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"Where are you – by the gods, keep her outside!"
It caused a little ruckus in front of the improvised sick bay when she finally entered the doorstep. It was dimly in here and her eyes needed a moment to get used to the sparse lightning. The noise from outside faded, it was stuffy and dusty in here. Her eyes still struggled to get used to the silhouettes of the dozen beds in the rather small chamber.
Yet, her feet carried her over to the bed on their own accord. His bed. Without further thinking the Pix hurried over and sat down on the edge. His fingers trembled slightly when she took the hand of her mate.
"... I told you ... not to come."
Sidy focused on his hand in hers. Her eyes narrowed slightly: "Do you remember the last time I listened to you?"
Now he closed his eyes shut with a grin; the laughter quickly turned into a coughing fit: "That's – a rhetorical question." It took him a longer moment to calm down again. Sidy replied the grin however inwardly she observed his shaking breast worried. The Pix in the bed next to him was coughing horribly, the blackish marks of the dreadful illness alreadly spread from her temples overall her face.
Likely her suffering would be over by tomorrow morning.
"Did you really think you would get rid of me? ... you should know me better by now." Intuitionally Sidy gently squeezed his hand: "... and don't think I would let you go like this." Almost the Pix struggled to keep a steady voice.
"You still owe me something."
The tired, stained face of the one fallen ill distorted in a wry smile when he opened his mouth, whispering: "Don't worry ... I survived Tirnanoc ... I survived this shithole of a city ... the little fever surely won't get me." He kept smiling, suppressing another cough. Sidy gestured him to remain silent, nodding with an encouraging smile: "Once you recovered, we will fly together again – the Black Ravens need you, after all."
His eyes were still closed but a short flickering of his closed eyelids told her that Lucir had gotten her words. Leaning back into his pillow his last words were barely audible.
"Of course ... you're lost without me."
Usually Sidy would have reacted indignant and even smacked her mate. Now, all she could do was to stay strong for them both as he fought the Bás Dubh with all the strength he had left. In Tirnanoc the Pix and other fairy-like creatures never had to deal with those sorts of illnesses; it was the city, the filth of the Burgue and the fact that its politics kept all the Fae imprisoned in the quarter of Carnival Row now. Pix had to live together with Trolls and Pucks in one spot, the wire strung over Carnival Row's streets and roofs detained them from flying.
However, they were made for flying, not to wallow in the mud like groundlings, the humans who kept them caged by law. Their unused wings slowly decayed, like their whole body. However dreaded, the Bás Dubh only infested Pix individuals. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise to see Pucks in between the beds, caring for the sick ones. The constant pounding of their hoofs resounded from the walls like a comforting rhythm.
While Sidy kept holding her mate's hand, a Puck gestured through the room quite outraged until one of the nurses hushed him harshly: "... keep it down, they all need some rest."
"All I did was to tell her to stay outside! What if she gets infected? You and the others have more than enough to do with the current Bás Dubh victims!" Now the girl tilted her horned head, eyeing her counterpart firmly: "Oh, shush, Nataaj! You're just scared that I need to stay here again tonight instead of warming your bed!"
With that she let Nataaj, who puffed out his cheeks beneath the curled horns and stumped outside again, by himself and clumped over to the Pix pairing. One look of Sidy replaced any words or questions; the Puck inhaled deeply: "He's smitten heavily, Sidnyelle. I won't lie to you."
Those words made Sidy close her eyes. She took a moment to recollect herself: "But – how are his chances? Will he recover? ... he was once part of Tirnanoc's Wing Brigade, a soldier." For the first time her voice started to tremble. Lucir, who had now fallen asleep again, used to be a fierce fighter of their proud homelands – indeed it had been some while since the Pix saw her partner in such a vulnerable state.
The Puck bit her lips: "I know ... but the Bás Dubh is malign, even for the most strongest of you Pix. If only we had more medicine –" Helplessly she turned her horned head around the room. They lacked everything, herbs to ease the pain, potions to soothe the illness' symptomes.
Not to mention, penicillin. The newly discovered medical wonder was known to heal many illnesses. But, of course the state of things in the Row was disastrous and nobody actually could get access to such ressources.
At least not legally.
Maybe it was all in vain. Their humble attempts of caring and trying to ease the victims' struggles. The conditions they needed to work with were just as bad. Lhynna dropped her shoulders and allowed herself a little break, sitting down next to Sidnyelle. Maybe it seemed hopeless but still she and all other nurses would do their best to help those poor souls.
Sidy's features twitched slightly, again her eyes narrowed: "We would need more of everything to make a difference ... and still less enough for the groundlings to actually notice." While the expression of the Pix resembled tension, Lhynna's eyes went as wide as bottom plates: "To steal from the humans? This is way to dangerous, I don't want to think of what they're going to do with you in case you get caught!" Now the Puck practically jumped onto her hoofs, the loud pounding scaring a few nurses around.
Lhynna didn't mind, eyeing Sidy insistently: "Deliberate! What is Lucir going to do without you?" Almost desperate she focused on her counterpart. Sidy squeezed her eyes shut before opening them again, gritting her teeth. Her words were a mere whisper: "I will not wait here doing nothing and watch him die!"
Baring her teeth the Pix stood up and swept out of the room, passing several disgruntled Puck nurses pounding in between the beds. Lhynna bit her lips and stumped over to the entrance where she met her mate. Rubbing his neck Nataaj tilted his horned head with a frown: "She's up to something ... I hope she won't cause trouble for the rest of us here in the Row."
"Honestly, I don't blame her." Intuitionally Lhynna reached out for the Puck's hand, squeezing it tightly.
~
"To hold up the train?"
Sidy's features twitched, tensed as well as sceptical. Her counterpart nodded as she bared her teeth: "It's the safest way – the reloading point is too guarded. They shot us down before we get to grab a single flask."
Now Sidy frowned: "So, that's your plan? To jump on the bandwagon directly under the groundlings' noses?" The Pix smirked and crossed her arms: "It's hard to believe, Dahlia actually allows such a suicide mission."
Both Faeries had withdrawn into a quiet corner of their hideout. The Black Raven's Lair, an old, now unused kathedral, was rather unoccupied around this time of day, still the latest happenings in the Row and also concerning their Pix mafia gave cause for caution. Their matriarch leader winded treason and spys everywhere and if another member of the group found out about this little dialogue, Sidy as well as Loura were to be scared for their wings.
However, they were lucky. Loura distorted her features in a grin as she shook her head. The long, pink hair was plaited to many thin braids which danced lively around her pretty face: "You're curious, hm? ... be careful, Sidy. We don't want anyone to believe that there's a chirring cricket under this roof." The turquois eyes of the Pix narrowed dangerously.
Intuitionally Sidy tensed and widened her eyes, realising what just had been said. In the next moment however she snorted, crinkling her nose: "They will kill you, all of you. It's a shame you actually agreed to put your life at risk like this! Vignette's tired of life, fucking that freaking son of a half-blooded bastard – but you?!"
Immediately the Pix jumped onto her feet, ready to leave as Loura grabbed her elbow: "You won't understand – we have to do something! I'd rather die with a fucking smile on my face knowing we tried!" Baring her teeth the Pix with the pink hair widened her eyes; her folks were dying in this goddamn city – with a growl she flew over to the still hurrying fairie and pressed her backwards against the wall. Sidy hissed with narrowed eyes and gritted her teeth as her back collided with the stone wall. A second later she felt Loura's lips close to her ear.
"Did you already forfeit Lucir?"
The whisper was closely followed by a screech as Sidnyelle pressed herself against Loura, shoving her back and freeing herself, flitting upwards. She was trembling over her whole body out of passionate fury: "I don't fear death! Don't believe you're the only one willing to make sacrifices for the ones you love!"
And all Loura could do was to look after her Pix friend how she left the kathedral through an opened window. Smiling wide; she knew how to pull the strings of most Black Raven members and Sidnyelle surely was no exception.
Tomorrow she would talk to Vignette for a more detailed plan. Other than Dahlia their newest member was actually keen on acting instead of chirring pretty words. Again Loura couldn't suppress a grin.
Sooner or later, the Ravens would choose another matriarch.
~
"How do you feel today, dewdrop?"
Gently the Pix's dainty fingers caressed his face until Lucir opened his eyes. It had been a few days since she and Loura decided to follow Vignette on her train raid in search of medicine. As successful as they had been, it still wasn't enough to cure the Bás Dubh completely. However, some of the infected ones already seemed to be way better, maybe even in the state to leave the improvised sick bay soon.
The voice of her mate disrupted Sidy's thought. Still weak but at least he didn't lose himself in a strenuous coughing fit: "Excellent. I almost feel ready to take on anything." With a soft moan he leaned into her touch, eyeing the Pix out of narrowed eyes. And Sidy knew what was going on in his mind. After a little talk the black-haired tilted his head: "Next time I'm going to attend you", Lucir said with a nod towards his medicine flask.
His words made her snort: "Certainly not ... You need to rest and recover properly." A tender smile spread across her features as Lucir took her hand with some effort and closed his eyes: "Titania bless you, my moonbeam. Come back to me tomorrow."
At his next gesture Sidy had to bit her lips; inhaling Lucir pressed his lips on the skin of her knuckles and fingers, looking at Sidy before he freed her: "I will be waiting."
"... promise", she whispered and didn't succeed in suppressing the tremble in her voice. So absorbed by his doing that the Pix didn't get the pounding of hoofs behind her until Lhynna appeared in her view: "Well, I ... I actually don't –" Suddenly the Puck disrupted herself with a blink and frowned little, tilting her head at Sidy. Who raised both eyebrows: "You actually don't – what?"
Immediately the nurse bit her lips and Sidy had to take both of her hands: "Talk to me, Lhynna!" Flinching the Puck gulped quietly and turned around to Lucir who seemed to be asleep again.
"It's ... I need to do very careful with what I tell family and relatives. However –" Shortly Lhynna paused and inhaled, lowering her voice: "... I can tell that he's getting better. He still needs time to recover –"
The Puck didn't get to end her sentence because right in this moment Sidy threw her arms around her. When the fairie pulled back again, her lips were trembling, close to both, crying and smiling. She didn't say a single word, only nodded when Lhynna leaned in closer, so her foreheads met: "The Gods shall bless you, Sidnyelle. Take care of yourself."
The gratitude was standing on her face, before the Pix stepped over to her sleeping mate and gently placed her lips onto his. Then turned around and left the house. Lhynna waited until the fairie's back wasn't to be seen anymore, then she stumped closer to Lucir's bed, kneeling down as if checking his sheets and temperature: "... just so you know, I don't do this for you. I feel bad lying to her like this." The voice of the horned nurse sounded agitated.
Lucir carefully opened one eye and raised his head from the pillow only a little: "Aww, I'm inconsolable, Lhynna." He smirked audibly and raised an eyebrow: "But you see, it touches me that she worries so much. So, just a few more days ... and your mate will never get to know about your secret little incidental earnings."
"... the Martyr be cursed I told you about that when I got drunk!", the Puck grumbled quietly and stood up again: "Fine! Just a few more days ... but I don't impute you." Despite her irritation the nurse smiled down at the sick one: "You're happy, she really loves you."
"Yes ... she was sent to me by Titania herself." With that Lucir closed his eyes with a smile.