Mari paced around the small room. I watched her through the doorway. The strong leader she had once been was gone now.

It had vanished as soon as the door to the hut closed.

She had stopped communicating mentally through the mind link. She had somehow projected it and we could all hear the voices now.

I tried to tune out those conversations.

"She's dying for Celeste's sake! Ride faster." Her yells reminded me of Father.

It was the way he yelled when everything seemed hopeless. The tone he used when he ordered his soldiers to retreat.

"I can't overwork my horse, he'll get tired and it will only take longer."

"Then run him out and get a new one. Just fucking get here already, Chena."

Veya stirred slightly. I rubbed my thumb over her cheekbone.

Mari and a few local healers were able to take away the surface wounds but they couldn't stop the Plague magic attacking her organs.

A slow and painful death.

That's what Mari said the magi intended. What the magi intended for me.

I had no idea what was happening to her now. I just knew it wasn't good.

Finnick tried to stop the curse from hitting Veya but he was just a second too late. It took three Cures to keep him from losing his arm.

"Cassius do you have anything yet?" Mari barked another order. She was getting desperate.

"If I had something I would've told you." The Vision's tone set Mari into another fit of rage.

"This is not the time to be giving me attitude Cassius. I will cut you where you stand." She ran a hand through her hair. "I have no use for a Vision who can't see two hours into the future." She muttered to herself.

Finnick looked up at that. "We're all under a lot of stress right now, throwing threats at each other won't get us anywhere."

"And it won't make my horse move any faster." The Cure added.

"I'm sorry, none of you seem to understand how severe this is. Should I tell you about the things they did to me in Kaleheim? Because that's where we're all going if she dies."

I looked back down at Veya and tuned out the argument in the background.

I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "You're not going to die. You're stronger than that." I whispered softly.

I grabbed her hand and held it to my face.

This was the side of magic my father had warned me about. The type of magic that haunted my nightmares as a child.

Father told stories about Plagues killing me in painful slow ways with a simple wave of their hand, Flames burning you alive so quickly you didn't even have time to scream, Spirits ripping your soul from your body or strangling you with the dark black shadows.

But Veya hadn't strangled me with the shadows, she had saved me with them.

Saved me from whatever Hell she was in now.

Her eyes started to open. I looked up at Mari, she wasn't supposed to be awake.

Mari was lost in the argument. Finnick had joined at some point too.

Veya lightly squeezed my hand and I looked back down at her.

"Am I dead?" She whispered.

"No, you're going to be fine." I responded quickly, but she wasn't looking at me.

I glanced over my shoulder but there was nothing there.

I brushed the fallen hair from her face. "What do you see?"

"Go away." She whispered.

That was fair, it was my fault she was in this situation. I let go of her hand but she wouldn't release mine.

She shook her head. "Not you." Her voice broke. "Go away."

I glanced back over my shoulder. Nothing.

I looked up at Mari again. Her yelling had gotten louder somehow. I needed her to put Veya back to sleep but I was afraid her rage would turn on me.

Coward.

Veya looked weak, but not in pain. If that changed I would get Mari.

Veya gripped my hand tighter. "Leave me alone. I don't want to see you."

"I'm sorry." I jumped at the voice behind me.

I turned around to see who it was coming from, but I recognized her mother's voice immediately.

"Why won't you just go away?" Veya cried. "You weren't there when I needed you, why do you have to be here when I don't want you?"

"Because you never listened." Her mother's projected soul reasoned.

Is it possible to punch the dead? Probably not.

Even though Veya's cries were loud, Mari's yells made Veya seem like a mouse.

"Don't condescend me, you don't know what that battle was like! You will never know what that battle was like." Mari roared.

I could almost feel the hut shake with each word.

"I buried all of my friends, all of my teachers. Just to end up with you all? This is pitiful."

Right, so I had to deal with Veya on my own. Thanks, Mari.

"Thank you for what?" She swiftly turned and glared at me.

"Veya's awake." I answered her quickly.

"No shit." She looked at the projected soul behind her. "Why didn't you say anything?"

She walked over and kneeled beside the bed. "How do you feel?" Her voice was soft again.

Veya clenched her jaw. "Pitiful."

Mari frowned. "That wasn't meant for you."

Veya hid half of her face in the pillow and used my hand to cover the other half. "If Javus and Finnick are pitiful, I must be a sad sight. I don't know why I ever thought you really believed in me."

I glared at Mari. She rolled her eyes in response. "I'm sorry, I didn't really mean it. I do believe in you. I'm sure Eres can tell you that the argument started because I was worried about you."

Sure I can. I was totally paying attention the entire time.

Veya looked up at me through the small gap between my hand and the pillow. I nodded.

Why would she trust me more than Mari? I held back a smile. Who cared? She did.

Mari elbowed my calf lightly.

Veya cautiously moved my hand down from her face. "Is Chena on her way?"

"Yes, she's coming as fast as she can. Would you like me to put you to sleep?"

She shook her head. "Not yet." She looked between me and Mari. "Mari, can you give us a moment?"

She raised an eyebrow but stood up and walked out. "Call me back when you need me."

As soon as she was out of the room Veya pulled me down onto the bed. "I'm cold."

I quickly adjusted when I landed so I wasn't crushing her. "I can get you another blanket?"

She frowned. "Now you're being a dumbass. Should I say 'hold me' instead?"

I kicked off my shoes and lifted my legs onto the bed. It wasn't a very big bed and my feet hung off the edge.

I tucked her into my chest and kissed the top of her head. "Is this all you wanted?"

She nodded. "My whole body is on fire."

"Should I go get Mari?" I sat up.

She pushed me back down. "No." She pulled one of the blankets over me. "The Map magic gave me weird dreams."

"Weird dreams?" I ran my fingers along her spine.

"Nightmares I guess." She sighed. "You were giving a speech of some sort, I was standing beside you. Then I had two arrows in my stomach. You reached for me and..." She shook her head at the thought.

"Long story short you died and it was very vivid and unpleasant." She grabbed onto my shirt and cuddled closer to me.

"I'll stay away from speeches then?" I smiled.

"And arrows." She hummed.

"And arrows." I responded, but she was already asleep.

...

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