Something was pressing down on me. It was hard and centered on my chest. Thump. Thump. Thump. I could feel my lungs fill up with air, pushing against the already fullness. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Come on!" Someone grunted. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. "Nimre!" I saw a white light as I began to feel my fingers. Something was pulling me towards the light that merged into purple. I could feel the cold water rushing past me until….
My body heaved, water spewing past my lips. I sputtered, trying to inhale while coughing up the liquid that felt like fire in my lungs. Something grabbed me, forcing me onto my side while hitting my back.
"That's it. That's it." A deep voice spoke behind me. I opened my burning eyes, my fight or flight kicking in once I could semi breathe. I rolled, throwing a fist. My wrist was grabbed so I threw the other. It was also grabbed.
"N-Nimre!" The deep voice grunted. I blinked wildly until I could see who spoke.
"Nymbus." I panted, relaxing. His golden hair was wet, slightly hanging in his face. Water trailed down his muscular body, disappearing when it touched his shorts. My vision blurred and I looked down at my own body. Deep claw marks exposed my ribs and my ankle looked like it had been mauled. Both bled profusely, a puddle of blood appearing under both parts of me. I looked back at him. He looked like he was panicking. "I'm gonna draw you." I was loopy from the blood loss. My body went limp and my vision blackened again.
~~~
"I healed her, but she hasn't woken up." Nymbus spoke. "Is she dying?" I attempted to move, but nothing happened. My breathing was even and steady, but I was starting to feel panicked. Start with your fingers. I tried to wiggle my fingers, but they didn't move.
"She is half human." Lae's voice answered. "They are weaker than a born fae. It will take time for her to rebuild her strength. She lost a lot of blood." I could hear Nymbus sigh.
"Thank you, Lae." He sounded down. Maybe frustrated.
"Call me if you need anything, My Lord." She replied. Footsteps walked away. I could tell that Nymbus moved closer by the sound of his breathing. It sounded like he sat in a chair next to where I laid. Warmth enveloped one of my hands as he took it in his. He was quiet for a long time. I wondered what he was thinking.
"How is she?" Madeline asked, her voice soft.
"Still unconscious." Nymbus responded.
"When will she wake up?"
"I do not know."
"What if… she doesn't wake up?" Her voice sounded sad. Nymbus was quiet, but his hands tightened around mine. I wanted to know his answer, but one was never given.
~~~
From what I could tell, I was unconscious for three days. I could hear every word spoken and feel every word that wasn't spoken. I could feel every time I was poked and prodded. I was lying in bed, listening to everything happening in my room. Which wasn't much. Madeline had fallen asleep next to the bed. I was attempting to move my body when my eyes fluttered open. My eyes adjusted quickly to the light and I found myself staring at the ceiling. I grunted softly as I raised my hand to my face before dropping it back onto the bed. Madeline jerked, looking up at me. She and Nymbus took turns sitting at my side so that they could eat and sleep.
"Nimre!" She gasped. Her face lit up as she searched my face. "You are finally awake!"
"Hi, Maddy." I said softly. I had told her about that nickname from my human world and she decided that she had to be called it.
"I'll go get daddy." She moved to get up.
"W-wait." I caught her wrist in my hand before she could get far.
"What's wrong?" Her large eyes searched my face again.
"Just… sit." I motioned for her to sit back down. After a moment, she sat back down.
"DOn't you want daddy to know that you're awake?" She questioned as I released her small wrist.
"I'm not… ready." The thought of seeing her father made my heart act up in my chest. There had been a lot of tense moments when he was in my room, holding my hand. I could tell that he was feeling strongly about me being unable to move. It was very intense. "What… happened? I remember… waking up, but everything went black again." She was quiet for a moment as if thinking.
"I was nearby and I heard daddy yell. I ran as fast as I could only to see him carrying you out of a cave." She started. "I followed him to the house where Lae looked you over. Daddy was panicking because he healed you, but you weren't waking up." I blinked, remembering the sound of pacing and frustration. He really cared about me.
"I had to force him to leave your side to eat and sleep, but he hasn't done much of either." She smirked. "What… were you two doing in that cave? You were both in your underthings when he came out of that cave." I thought back, blushing when I remembered our moment in the water.
"We were swimming." It wasn't a lie. It just wasn't the full truth.
"Well, he's going to be happy to see that you're awake. Can I go get him now?" She shifted.
"Sure. I slid my hand under the blanket. Bandages wrapped around my torso and I still wore my bra and shorts. She got up excitedly and left the room. I took the time to remove the blanket and sit up. I grunted, pain searing through my side. I inhaled sharply, holding my side as I hung my feet over the side of the bed. Even my ankle was wrapped and pulsed with a force. I exhaled another grunt, using my free hand to hold myself up.
"Goodness me! What are you doing, child?" Lae entered the room with a rush about her. "You're supposed to be resting! Lay back down. My, if the High Lord saw you trying to get up, he'll skin me alive."
"I'm alright." I chuckled, a little breathless. "Just… in a bit of pain." If I was healed, why do I feel like I'm still injured?
"That is because you should be resting." She smoothed out her apron.
"I'm just sitting." I exhaled deeply.
"Well, at least cover up with the blanket. The High Lord is coming." She moved to grab the blanket as my ears picked up the sound of quick footsteps. She was halfway done covering me when Nymbus and Madeline entered the room. Nymbus's eyes widened when he saw me and I could tell that he wanted to come to me and wrap me in his arms. Maybe it was the look of pain and discomfort that stopped him. He looked tired.
"Nimre…. How do you feel?" He asked.
"I'm… alright." I half-lied as I studied his golden eyes. I was half covered in a blanket, but I didn't care. He'd already seen my body. Not naked, but close enough.
"Leave us." He ordered Lae and Madeline softly.
"But daddy-"
"Just for now." He interrupted. She hung her head slightly as she and Lae left the room. Nervousness swamped me as he sat down in the chair in front of me. The silence seemed to drag on between us.
"You are… the only person that can make me feel fear." He said. I felt my jaw tighten. "I thought you were going to die… and I felt like my chest… my heart was caving in."
"I'm sorry." I nearly whispered.
"It's not your fault. None of what happened is your fault." His eyes hardened a little. "I did not sense the danger in those waters. That is on me."
"There's no way for you to have known."
"I am a High Lord. I should've sensed it." He shook his head a little. Maybe it's because we were both a little distracted. "I didn't…. I didn't realize how much you meant to me until I was trying to save you." I didn't say anything. I was trying to remember all that I could. My eyes moved to his hands in his lap.
"What do you remember?" He questioned.
"I remember… getting grabbed. Pain. The inability to breathe… fire. Seeing you swimming towards me… then darkness. I remember inhaling the cold water." I frowned slightly. "Then I heard you yell my name and I was coughing up water. I looked at my bleeding wounds and then darkness again." He sighed, leaning forward on his knees.
"I healed you as best as I could, but your fae side rejected the magic. I could only stop the bleeding." He looked at my bandaged torso. "But you'll heal faster since you are half faerie." He looked like he felt like a failure.
"You did the best that you could." I placed a hand on his, trying to comfort him. "Because of you, I am alive." His golden eyes searched my face.
"You need to rest." He said. I paused, unsure if I wanted to. "I'll be right here." Not wanting to argue, I pulled my hand away and moved to lay down. I clenched my jaw and grunted as I got into a lying position. Nymbus laid the blanket on me before sitting back down. A metallic taste entered my mouth and within seconds, I was falling asleep.