It has been a few hours since I had given Akiera the sedative. Caesar had returned with a small bowl of fruit not long after she had fallen asleep. The burning cold that I had felt during our fight had been one of her attacks. Her nails had been laced with a frost that injected into my bloodstream once they had made contact with me. The struggle now is getting it out without making it worse or bleeding out. We believe it better to wait for her to wake up and do it herself before our Mistress finds out, but I'm getting tired of waiting; it's becoming frigid even with blankets wrapped tightly around my frame. Growling a soft sigh of frustration, I stand and start to pace, hoping to get my blood flowing faster to warm myself. I stop after the first step as a hand grabs my burrito of blankets, yanking me back. Glancing, I see Caesar watching the bed, not once looking at me even as he speaks, "Stay seated until she wakes."
I frown but never dare to question him. Doing as told, I take my seat once more, curling up just trying to trap more heat within my blankets. Curled up I pick at the cotton that stuck up from the worn blanket wrapped closest. My eyes were becoming heavy. Was it safe to rest? Would I be warmer when I wake? So many questions yet no answers. A few minutes shouldn't hurt...right?
Caesar's P.O.V
I feared for Maxs' safety. I wasn't sure if him moving around would do more harm than good. We...I can't risk that. I know he's cold and just trying to get warm, I wish I could help, but I alone don't hold much heat. I'd only make him colder, and he's aware of that. I never take my eyes off the girl who lies asleep still, but that doesn't mean I don't notice Max's curled body go limp as he falls asleep, shaking despite his lack of consciousness. I growl softly and stand going to the girls' bedside, snapping my fingers by her ear.
I get no reaction out of her. Not even a twitch of her eyes, but I hear her heart rise unevenly. As if she were afraid of something. I fight back a smile at that thought. I watch her, touching the long white locks on her head hesitantly; a flash of red and a loud roar echos through my mind—the sudden pressure making me remove my hand instantly. The girl jumped awake soon after, panting and looking around frantic. I watched as jagged ice covered the wall behind her in an instant—her body tensed as she looked at me, scrambling away and off the bed. A soft yelp follows soon after as her back connects with the ground with a dull thud making me snicker. She growls, sitting up and glaring at me. My face becomes nostalgic looking back. "As entertaining as it is to watch you freak out. You need to fix what you've done to my..friend there. Whether that willing or...I can happily convince you"
I couldn't help the small smile that filled my face as I spoke. All the ways I could- no ceasar..now is not the time we need to fix max. We need to help him before it's too late.
She looked at me confused before looking at Max as I pointed to him. She frowns and looks back at me. "No," her voice laced with a growl, but I showed no emotion towards it. Slowly rounding the bed, she quickly stands and glares at me as I get closer to her. With each step forward, she took one back until she hit the iced wall behind her. I watched as panic filled her eyes as I quickly closed the gap. Smirking, I tightly grab her by the throat, roughly slamming her into her own creation. With a low whisper, I lean forward, grabbing her hands as she tries to retaliate. Pinning them to her chest, "If you don't. I won't hesitate to skin you alive like the welp you are." I smile as I watch a shiver run down her body. "Do you want to test my patience, or will you do as told?" I glare at her with a sadistic smile, a small part of me aching to do exactly as I promised.
"I...I'll listen" Her voice came out soft, child-like almost. How old was this girl?
"Good answer," she gives a low and soft growl but says nothing as she looks towards the bundled mess known as Max. I followed her gaze once I stepped away from her. He was still limp, and his shaking stopped. I paused. He stopped shaking, was that good, was that bad? Is he alive, are we too late?
I simmered the panic that grew in my chest, shoving it away as I watched the girl slowly make her way to his side. I took my place across from her. My hand reached out to brush a strand of his hair out of his face, his eyes flickered slightly in response. The anxiety I felt disburst instantly seeing. He was still alive, he must have just fallen into a deep sleep.
It wasn't lost to me the girl stood watching us. I didn't care. Once she did what was needed, she'll be lucky we don't kill her. The thought made me shiver. It was hard to fight the smile that threatened to spill upon my features. To feel a blade rip through her pale skin..
I shook my head faintly and rumbled as I looked at her. She watched me tensely. I can smell the sweet scent of fear rolling off her like a faint summer breeze. Fuck..that look..I want to make it last. I want to make her beg, to scream. I shuttered and stepped away "Fix him."
My voice was strained. I don't know how much longer I can handle it. Max needs to wake up, now.
Akiera's P.O.V
I crouch in front of the bundled boy's body. The asshole giraffe told me to fix him..but fix him how? I don't remember doing anything to him. I remember waking up to sharp pain and a weight on top of me, then Max telling me to rest. Why did I listen? What did he do to me while I was asleep? Why was I so tired right after waking up?
Shaking my head, I pushed all these thoughts to the back of my mind so I could focus. Gently, I remove the blankets from around Max's curled-up body. His shirt lifted slightly along his hip and stomach, allowing me to glimpse his defined abs and a part of his V-line. Along his hip lay three minor puncture wounds with frost and a dark blue bruising around them. I had given him frostbite and infused ice with his blood vessels if I had done this. The issue now, I have never removed my defense before, not from a person at least. Biting my lip I place my hands over the top of the wound and focus on the ice and frost. Couldn't it be that hard, right? I mean, it's not much different from a cow or cougar, right?...right. Taking a soft breath, I cleared my mind and closed my eyes. Pictures of shards of ice moving through Max's veins flash through my mind. I focus on the ice alone, isolating it before picturing it to move towards the wound and out once more. I shudder as I feel the warmth of Max's body as the ice begins to disappear completely. Pulling away quickly, I start to cough and pant. Holding my ribs slightly as I feel something shift. Pressing slightly, I feel it move again, wincing in pain. I frown and lay my hand on it, focusing my energy on healing, but I can only manage a small amount, resulting in a duller pain.
I've used too much of my mana the past few days. Growling softly I stand and return to my bed, noticing a bowl of fruit on the metal stand. Striving towards it hungrily, I quickly downed the fruit, not caring what it was. They all tasted plain and flavorless to me. It will do; for now, later, I would need to hunt and find my food source. Setting the empty bowl down, frowning as I sat on the bed. I can hear the soft mumbles from Caesar speaking to his brother but care nothing for it as I lie back down on the bed and covering myself with the thin sheet.
A few moments later, I feel my bones snap and pop as my body becomes smaller, shifting to my tiny form and wrapping my tail around my body. I covered my head with a silvery-white wing as faerie claims me again.