I smiled at the crowd below me.

Eres was talking beside me. His words were clear and confident.

Something, magi. Something, peace. I didn't listen to his speech, it wasn't directed at me.

Instead, I scanned the faces in the crowd. They all had different reactions to his words.

Anger, relief, surprise, frustration, happiness.

I spun the ring around on my finger. Wait, ring? I don't wear rings?

I glanced down at my hand.

The ring was constructed from delicately braided silver and some sort of dark stone. I assumed black sapphire at first but it had a strange tinge to it. Spirit stone? No, spirit stone was practically impossible to find.

I turned back to the crowd as a noise of disagreement rippled through it.

Eres held his hands up as if trying to calm them. "I am just asking you to try. I am not asking you to let them live in your homes and eat the food you make."

The crowd looked annoyed.

Eres glanced at me. His eyes begged me for help.

I took a small step forward. I opened my mouth to speak but the crowd silenced me with their angry protests.

Eres put his hand on the small of my back. It gave me a new boost of confidence.

I wasn't even sure what I was saying or why I was saying it. I spoke anyway. "I understand how hard changes can be, especially a change like this." The crowd quieted down a little. "We are just asking you to have open minds and-"

A sharp pain in my abdomen cut off my sentence. I stumbled back as another arrow hit.

Eres caught me as I fell back.

He set me down on the cold stone and stood up to call for a Cure.

"No, wait!" I wasn't sure why I yelled it. I didn't have control over my body anymore.

Another arrow found his shoulder.

He jumped back slightly.

He recovered a second too late and tripped over my leg backward.

Off the wall.

I reached out towards him but I was too late. Even my shadows couldn't reach him.

...
My eyes snapped open.

Just a dream. Only another dream.

Mari must've knocked me out again. Damn Map magic.

Once the initial relief was over, all I could feel was pain.

It felt like every cell in my body was being burned and torn apart over and over again.

I tried to focus on Eres' heartbeat. He's alive, he's fine.

His fingers brushed my cheekbone. "You're awake."

I nodded. I wasn't sure I could even speak.

"Chena is almost here." He whispered.

Thank the founders. "Good." My voice was harsh.

He kissed the top of my head. "I'm sorry, this is my fault."

"I don't have the energy to argue with you right now." I winced. "But it's not your fault."

"I'll apologize again when you're better, you can argue then." He whispered into my hair. "Should I get Mari or do you think you can wait it out?"

"I can wait." I moved closer to him.

If the Plague magic didn't kill me the dreams might.

I was surprised when my forehead pressed against warm skin instead of fabric. I looked up at him. "Where did your shirt go?"

He smiled. "It was hot in here before I was under the covers with a feverish woman."

"I have a fever?" I felt the blood drain from my face. That meant it was getting bad.

He nodded. "Don't worry, Finnick said you still have a couple of hours before there's permanent damage. Chena is supposed to be here in a few minutes."

Relief washed over me. I couldn't deal with this much longer.

I sat up slightly. "Finnick, how is he?"

"He's fine for the most part. Only a wounded ego." He reassured me. "He feels horrible about not getting to you in time and he's pissed that someone in his clan would go against a direct order from him."

I sighed. What would've happened if I wasn't there?

Would Chena still be rushing to get here? Would Mari have defended him like she defended me?

Probably not. We had the Stone of Celeste and Mari now. In everyone else's eyes, Eres would be more useful dead.

I nodded once and squeezed my eyes shut.

Would Irina or Javus try to kill him as soon as he was close enough? Would Mari or Finnick try to stop them?

What if they were plotting against me? What if they had all been working together behind my back?

I felt hands on my back. Hands that definitely didn't belong to Eres.

"Veya? Are you awake?" Chena whispered.

I nodded.

"How do you feel?" Her voice was soft.

"I wouldn't say I'm at my best." I turned to her.

She smiled. "Like on a scale of one to ten."

"Sixteen." I tried to smile back at her.

I wasn't even looking at Eres but I could tell he was getting impatient.

Chena must've sensed it too because she nodded once and pressed her hands to my head and stomach.

...
I wrongly assumed everything would be perfectly fine when Chena was done with me.

I wasn't in excruciating pain anymore but I wasn't exactly in fighting shape.

The moment Chena finished I was hit with a wave of nausea.

After resisting the urge to throw up, I fell asleep. Apparently, I was out for fifteen hours.

When I woke up Eres was gone and Mari was in his place.

Mari said I had to eat before he was allowed back in the room. After a few minutes of complaining and pointing out how outrageous this was, I forced down a bowl of soup.

At some point, Eres had put his shirt back on. He rudely said he would not be taking it off again.

Apparently, it was cold. I tried to tell him it would be warmer if he got back under the covers.

He said something stupid about rest and I pouted for about five minutes before I realized I was still tired.

I tried to fight the exhaustion but Eres started rubbing my back and I knew it was a lost cause.

Within minutes I was out.

I didn't have that dream again.

...
I am so tired so I'm sorry if this is shite

It's been a lil bit lol. I haven't had many ideas.

Lmk about any grammar mistakes. It's currently 2:30 am, I'm on a bus, and I wrote this on my phone.

<3