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”I promised a special kid, I’d protect you.”
They were in pain, harrowing pain. The others around them couldn’t move - could hardly breath. Faces around her were contorted in agony, she could hear the groans and sharp cries of witches once so powerful. They were now scattered around her, minds full of nothing but regret and fear if not overcome by the throbbing sting of their sigils and life quite literally being sucked out of them. But Raine managed to fight through it all to crawl on their knees and say those awful words to her. They appeared so sad, stricken with grief and suffering, before giving her arm a mighty tug. The limb was ripped from her body and she gasped. It all seemed so violent and final. It didn’t hurt… Did it?
The world seemed to have stopped for a brief moment in time. Why had that cause her pain? Eda did this on a regular basis; made a joke out of it. It was nothing knew, nothing she wasn’t used to. It dawned on her rather quickly that this pain hadn’t come from her arm. No, it wasn’t Raine’s actions that hurt so bad. Their words.
The crack in their voice.
The crease in their brow.
The groan they let out.
It all stabbed the wild witch relentlessly, over and over, causing her heart to bleed. She couldn’t blink, couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Skin and bone, blackened and bubbling by the curse, disintegrated into ash and was carried away by the wind. The sigil was destroyed along with it, effectively lifting the sickly looking magic from her body. Her body no longer ached and burned; her skin returned to its usual pigment. She was going to be okay.
Then Raine smiled, relieved as angry red marks crawled up their lovely face like a million shallow cuts. Eda wanted to scream at the top of her lungs.
All she could manage was a strangled cry of their name as they collapsed. She used her remaining arm to shift the poor bard into her lap. Their eyes were shut, though not peacefully. Tears streamed down her face, falling onto theirs. She called for them desperately while trying to shake them awake. There was nothing else she could do.
The shock and horror of the end was seeping into her skin, tugging and pulling and biting without solace. Her heart sank - because this was the end, wasn’t it?
It was the end of the fucking world and it was only now that she finally had Raine Whispers back in her arms. She could do nothing in the face of it, nothing but clutch her former lover who lay helplessly, breath steadily weakening as their head rested in her lap. It almost reminded her of simpler days upon their shared hill, among beautiful flowers and rolling hills.
But now they were dying.
A hand met their cheek and she began pleading with them, rambling, begging them to stay. “Don’t give up on me now, Rainestorm. You sacrificed yourself before, I’m not about to let you do that again.” They said nothing in return and she had to wonder if they could hear her, if they could feel her tears staining their face. “Remember-hic, back when we were kids and everyone underestimated you because they thought you were weak. They thought your magic was weak, that you were just some nerdy little bard…” She tried to smile, desperate to find hope where there was seemingly none. “But you always proved them wrong. It was one of the things I adored about you. You’re sneaky and crafty and brilliant!” Nails glided affectionately through mint locks as she drew them closer. “You are so strong.. You’re one of the strongest witches I’ve ever known! Y-you’re my equal, my-” She inhaled shakily, voice soft and vulnerable. “You’re my partner, Raine.” Perhaps that hasn’t been true for a long time, but Eda could never imagine anyone taking their place in that role. There was only one Raine Whispers and no one else could ever compare.
“I love you.”
The confession slipped past her lips so easily and Eda’s only wish was that she had the courage to tell them sooner; that she loved them so much - that she never really stopped. And now she was like a broken dam, unable to stop the flow of those three simple words falling from her mouth. She repeated the phrase like a prayer, whispering as she pressed her forehead to theirs. As if she could heal them, as if she had magic.
Then the blood red of the eclipse faded and was replaced with the bright light of the sun, harsh and white. Mismatched eyes squeezed shut, blinded momentarily. Then everything was still. The hum of the spell silenced and Eda was left disoriented. She peered up at the sky, bewildered by whatever just happened.
It was as if the moon was suddenly pushed across the sky.
Raine’s voice cut through the sudden silence, frail and soft. She looked down, mouth agape, and almost unbelieving. They said her name again and Eda knew that not a single piece of music could ever compare to the sound of her Rainestorm’s voice. Though pained and exhausted, they were here. Eda wiped a few of her tears away futility. She smiled at them and they smiled back, beautiful and tired and okay - They were okay. They were going to be okay!
Calloused fingertips, worn by years of practice on various instruments, weakly pressed onto her damp cheek. She sniffed loudly and laughed, a sound of relief and joy, pressing her hand to theirs and dragging it to her lips. “I told you…” She kissed their palm and breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re one of the strongest witches I know.