Thrane releases Gavin and pushes against the dirt, trying to get it off of him with no luck.
The ground continues to pull at him until I feel like I might pass out from using so much of my energy. I fall back to the ground, completely spent and struggle just to breathe in and out.
My eyes feel heavy, but I try my hardest to keep them open, not wanting to leave Gavin.
The dirt stops piling and Thrane is chest deep in the ground, punching the area around him furiously. "What did you do to me, you stupid witch?!" he screams at me, his black eyes seeming to grow impossibly darker.
Gavin walks over to me and snatches Thrane's knife off the ground. My vision starts to get foggy and everything sounds muffled as Gavin responds. "You won't ever speak to her again, demon." He bends down in front of Thrane, his demeanor calm and calculating. "Go back to hell, where you belong," he says in a quiet voice before jamming Thrane's own knife into his neck. He wiggles the knife from side to side, the noise sickening, until he completely severs Thrane's head from his half-buried body.
I feel sick again and start to see spots in front of my eyes. I close them, wanting to escape the gruesome scene in front of me, but more because I can't hold them open any longer.
Warm arms scoop me up and I am held against a hard chest, feeling safer than I have in a long time. Gavin's steps are smooth as he carries me away from everything. "I've got you. Just rest now, okay?" he whispers in my ear, his warm breath tickling me.
His lips brush across my forehead and I sigh from the wonderful electricity charging my dull senses and sending me into a comfortable sleep.
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Chapter 11
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I am woken up by Gavin's gentle voice. "You need some water, Aella. Please open your mouth and drink for me."
I try to open my eyes, but my body refuses to cooperate. I squeeze Gavin tighter against me to try and pull myself up, but I just end up holding him. I feel a warm finger glide along my bottom lip and my mouth opens instinctively. Cold water pours over my dry lips and I welcome it by drinking every last drop.
"Thank you," Gavin whispers to me and I am able to open my eyes enough to see his face only inches from mine. His eyes are closed tight as if he is in some sort of pain. I scan what I can see of him and don't see any visible injuries.
I blink against the new daylight and realize that I must've been asleep for a few hours if the sun is already rising.
My eyelids close again on their own and I drift back to sleep, too exhausted to stay awake.
***
When I am able to open my eyes again, it is midday, though the large trees block the sun rays from reaching my skin. I am laying on a thin blanket on the forest floor, but my head is resting on something warm.
I can hear Gavin's heart beating at a slow and steady rhythm under my head, so I push myself up as gently as I can, trying not to wake him. I watch his handsome face as he sleeps, and I lightly touch the rapidly growing fuzz on his strong chin.
I sit up and run dirty fingers through my hair, fighting against the impossible tangles but ultimately failing. I look over myself and notice that my cut arm is bandaged in gauze and tape, and my ankle has been wrapped tightly in an ace bandage. I can't help but smile at the thought of Gavin taking care of me as I slept, while also feeling a little mortified that he has had to see me in this condition.
Gavin stirs in his spot, so I turn back to him while he pushes himself up on his elbows next to me. He rubs his sleepy eyes and studies my face. My goodness, he is so cute.
His expression shows pain as he watches me.
Suddenly, I feel worried again. "Are you hurt?" I croak out, my voice barely above a whisper.
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Gavin searches my eyes for a moment. A small smile tugs at the corners of his mouth but not enough to produce a dimple. "I'm not hurt. I heal a little faster than humans, so I will be perfectly fine."
"Why do you look like you're in pain then?" I ask.
"It physically hurts me to see you so broken." He sits all the way up and traces my bruised cheek with the back of his hand. "Every time I look at your cheek where that monster must've hit you, I curse myself for not being there to prevent it."
I take his hand in mine, not wanting him to focus on my ugly wounds. "Everything that happened doesn’t matter anymore. You saved me, Gavin...again." I force a small smile, showing him that I will be fine too.
He shakes his head at me and points a finger in my direction. "That was you, super star.
You're really the one who saved me. First, with redirecting the knife and then creating that crazy dirt worm hole." He looks at me like I'm some enigma. "How did you do that stuff? And how did you even escape him in the first place?"
I shrug. "I actually didn't try to move the dirt. That was a pretty big surprise for us both. I guess I was just really scared that he was going to kill you and my Seer body kind of took over."
I sigh, still feeling like it was all a dream. "I
