Chapter 71

                                    

                                          
The pain is excruciating, yet soothing at the same time. Rowan knows that is a strange concept, but it is the best way to explain it. The toxin is digging into her veins, trying to cling to her as Aoife's healing magic pulls it out bit by bit. As the toxin clings to her with tiny barbed talons, her body screams in agony. But in the spaces where the toxin is gone from, her body is weeping in relief. 
                          
Painful relief, sore and aching from where the toxin has dug in, but even that is better than the pain from when the toxin was occupying those spaces. She just hadn't realized it until Aoife began to pull the toxin out of her. One of the toxin's barbs digs in particularly hard and she bites her tongue to keep from screaming. Blood fills her mouth, warm and metallic. She looks up at Aoife, who smiles at her reassuringly.
                          
"I'm almost done, don't worry."
                          
Aoife is lying. Rowan doesn't have to be a lie detector to know it either. She can feel how much of the toxin is still in her body, and it's well over half of it. She grimaces. She can't open her mouth to tell Aoife that she knows the healer is lying because if she opens her mouth she is going to scream. Aoife winces. 
                          
"You knew, didn't you?"
                          
Rowan gives her a tight-lipped smile and a tiny nod, careful not to dislodge Aoife's hand from her forehead. She can feel the toxin pooling at the base of her throat, trying its best to seep back beneath her skin. But it's failing. However Aoife pulls it out of someone, it seems to keep the toxin from going back inside its previous victim. About half of it is left inside her now and her body feels contrastingly heavy and light at once. 
                          
Heavy where the toxin still lies and light where the toxin has left, free from the invisible pain it causes. Aoife tugs again, dislodging a hundred barbs. Even with that many disappearing from Rowan's body, only the tiniest wisp of the toxin leaves her body. Based on how slowly it is leaving her, she can actually estimate how much longer the process will take. At the current speed, half an hour. 
                          
It's leaving her far more slowly than it did with Andrian. Could it be because she inhaled it? She can't ask, not until Aoife is done. Aoife tugs again and one of the larger barbs that were dug into her rips free. Rowan bites her tongue again but a small cry of pain rips free from her mouth, slicing into the air with sharp edges. 
                          
Aoife winces again, murmuring into the air. "Sorry."
                          
Rowan gives her another small smile. It isn't Aoife's fault the toxin doesn't want to leave her. She'd rather it come out painfully than not at all. Besides, Rowan is the one who touched the metal the toxin was on and breathed it in. Nothing about this is Aoife's fault. The toxin rips at her again and Rowan chokes back a gasp. A big chunk of it rips free of her this time. Only a quarter of the total toxin is left in her now. This time they are almost done. 
                          
It's leaving her faster now. It seems that with less of it left, it is harder for the toxin to keep hold of her. Aoife pulls at it again and almost all of it leaves her now. She'll only need to pull at it one more time. But when Aoife's magic pulls at the toxin again, it doesn't move. Rowan can feel the toxin's barbs digging into her throat. They're bigger than any of the other barbs, dug deeper into her flesh. 
                          
Aoife tugs again, hard, and they rip free at last. Rowan can't swallow back her scream this time, it rips out of her. The pain is overwhelming for an instant, but the toxin is out of her at last. Rowan curls over her stomach, pulling herself into a ball. Aoife's hand falls away from Rowan's forehead as she moves, but she doesn't need to keep it there anymore. All the toxin is out of her and in that little ball. She places a hand on Rowan's shoulder.
                          
"It's alright, the toxin is gone. But Berry, we need to destroy it now."
                          
Rowan nods and tries to force herself to uncurl, but she doesn't move. She takes a deep, ragged breath and tries again. Her body slowly uncurls, her red hair spilling over her shoulders and back, covering her face. Rowan sweeps it away and summons a flame to her hand. It sparks to life after a moment of hesitation and Rowan raises her palm to her throat. There is a hiss as the toxin catches fire and burns away to nothing. 
                          
She looks at Aoife for confirmation that it is gone and the healer nods. Rowan stands from the couch, her legs shaky. She leans over Andrian and lowers her hand to his throat, careful not to touch his skin. He'll feel the heat, but she won't let the flame burn him. The ball of toxin reaches out for her as her hand approaches it, but it doesn't touch her. The fire in her palm touches the ball of toxin instead, burning it into nothing but phantom ash. 
                          
The ash left behind by the toxin isn't even real, it just disappears into smoke. Rowan steps back from Andrian, the flame flickering out. She stumbles and her legs fold beneath her. Aoife darts forward to catch Rowan before she can fall. She lowers Rowan to the ground slowly and Rowan's hands slip behind herself to support her sitting position. Aoife doesn't let go of Rowan for a moment or two, not until she's sure that Rowan is stable.
                          
"I'm alright now."
                          
Aoife frowns, her brow crinkling. "Are you sure?'
                          
"Yes, I'm sure."
                          
Aoife releases Rowan's shoulders slowly, as if she's prepared to go back to holding them at a moment's notice. Rowan doesn't move. She doesn't sway or shift, her hands are holding her steady. She smiles up at Aoife.
                          
"See? I'm fine." She glances over at Andrian. He's still lying on the couch, unconscious. "When will he wake up?"
                          
Aoife's hand begins to glow again and she touches Andrian's forehead. She looks back at Rowan. "In about half an hour at my calculations."
                          
"So we have to wait."
                          
Rowan scoots over to the couch before Aoife can answer, leaning her back against it.
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What do you think of how the toxin leaves her body? What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!
                          
Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!
                          
~Goddess of Fate, signing out.