Chapter Text
"Once it starts raining in the N109 Zone, it won't stop for days."
I remember him saying this at one point - and it's true.
It's been raining for three days straight, the relentless downpour separating this area from the rest of the world. Like a dome-shaped cover it traps the misty haze underneath, drowning out most of the other noises, creating wet puddles, letting little rivers stream down the empty streets.
I gaze out into the rain, my eyes aimlessly wandering around the abandoned graveyard behind the castle.
There are broken tombstones, dead trees, some poison ivy creeping over the remnants of once beautiful statues - now laying in the dirt, broken and incomplete.
My leg hurts and I wish I could ignore it any longer but the inevitable is making itself present like a sudden migraine. The bandages have to get changed… the wound has to be treated once more.
I tear my view away from the tranquil outside and look at my right thigh. The white bandages are dappled with red spots and I can feel the torn skin underneath, like millions of tiny needles pricking into my flesh.
Images of the day that I received this mark flash before my inner eyes. Every time I close my eyes I can see it even more clearly.
I can hear the shouting, I can see the panic in his eyes, hear the heart wrenching terror in his voice, feel the pain shooting along my right thigh. A pain so cold and searing that it actually felt like my flesh was set on fire, causing a wound so unique that not even Sylus was able to heal it.
My eyes snap open as my muscles start cramping and I don't even realize I had closed them. I put my hand just above the knee, careful not to touch the wound. I execute pressure, trying to stop my leg from twitching.
How many more days will I have to endure this? Why isn't it healing faster?
I lean back against the rough stonewall behind my back, licking over my dry, chapped lips. I should go back.
Back to the warm, comfy living room and find him. Him and some stronger painkillers. It's better to get this out of the way as soon as possible.
After all, it's starting to get late and he should be up soon.
The muscles in my leg are slowly calming down and I sigh out a breath of relief.
But I have to get up. I cannot sit here any longer. As much as I enjoy the quiet serenity, it's cold and uncomfortable here. The huge cavities in the walls don't even have glass windows. They're just holes shaped like an archway. The masonry is rough, the stone undressed and black like onyx. The lantern I brought with me is barely illuminating the spot where I chose to sit down.
Maybe I can bring a blanket next time and a thick pillow to sit on. Surely that'd make it more enjoyable.
And while I try to muster up the will to get up and leave, there's a cawing to my right. It's the only warning I get before I can hear wings flapping and then Sylus emerges from the shadows, approaching me with measured, unhurried steps.
"You don't look surprised", he says instead of a greeting and leans against one of the columns with his right shoulder.
He crosses his legs by the ankle, fingers loosely intertwined in front of his midsection. His posture is relaxed and his gaze goes out into the rain, calmly observing the surroundings of his castle.
"Well, I knew you'd be getting up around this time and I was about to head back just now…"
His head turns ever so slightly before his red eyes fall upon me. Usually I'd feel uncomfortable under his scrutinizing gaze but I don't perceive his eyes as precarious anymore. Lately, they've been a source of comfort.
Especially since I've been spending the last week under his devoted care already.
How will I ever be able to pay him back for this kindness?
He sighs and gestures around. "What are you doing in this part of the castle anyway? It's not renovated and practically ancient. Nobody has been using these rooms and hallways for decades."
I can't help but smile and stretch out my left arm, my hand weaving through the falling rain outside the archway, catching the cold drops. "Maybe that's exactly why. It's quiet and nobody ever comes here. I like the stillness."
One of his eyebrows lifts, giving him a mocking expression.
"Sweetie… There are not many people in my home anyway. If Luke and Kieran are ever bothering you, just send them away. And Mephisto won't disturb you, he can just be a quiet observer."
He pushes away from the column between two archways and steps closer.
"But don't sit out here, catching a cold while you're already ailing."
"I'm not—"
My protest dies the moment he wraps his arms around me and leans in, his gravelly voice close to my ear. "Hold on tight."
I close my eyes and the next moment it's as if I'm sucked into a whirlwind of thousands of soft feathers. A heartbeat later I can feel solid ground under my feet again. Gasping, I clutch to his gray sweater, holding on a few seconds longer while trying to will away the dizzy feeling I always get when he's blinking us away.
Realizing we're back in his bedroom, I slowly let go and take a step back. Sylus holds on to my elbow for a moment longer, steadying me.
"You alright?"
I just nod and can't help but look at the medical supplies on the nightstand by his side of the bed. It's as if they've become part of the inventory at this point.
Bandages, gauze, various sprays and bottles, tweezers, blister packs with painkillers, bandage clips, tubes and pots with creams… a thick leather belt…
I swallow and I can feel my palms becoming sweaty almost instantly.
The procedure is the same every time. It will hurt. I'm not keen on it - who would be? - but I know there's no way around it. Not if I want this taken care of. If I want to be able to go back to work anytime soon.
Sylus lets go of me and walks over to his sideboard. There's a silver tray with some tumblers and decanters on it. He takes one of the glasses and half fills it with water. My hand is already reaching for it when he turns around to offer it to me. Next he pops two capsules out of a blister pack and I take them wordlessly before putting them both into my mouth and washing them down with most of the water.
"Is… there anything stronger than this?", I ask hesitantly as I hand back the glass.
His hand gently squeezes my shoulder. "Sorry, kitten, but six tablets is already more than the recommended daily dose."
Great. Fucking great. Here I already take two of them three times a day and then they barely even work.
"I think they just don't work on me", I try and look up to Sylus. "Is there something else perhaps?"
His smile is apologetic. "You will only have to bear it for a few more days. It'll be over soon and then it'll heal quickly, trust me."
I kind of doubt it. The last seven days feel like a small eternity and at this point I'm almost prepared to live with this for many more weeks to come, if not even months.
"Come on", he says, planting a fleeting kiss on top of my head. "Lay down so I can get started."
My heart starts beating faster immediately. If from the small token of affection or from knowing what's about to happen - who can tell? Probably both.
I cast a quick glance to Mephisto who sits on his perch by the bathroom, giving me an encouraging caw and flapping his wings once.
"Fine", I mumble to myself and crawl onto the bed before turning around and lying on my back.
I take a deep breath and close my eyes, resting both my hands on top of my stomach. Sylus sits on the edge of the bed and reaches for my short pajama pants. He hooks his fingers under the waistband and slowly drags the pants down my thighs, keeping the elastic away from the wound.
Next, he grabs my ankle and bends my right leg, slightly propping it up so he has better access to the whole bandage.
He undoes the little clip and unravels layer after layer before gently pulling the long piece of ointment soaked gauze away from the wound itself.
I open my eyes to steal a glance.
The borders around the open flesh are red and angry, the throbbing feeling makes me want to touch it but I hold back and watch Sylus inspect the wound itself closely.
The tiny white crystals in the center are glittering under the soft light from the nightstand lamp. I'd almost call it beautiful if it wouldn't hurt so much.
"There's less than before", he says and gives my knee a soft, encouraging squeeze.
I frown. It looks the same as yesterday to me. And the day before.
True, the ice crystals had been larger at the beginning, but I feel like there is no real progress within the last two or three days. Whenever he removes them - they just grow back within a few hours.
I look away, to the window, where the clouds give way to a blood red moon and the rain softly drums against the glass.
"You don't need to say that in order to make me feel better…", I eventually say. "It looked the same yesterday. There's no improvement."
Sylus lets go of my leg and leans over my small frame, his face hovering above mine, only inches apart. This way, I'm forced to look at him.
"Hey", his raspy voice makes my heart skip a beat. "Did I ever lie to you?"
Quietly, I shake my head. Indeed, he did not. And so far he has always kept his promises, too.
He sighs and leans back.
"Let's take a picture. Then you can compare it tomorrow."
I nod and let him take a picture of the wound with my phone. Afterwards I take a deep breath and roll onto my left side, slightly angling my right leg, trying to get as comfortable as possible for the upcoming ordeal.
Without another word, Sylus gets up and fetches a towel before gathering the utensils from the nightstand. He lays it all out on the bed, next to me, then takes the belt and folds it in half, holding it in front of my mouth.
I part my lips and he shoves the thick leather between my teeth. I merely hold on to it for now, breathing through my nose.
For some reason, I'm on edge today. Every touch feels heightened, every brush of his cool fingers against my heated skin feels like a blessing.
Sylus settles behind me, his right knee between both of my legs. He scoots closer and I can hear him disinfecting the tweezers with a few pumps from the isopropyl bottle.
I don't even flinch when one of his hands comes to lie on the outside of my thigh, just below the hip bone, keeping my leg steady. I expected it. This is routine by now.
However, for the next part, I close my eyes and start to bite down on the leather belt while my hands grab fistfuls of sheets, squeezing hard.
I can feel the tweezers trying to get a hold of one of the ice crystals growing out of the wound. Sylus is gently wiggling it from side to side, trying to loosen it before gripping it more firmly and pulling it up.
Hissing through clenched teeth, I try my best to hold still. I feel the exact moment that thing is ripped away from my flesh, leaving behind a little gap which inevitably fills with blood and ichor. It feels like pulling teeth.
One by one, Sylus is plucking the crystal growth from the outside of my thigh. He's gentle and careful, yet the pain is unpreventable.
There's wetness all around the wound, blood dripping down my thigh, soaking the towel underneath.
I feel sweaty.
I cry.
"Shh, I know it hurts", he murmurs and doesn't stop for even one second.
He works efficiently and methodically, never faltering. Though he keeps whispering encouraging words to me, telling me I'm a good girl, saying that I'm brave and that it'll be over soon.
I do believe him this time.
Minutes tick by. Slowly, dragging, sticky like treacle. It feels like hours.
Nighttime comes around and Sylus's day only begins.
I don't know when we started or how long it took, but I know when it ends.
My wound cleaned and tended to. A fresh bandage securely wrapped around my thigh.
I release the leather, my jaw slacking. Spit and sweat and tears staining my face.
Sylus leans over me and takes the belt away before his fingers gently swipe some sweaty strands away which got stuck to my forehead.
"It's over", he whispers, his rumbling voice being the softest, most convincing sound I ever heard. "You did well… rest now."
Exhausted, I close my eyes again and hardly notice how he puts away all the tools, clearing the bed of everything except me.
Afterwards he proceeds to lay down in front of me, crowding close, gently draping my injured leg over his own.
I lean my forehead against his broad chest and inhale his scent deeply.
He smells like a dark, promising desire - woody and earthy - mixed with leather and a hint of musk. Taking him in like this - it certainly works better than any painkiller.
I sigh and he wraps one arm around me, his hand resting against the small of my back, just above the elastic lacey band of my underwear, his fingers cheekily slipping under the hem of my T-shirt, touching the skin underneath.
Stifling a yawn, I hold on to the front of his sweater once more.
"You are staying? Don't you have to go?", I ask, my voice sleepy and sluggish.
"Don't worry, kitten. I won't leave until you're fast asleep… and when you wake up, Mephisto will be here. I'm not letting you out of my sight."
tbc~