Chapter 45- Fallen and Found

Blurred Lines and Sharp Visions

Author Note: This chapter is dedicated to Banddragon. Thanks for the great input and fun ideas for the last few chapters!

Liam’s POV

We tumbled out of the vortex in an ungraceful heap, landing with a splash in the shallow pool of the Iele’s cave. The sudden transition from the trial realm to this ethereal sanctuary left me disoriented, my head spinning as if I’d been caught in a whirlwind of wild magic. The warm water lapped at my skin, a welcome respite from the searing pain that still radiated from my empty eye socket.

As I struggled to push myself up, I became acutely aware of the tangle of limbs around me. Kate was sprawled half across my chest, her hair tickling my nose, while Cyrus’s elbow dug uncomfortably into my ribs. Under different circumstances, this might have been the start of a rather intriguing scenario. As it was, I was in far too much agony to appreciate the proximity.

“Well,” I managed to croak, my voice rough with exhaustion and misery, “that was certainly one way to make an entrance. Though I must say, I usually prefer my threesomes to involve less blood and mortal peril.”

Kate let out a sound that was half-laugh, half-sob, as she disentangled herself from us. Her eyes were wide with a mix of relief and lingering fear as she took in our battered state. “You idiots,” she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. “What were you thinking?”

Before I could formulate a suitably witty response, the cave was suddenly filled with the ethereal presence of the Iele. They glided towards us, their skin shimmering in the dim light. Their faces were masks of serene concern, eyes ancient and knowing as they took in our bedraggled state.

“Young one,” the leader spoke, her voice like wind through ancient trees, “you have returned to us. We sensed your journey and feared for your safety.”

Another Iele stepped forward, her movements as fluid as water. “Your essence was stretched thin between realms. It was… concerning.”

I couldn’t help but notice the subtle glances they cast in my direction, their eyes filled with a quiet disapproval. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they blamed me for Kate’s dangerous excursion.

I couldn’t help but roll my eye – the one I still had, that is. “Oh yes, don’t mind us,” I drawled, sarcasm dripping from every word. “We’re just peachy over here, bleeding and battered. But please, do carry on fussing over the one person who doesn’t look like she’s been through a magical meat grinder.”

The Iele barely acknowledged my comment, though I could have sworn I saw a flicker of amusement in their ancient eyes. Typical. Even when I’m half-blind and soaked to the bone, I can’t help but be charming.

As the Iele crowded around Kate, I took the opportunity to observe Cyrus’s reaction to our new surroundings. The demon hunter’s eyes were wide as saucers, darting from the crystal formations to the ethereal beings now filling the cave. His hand kept twitching towards his weapon, a habit I suspected was deeply ingrained. Poor chap looked like he was caught between awe and the urge to start fight the Iele purely on principle.

“First time in a magical realm, I take it?” I quipped, unable to resist needling him a bit. “Don’t worry, the urge to start swinging that oversized letter opener of yours will pass. Eventually.”

Cyrus shot me a glare that could have frozen hellfire, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his eyes that betrayed his discomfort. “I’ve seen plenty of magical realms,” he grumbled, though the way his gaze kept darting around suggested otherwise.

As we slowly extracted ourselves from the shallow pool, I became acutely aware of the Temporal Tether still wrapped around my wrist. The delicate chain seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy, a constant reminder of the ordeal we’d just endured. I held out my arm to Kate, wincing at the movement. “I believe this belongs to you, love,” I said, trying to keep my voice light despite the pain. “Though I must say, as accessories go, it’s a bit clingy for my taste.”

Kate’s eyes widened as she saw the Tether, but she shook her head. “Later,” she said firmly, her voice laced with concern. “Right now, we need to get you two patched up. Liam, your eye…”

She reached out towards my face, her hand trembling slightly. I flinched back, the movement sending a fresh wave of agony through my skull. “No,” I said, more sharply than I’d intended. “Leave it.”

Kate’s brow furrowed, a mix of worry and determination in her eyes. “Liam, please. You’re in pain, and I can help. At least let me try.”

I shook my head, immediately regretting the action as it made the world spin. “It’s… it’s a fair exchange,” I explained, my voice rough with emotion I hadn’t expected to feel. “For all the suffering my actions caused. It would be a waste of all that pain if you just… fixed it now.”

Kate’s expression softened, a mix of exasperation and understanding in her eyes. “Liam,” she said, her voice gentle but firm, “that’s not how healing works. Pain isn’t a currency you can trade for redemption.”

She stepped closer, her hand coming up to cup my cheek. The touch sent a jolt through me, equal parts agony and something far more pleasant. “Besides,” she continued, her voice dropping to a low, sultry tone that caught me completely off guard, “I happen to like you pretty.”

Her fingers traced the line of my jaw, the touch feather-light yet electrifying. “And while I’m sure you could pull off the dashing, one-eyed rogue look,” she murmured, her eyes locked on mine, “I much prefer you with the full set. Those eyes of yours are far too captivating to lose one.”

I felt heat rise to my cheeks, a sensation I hadn’t experienced in centuries. Kate’s boldness, her casual admission of finding me attractive – no, of finding me pretty – left me momentarily speechless. It was a novel experience, being on the receiving end of such direct, almost predatory flirtation. I found I rather liked it, even as it threw me off balance.

“Well,” I managed after a moment, my voice huskier than I’d intended, “when you put it that way… who am I to deny a lady her preferences?” I leaned into her touch, savoring the warmth of her hand against my cheek. “If you insist on restoring my devastatingly handsome visage to its full glory, I suppose I must acquiesce.”

Kate’s answering smile was bright enough to rival the crystal formations around us, with an edge of triumph that sent a shiver down my spine. “That’s more like it,” she said, then hesitated. “But first… we need to, um, retrieve something.”

With a grimace that mirrored my own dawning horror, Kate reached into her pocket and pulled out… my eye. The sight of it, detached and lifeless in her palm, was enough to turn even my iron stomach. Cyrus made a choking sound behind us, and I couldn’t blame him.

“Well,” I said, fighting down a wave of nausea, “I suppose I can truly say I’ve always had my eye on you, darling.”

Kate rolled her eyes, but I could see the corner of her mouth twitching. “Your humor is worse than this eyeball, Liam, and that’s saying something.”

She gently guided me to lie down, positioning my head in her lap. The warmth of her body and the softness of her skin were a welcome contrast to the cold, hard ground beneath me. As she set about cleaning the eye and my empty socket with water from the pool, her other hand absently stroked my hair, the gentle caress soothing despite the bizarreness of the situation.

The sensation was beyond surreal – feeling her fingers probe the empty space where my eye should be, knowing that the eye itself was just inches away. It was all I could do not to squirm away from her touch.

As Kate prepared to reinsert the eye, Cyrus piped up from where he’d been watching with morbid fascination. “Hey, Kate,” he said, a hint of mischief in his voice that I hadn’t thought him capable of, “why don’t you turn it a bit? Give him a nice set of crossed eyes?”

I whipped my head around to glare at him, immediately regretting the sudden movement. “Don’t you dare,” I growled, though there was no real anger behind it. “I’ll have you know, my eyes are perfectly aligned, thank you very much.”

Kate chuckled, her breath warm against my cheek as she leaned in close. “Don’t worry,” she murmured, “I like your eyes just the way they are. Now hold still, this might feel… strange.”

“Alright,” Kate said, her voice taking on a more serious tone. “I’ve never done anything quite like this before. I can’t promise it’ll work, but I’ll do my best.”

I nodded, steeling myself for whatever was to come. “I trust you,” I said softly, surprised to find I meant it.

As Kate began to work her magic, I felt a strange sensation in my empty socket. It started with the familiar warmth of her healing touch, a pleasant tingle that spread from the point of contact. But this time, it was different. The gentle warmth quickly gave way to a more intense sensation, as if thousands of tiny needles were pricking at the flesh. It was a burning tingle that walked the line between pain and pleasure, far more intense than the healing I’d experienced before.

I could feel the severed nerves and blood vessels beginning to reconnect, a sensation so alien and uncomfortable that it took all my self-control not to pull away. The complexity of the eye, with its delicate structures and intricate network of nerves, made this healing far more challenging – and consequently, more painful – than mending a simple cut or bruise. The resulting sensation was a bizarre mix of the soothing relief I’d come to associate with Kate’s healing and an almost unbearable intensity that had me gritting my teeth.

Kate’s face was a mask of concentration, beads of sweat forming on her brow as she poured her energy into the healing. I could see the strain it was putting on her, the way her hands trembled slightly as she worked.

Gradually, impossibly, I began to perceive light and shadows through my newly reattached eye. The world was a blur of indistinct shapes and colors, but it was more than I had dared hope for. “I can see,” I breathed, wonder coloring my voice. “It’s not clear, but… I can see something.”

Kate’s face lit up with a mixture of relief and triumph, but it was short-lived. As she continued to pour her energy into the healing, I could feel her body trembling with exertion.

“Kate,” I said urgently, reaching up to grasp her hand. “That’s enough. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

She shook her head stubbornly, but I could see the exhaustion in her eyes. “I can do this,” she insisted, her voice weak.

“No,” I said firmly, gently pulling her hands away from my face. “You’ve done more than enough. We can take it slow, heal it bit by bit.”

Kate nodded reluctantly, her body sagging slightly as the adrenaline left her system. “It’s harder than I thought,” she admitted. “The muscles and blood vessels are one thing, but the nerves… and there’s something else. A magical residue, I think. From the trial itself, maybe?”

I nodded, a frown creasing my brow. “It’s possible. The trials were designed to test us to our limits. It wouldn’t be surprising if they left some sort of magical mark.”

With gentle hands, Kate helped me sit up, steadying me as the world spun momentarily. Once she was sure I was stable, she turned her attention to Cyrus. I watched with a mix of fascination and something akin to jealousy as she tended to his wounds. Her hands moved with the same gentleness she’d shown me, tracing the lines of cuts and bruises with care.

As she reached a particularly nasty cut on his neck, I felt a jolt of surprise. The wound was clean and precise, not the jagged tear of a demon’s claw or the slash of a blade in combat. With a sickening clarity, I realized what it must be – evidence of Cyrus’s moment of despair in that final chamber.

The sight of it stirred a complex mix of emotions within me. On one hand, the possessive part of my nature bristled at the intimacy of their interaction as Kate tended to the wound. Her fingers lingered on the cut, her touch feather-light yet intimate. Cyrus’s breath hitched, his eyes locked on hers with an intensity that spoke volumes.

But on the other hand, I couldn’t deny the grudging respect I felt for Cyrus. The man had been willing to sacrifice everything for Kate, to die alone in that chamber so that she might have a chance at freedom. It was a level of selflessness that I, in all my centuries, had never quite managed to achieve.

Even in that final moment, faced with the choice to stay behind, I knew I would have hesitated. My instinct for self-preservation, honed over centuries of Fae politics and near-misses, would have held me back. I would have kept searching for a way out, fighting until the very last moment, unwilling to accept defeat.

And yet, the very fact that Cyrus had been so ready to die irked me. The cut on his throat – now being healed by Kate’s gentle touch – was evidence of a darkness within him that I found both familiar and alien. I had faced my share of desperate situations, had even contemplated my own mortality in moments of extreme danger. But to actively seek death, to hold a blade to one’s own throat… it spoke of a level of self-destructiveness that I couldn’t quite fathom.

As I watched Kate and Cyrus, their heads bent close together as she finished healing him, I found myself reevaluating my approach to this complicated dynamic. Fighting against their obvious connection would only push Kate away. And with her growing Iele nature, her independence would only become more pronounced.

The Iele, ever-perceptive, seemed to sense the growing tension in the air. They exchanged knowing looks, their eyes twinkling with an almost mischievous light. Kate, noticing their suggestive glances, suddenly straightened up, a blush creeping up her neck.

“Um, could you all give us a moment?” she asked the Iele, her voice slightly higher than usual. “I need to… check their injuries more thoroughly. In private.”

The Iele’s expressions remained serene, but there was a glimmer of understanding in their ancient eyes. “Of course, young one,” their leader said, her voice as calm as ever. “We shall leave you to your… healing. Call upon us if you require assistance.”

As the Iele glided out of the cave, leaving us alone, I made a decision. Pushing myself to my feet, I cleared my throat to draw their attention. “Well,” I said, forcing a lightness into my tone that I didn’t entirely feel, “as delightful as this little tête-à-tête has been, I think I’ll go see if our gracious hosts can help me remove this rather persistent piece of jewelry.” I held up my wrist, the Temporal Tether glinting in the dim light.

I turned to Kate, allowing a hint of my usual mischief to creep into my smile. “Why don’t you help Cyrus… style his hair while I’m gone? I’m sure he could use a bit of pampering after our ordeal.”

Kate’s eyes widened at the implication, clearly remembering our own encounter in this very cave not so long ago. For a moment, I thought she might protest, but then a slow, knowing smile spread across her face. Her eyes danced with a mix of surprise and something darker, more primal.

“My, my, Liam,” she purred, her voice low and sultry, “aren’t you feeling generous? Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Cyrus.” She paused, her gaze flickering between Cyrus and me with an intensity that made my breath catch. “And who knows? Maybe later we can all… compare notes on proper grooming techniques.”

The implication in her words sent a jolt of heat through me, equal parts arousal and surprise. This new, bolder Kate was full of surprises, and I found myself both intrigued and slightly off-balance.

I inclined my head, the gesture only slightly marred by the lingering discomfort in my partially healed eye. “I look forward to it,” I said, my tone light but my gaze intense as it met hers. “Take your time. I’m sure we have much to discuss when I return.”

As I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of Cyrus’s face. His expression was a study in confusion, his brow furrowed as he tried to decipher the subtext of our exchange. I could almost see the gears turning in his head, trying to make sense of the sudden shift in dynamics.

Then, as Kate’s words sank in, his eyes widened in shock. A deep blush crept up his neck, spreading to his cheeks as the full implication of her innuendo hit him. His mouth opened and closed a few times, like a fish out of water, struggling to find a response.

“Wait, what…?” Cyrus stammered, his usual composure completely shattered.

I couldn’t help but smirk at his discomfort. It was rather amusing to see the usually stoic demon hunter so thoroughly flustered. As I left the cave, I heard Kate’s soft chuckle and the beginnings of what promised to be a very interesting night.

With that, I turned and made my way out of the cave, leaving Kate and Cyrus to their privacy. As I walked, I couldn’t help but feel a mix of emotions – jealousy, resignation, and a strange sort of anticipation for what the future might hold. Whatever happened next, one thing was certain – life with Kate was never going to be boring.