Chapter 23

**Merianna**


A strangled scream ripped me from my sleep. I was clutching my chest, my fingers balled in against the fabric of my night dress. Someone’s hands were on top of my own, a cooling, soothing sensation spreading through my raging body. Another hand was on top of my frying forehead.

My eyes sprang open and I was suddenly blinded by the brilliant light in the room. I shut my eyes again and turned my head sideways away from the light. I had stopped screaming, but was panting now in gasps feeling like my eyes were throbbing in time with my heart.

“Shhh…” Someone soothed overhead, brushing more hair out of my clammy face. “You’re going to be alright.” A man said in a shaky voice.

I swallowed dryly when I noticed it was Thyrion. I heard someone barging into the room as well but it was a distant worry from what I was feeling. I squinted and blinked, my eyes felt like they were on fire. I could make out shapes, but everything was still too bright. “H-rt-.” I strangled out.

I felt him lean in closer “What was that love?” He asked. I could hear the worried tone in his voice.

“Hu-rts.” I managed to strangle out squinting through the blinding light, wanting to see him so badly. My eyes teared relentlessly in response.

I felt his other hand move over to my arms, my stomach, and my legs that were twisted in the sheets.

“What hurts?” He asked as he touched me, trying to see if he could feel my pain and help make it better.

“E-eyes.” I hissed out through gritted teeth, tears streaming from my eyes as I tried to see, but the light kept making them sting worse.

“Nelia.” He said in a rush as he put a hand over my squinting unseeing eyes, relieving me from the light. “Her eyes are hurting. They feel hot.”

“On it.” I heard her say. One of the hands on my chest moved and suddenly there was a new hand over my eyes, pouring cool healing energy into them. My jaw unclenched and I breathed a sigh of relief. Next to me I felt Thyrion also relax with a sigh.

After what felt like an hour of just lying there under Nelia’s healing hands the heat finally settled under the surface. Making me feel fuller but also drained at the same time, but finally I could really fully relax.

Nelia lifted her hands from me and then checked me over to make sure that everything was fine. She made an appreciative noise, then I felt her straighten away from the bed.

“Feeling better now?” She asked me.

“Tons…” I breathed out in a long sigh. I tried cracking my eyes open a little and was really glad to find out that the light was just normal daylight streaming in from the windows. Everything was blurry for a little bit as I blinked, but it soon cleared.

I looked over at Thyrion who was stroking my hair and gave him a grateful smile. He didn’t return the smile though. In fact his eyes seemed to bulge as he looked me in the eyes. Even his hand stopped mid stroke on my head.

I frowned up at him. “What?” I asked worriedly.

He blinked at me and then smiled. “Well, I must say that the gray really does suit you best after all.” He smiled with utter glee.

I frowned at him even more but then Nelia threw herself over in-between me and Thyrion and stared at my eyes. Her jaw went slack and her eyes bugged out of her head. “Holy Hera on a pogo stick. I don’t believe it!”

I blinked up at the both of them then heard a sharp intake of breath from the foot of my bed and saw Hezerial standing there with an apron around his waist and then saw the tray of breakfast behind him on the vanity table. He stared at my eyes but as he stared at my eyes it was as if he could see much more through my eyes than just the color. He instantly knelt on the ground with his head bent towards me. “My lady. I’m grateful to see your return.” He said so fervently that I could feel something else scratching around in my mind, another memory?

I frowned but it was gone just as quickly. “I’ve been back for a while now, Zariel.” I said dryly. I was too tired to figure anything out right now so I relaxed back on the pillows with a sigh.

Hezerial looked back up from his kneeling position and looked at me with a wry smile. “Surely my lady.” He said in agreement and stood up to grab the food tray again.

That was when I heard a pair of running feet coming down the hall towards my room, I sat up with a frown and looked at my door frame. A whoosh of shadowy black energy streaked past my room, then came back and suddenly parted to reveal a stunningly beautiful woman with black hair and silver eyes wearing a black outfit standing in my doorway. I blinked at her then realized that a pair of running feet was still in hot pursuit.

“Raska!” A breathless wheeze came from the hall, then another woman appeared in my doorway. “That’s cheating!” She scolded weakly as she straightened. Her light brown hair was falling over her face and went all the way down to her hips in a curtain. Her green eyes moved up to look at me in the bed and flashed in recognition. She had on a green and gold traveling dress that looked ridiculously familiar.

A startled laugh escaped her and she beamed. Raska’s eyes never left my face the whole time. “Can you believe that Jasnine? That idiot was telling the truth!” Raska said as she smiled and rushed into the room.

“Thank the heavens he was!” Jasnine exclaimed and also rushed into the room.

They both lunged towards the bed with me in it. A startled squeak escaped me and my mind was reeling. I was trying to piece together where they fit into my life still, I wasn’t ready to be smothered by strangers yet! My nerves freaked with the sudden onslaught of emotion and my reeling mind.

I felt my energy rush out of me and towards them. Raska and Jasnine stopped in the middle of a mid-air-lunge blinking at me with their smiles faltering. I blinked back at them in astonishment. I could feel everyone looking at me, and I heard Hezerial chuckle.

The next moment I blinked I felt my energy retract and flush my skin. Raska and Jasnine went sprawling on the floor with a grunt each and a curse from Raska. “We didn’t see you for two thousand years and this is how you greet us?” Jasnine whined, getting up on her hands and knees.