but I kept her still.
Concern for Anton beat at her, and in her rampage she forgot we were the same, thinking of him as an ordinary human. He had been her rock all these years, and suddenly someone sought to destroy the only haven she had known in this life. I still haven’t gotten used to the idea of Anton’s father figure. It sounded foreign to my ears.
“I know, Liz, and I’m sorry for putting you through so many things,” I whispered to her, gently caressing her back as she stopped struggling. “Anton will be fine, dragă, I promise.”
“How do you know?” She wept in the crook of my neck, her tears bathing me.
“Trust me. He’s like myself, and I still can feel his energy.” In one leap, I stood up with her in my arms. “Come, it is late, you need to rest.” I tightened my hold on her and walked to the bedroom.
***
It was about dawn when she became restless. Her skin burnt to the touch and sweat covered her body. Something had crawled in her sleep, igniting a nightmare. “Liz, wake up.” Everything in my life was a déjà vu, and I was tired of it. “Wake up, Liz.” I gave light pats on her cheeks, trying to take her out of that suffering, but she was deep entrenched in her dream. I peeked at the window. The sky was a gorgeous palette of colors, signaling the sun was about to rise. The world around us was at peace for the moment, but a battle was raging inside my sleeping nymph.
She mumbled a lot of things while shaking her head, and terror seemed to get worse by the minute. I had to wake her up. Her agony and struggle were so great, she broadcasted in waves, beating at me and making my stomach lurch. When she started crying my name, my blood froze in my veins. Sparks flickered in the air, and the room took a life of its own. It was one of those night terrors Anton spoke to me about.
“Alexandra, wake up, dragă.” She opened her eyes, staring at mine, glassy, fear swirling inside those lavenders. Her fingers gripped at my upper arms to the point of her nails digging into my flesh. The objects in the room rose from their places, and when lightbulbs blew up one by one, I did the only thing that came to my mind. I seized her and headed to the bathroom, turning the shower on with cold water and stepping inside the stall with her. The minute she felt the jet of water cooling her heated skin, she stiffened, and I heard everything fall back to place and a few smashing sounds.
“He killed you. He killed you,” she wailed, coming back from her panic.
“It was just a bad dream, it’s over, Liz.” I kissed her face, trying to soothe her. Her skin cooled down and she couldn’t control her trembling to the point of her teeth clattering. I took her wet clothes off and turned the water to hot, keeping her underneath with me until her trembling got back to normal and her skin warmed to the touch. I wrapped her in one big towel and took her to bed under the covers.
“No, it was not. I saw him, he snatched the dagger.” Those lavenders were dark, fixed on my face as tears pooled in them. “Please, you can’t die, I won’t let him kill you!” She roared as she still battled the remnants of her nightmare.
“Who, Liz? Who did you see?” Her shaking subsided, and I could let go of the air trapped in my lungs.
“A shadow, the shadow. You, but different, I don’t know! Everything was so confusing. This nightmare was not like the others,” she cried with little patience.
“What’s different about it?”
“My dreams are always about the past. This one was about the future, and it felt real, Vlad. Too real for my liking.” She shut her eyes with a loud, frustrated whimper. “Please, Grizzly, I won’t survive without you, not anymore.”
Happiness filled my heart with her words. She went through a lot of changes since we got here. There was a softness in her eyes that it wasn’t there in the beginning. She was always closer to me, never straying too far, and always touching me as if it was beyond her control. She found safety and peace in my company. My Liz was back and with a beautiful and wicked plus. She gripped at my hair and pulled me to her lips for a desperate and hurried kiss; her face flushed and tearful. I slowed her down, caressing her cheek and bringing her closer to my body.
“A lot has happened since I found you in that cabin.” She nestled against my chest, getting comfortable. “Maybe your worries with Anton triggered this nightmare, that’s all. We’ll be fine. Hold to me and sleep, dragă.”
“Maybe.” She agreed with me, but I knew I hadn’t convinced her.