A warm hand on my cheek makes me smile as I slowly open my eyes, closing them with a groan when the sun hitting them makes my head pound. My arm feels heavy as I put my hand over my face, the person above me chuckling. Raising my palm to create a shield, I glare with slitted eyes, confused when I make out Jake's relieved smile.
Between the pounding in my head, the memories of what happened last night finally come through and I can't help the shaky breath that escapes me.
'I think I used up the last of those lives Spider's always teasing me about,' I think as the emotions I wasn't able to feel during the time came tumbling in. In the end, I'm left with a calm fury that clears my head of the pain.
Focusing on Jake, I ask, "What happened and why are you here?" Not that I'm not happy that he is, but it stinks of more manipulation by the Gods than coincidence.
Frowning slightly, he ignores my question, instead insisting on helping me sit up. Shrugging, I let him assist me since my limbs still feel heavy from the Nightshade. My head swims a little, but once I can focus, I see that we're not alone in the room.
I raise an eyebrow at Thomas leaning against the door in question, but he just shrugs his shoulders, nodding his head towards the desk. Blinking a few times to clear the sleep from my eyes, I'm able to make out the Elite that I'd seen at the warehouse sitting behind a desk with Shara standing at his side. I smile when I see her, relief that she's safe making my eyes sting with unshed tears. I sniff and rub my nose, hiding my face until I get my emotions under control.
"Now that you are awake, I would like you to tell me and the Collector what happened after Shara awoke from her faint," the Elite says with calm authority.
I shrug, not finding a reason to refuse. Throughout my explanation, his features remain neutral. It's not until I mention the man talking about getting more supplies from Grenitch that he shows a hint of shock. Jake's hand had found mine when I started with waking up on the stone table, the tension in his body tangible.
No wonder, since he's probably reading my thoughts as I go through my retelling. Thomas hasn't looked up from the floor, but I can hear a low rumble coming from his chest. Poor Shara is pale and looks close to either fainting again or bursting into tears.
When I finish, the room is quiet, the air so full of emotion that the hair on my body raises. My sudden sneeze startles everyone, a snorted laugh escaping from Shara, and the atmosphere becomes less strained.
Standing from his desk, the Elite says, "I'm sure you will be glad to know that the man who had captured you is in custody, as are his accomplices. Though there are more out there who participated with his activities, thanks to your brave efforts as well as those of Shara, we will be able to minimize if not stop the disappearances. We will know more after we question everyone. You have also given us a lead on a Nightshade supplier. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your courage, though I am sorry that this happened under my roof. If there is anything that you require, I will be happy to arrange it." The old man bows deeply, making me uncomfortable, but since I was coming here to talk to him anyway, I figure I might as well ask.
"What's with the smoke?"
His head snaps up in surprise, while everyone else has a puzzled expression on their faces.
Answering hesitantly, he says, "It is something I have had since childhood. How do you know of it?" As the question leaves his lips, the smoke snakes towards me slowly.
Thomas takes a threatening step forward, while Jake moves in front of me, trying to intercept it.
Shara gasps softly, raising her hand to her mouth as her eyes widen in shock.
"You can all see it?" His question is rhetorical, yet we all nod as it slithers its way around Jake to wrap around my waist.
The second it touches me, it turns a burnished silver with gold threading interlaced throughout.
"It did the same thing in the hall when I first met you. It is the reason I took you from the Collector in the first place," he says in wonder, walking around his desk to sit on his heels near me.
"What are you?" he whispers in awe as I poke a finger in it, not feeling any resistance.
The golden threads circle my finger as I swirl it around, my curiosity making my nose twitch, and I sneeze again. This time I sneeze so hard that my hood falls over my face, scraping the fabric over my ears. Startled that I hadn't noticed they were uncovered, I reach up to push my hood down.
Jake's hand on mine stops me midway, his expression showing a tender understanding that tugs at my heart. Letting him push my hand back into my lap, I hold my breath and keep my eyes down as he slowly lifts my hood.
The collective gasp makes me flinch. Jake takes my chin in his hand and raises my head until we're eye to eye. The admiration I see has me blushing uncomfortably, but the feeling that I'm not alone, that I don't have to hide anymore, is like a giant weight being lifted from my chest. Tears slide down my cheeks unnoticed as I slowly smile at him.
Thomas comes over and rests a hand on my shoulder. His smile is a little evil, but something tells me it's a fun evil.
Turning to the Elite, I answer as honestly as I can, "I am the Avatar of the Goddess Bast."
The gold thread in the smoke starts to twist and thicken, the smoke rising to form the shape of a man, while the twine makes up his eyes and mouth. There's a large smile on his face as he bows towards me before slowly dissipating.
A startled laugh has us looking at the Elite in concern as he goes into hysterics.
Jake leans over and slaps him hard on the cheek, the crack sounding like a tree falling.
After a moment of harsh breathing, he takes a deep breath before saying, "Thank you, Healer. I apologize for my outburst."
Jake nods in understanding before replying, "If you want to know more about what just happened, I believe that Shara would be able and willing to teach you?" A sly smile quirks his lips as he turns to Shara.
Her blush is adorable as she nods, "I would be honored."
Thomas squeezes my shoulder before stating, "I think we have all had a long few days. Are you ready to go home?" His question is slightly hesitant, making me realize that when he says 'home' he's asking if I want to go to his home, their home.
Reaching up, I scratch behind my ears. Am I willing to take a chance with them? We haven't known each other long, a few hours at most. Is that long enough to trust any decision I make? Looking between Jake and Thomas, I can see hope in both of their eyes and the beginning of something deeper, something special.
"I'm not easy to live with," I tell them as Jake's lips start quirking up.
"Neither am I," Thomas says gruffly.
"I have a cat," I inform them.
"I love cats," Jake says playfully as he reaches up and taps the end of my ear. It swivels at the contact, and he laughs in delight. My vision blurs as I see the red threads I'd seen before come into focus. The ones connecting me to the Elite and Shara are thin with gold wrapped around them. The ones between me and Jake and Thomas are thicker than before with fewer holes, the same gold thread intertwined.
When I blink, the image fades, but the emotions remain. Resolving that whether orchestrated by the Gods or the universe, there is something here worth pursuing, I nod.
Jake lets out a 'Whoop!' of happiness as he takes my hands in his and pulls me to my feet, kissing my lips before I'm balanced. Thomas is behind him in an instant, holding his shoulders, so we don't all fall. I feel his muscled arms wrap around the two of us, and something inside that I didn't realize was there settles. A feeling of safety, of home, overwhelms me before Thomas releases us and kisses me on the forehead. I smile through my tears, as ready as I'm going to be to start this new chapter of my life.