I took a deep breath as Ton and Xipe gently bound my arms, so they were stretched out to my sides. They bound my legs too, saying it was necessary I didn't move under the procedure.

Xipe appeared right at my head and kissed my cheek. "It'll be okay. I'll be here every step of the way, Fakkel."

I nodded and swallowed hard.

"Are you ready?" I heard Xipe's maker, Quetz, ask.

Xipe looked expectantly at me and I nodded. He nodded at his maker and then I felt cool fingers against my skin on my back.

"Relax," Quetz murmured.

I tried to as much as I could, but I tensed up when I felt the cool blade hit my skin. It slowly sank into my back. I ground my teeth together to not cry out. Xipe kept running his hand over my hair, trying to get eye-contact with me, but nothing existed besides the knife running along my spine, exposing it.

Apparently, Quetz could extract some fluids form within my spine that could maybe tell him what was wrong with me. But he had to expose my entire spine to figure out where to take the fluid from. And it was tedious work. I could hear that, as he panted a bit.

"You're doing so well, Fakkel," Xipe murmured and kissed me softly on the lips. I whimpered into his mouth as Quetz made another incision. "It'll just be a little longer. Just a little more and then we're done," Xipe promised.

I nodded slowly and clenched my eyes shut, inhaling sharply as I could feel Quetz pull on my skin. It felt like my back was on fire. I couldn't see anything for the tears blurring my eyes. Xipe kept promising it was over soon, but it wasn't. It felt like it went on for hours, until Quetz had finally exposed my entire spine.

"I'll extract the fluids now," he warned. "It'll hurt, but try and lie as still as you can."

"I promise," I whispered.

It felt like he slammed his knife into the bone. I couldn't hold back a scream. Xipe rose to his full height, pressing his hands down on my shoulders, keeping me still. I couldn't think straight. Everything was pain and I think I kept screaming. At some point, everything went dark.

I don't know how long I was out, but when I opened my eyes again, my back was cold. I felt something wet on top of it.

"Frej?" Xipe asked and came into my line of vision. "You're awake."

"Is it over?" I asked hoarsely.

"Yes, it's over. We just couldn't unbind you before you've healed. Let me go check how it looks." He rose back up and then removed the wet stuff on my back. I felt his fingers gently touch my skin and I inhaled sharply.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked.

"No," I murmured and looked back at him, sending him a smile. "The opposite."

His cheeks turned darker and he bit down a smile of his own. He then loosened my restraints and gently helped me sit up.

"You're alright," he murmured and stepped in between my legs, as I stayed seated on the table.

"I feel alright. Tired. Heavy. But alright." I looked up and met his gaze. "What's wrong with me?"

Xipe took my face in his hands, softly kissing me before replying. "Quetz is trying to figure that out."

"Will he?"

"If anyone can, he'll be the one." He smoothed his thumbs over my cheeks, looking so worried. I didn't want him to worry anymore. I just wanted to be well again. To be the perfect husband for him.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Don't apologise, lover. It's not your fault."

"What if it is? What if it's because I didn't feed?"

Xipe circled his arms around me, pressing my face to his chest. "You shouldn't be sick from that," he murmured into my hair.

I lifted my arms and draped them around his waist, inhaling his scent.

The procedure had been done in the more or less untouched kitchen. A place that could be used for butchering. I sighed deeply and then pulled away slightly, so I could look up at him.

"I love you," I said softly.

My husband swept down and kissed me again, fiercer this time. It was a much more passionate kiss than the previous ones. Than any we had shared ever since I had fallen ill, and it left me wanting more, despite my exhaustion and aching body.

"Let's get you out of here," he murmured against my lips.

He carefully helped me up and let me keep a bit of my pride, as he let me walk out in to the hall and into the sitting room. His maker and brother were already in there, having buried the big table with books.

"So, what's new?" Xipe asked as he helped me lie down on my stomach on the sofa.

"There's definitely something inside of him that isn't right," Quetz said. "But I haven't encountered anything like this before."

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.

Quetz glanced at Ton before looking at me. "It's... Not clear to me. But I should be able to heal you, if I can locate the source of this." He held up a round glass, showing me what appeared to be... Alive. Something was alive in my spine? "It's in your bones. I needed to get some fluids from your spine, as it's easiest to get it from there. But we have no idea how many of these little creatures are inside of you."

"Won't they be in Xipe too? He... He has been feeding on me."

Quetz softened up a bit. "No. We're deities. These would die in our bodies."

I swallowed something and nodded. "Good," I breathed.

"Don't worry about me right now, Fakkel. You're the one who's sick. We need to find you a cure." Xipe looked up at Ton with a questioning look.

"It'll be trial and error from here on out. We have no idea what this is, Tec. Maybe... Maybe you should ask Death? She's the oldest of all. She-"

"No," Xipe said, cutting off his brother very promptly. "No, we'll figure it out ourselves."

"Well... For now, you need to purify him every night. The tattoos have held the creatures at bay for this long, but they won't keep it up if he stops feeding on you." Quetz glanced at Xipe this time before picking up another book. "We'll try several different rituals. Nothing can really make it worse."

Xipe clenched his jaw very hard and nodded. "I... I just need him to be okay."

"I will be," I assured him.

"You need to feed, lover," Xipe murmured and pulled a little on my shoulder. I nodded and turned around to face him. I moved in and bit down on his shoulder, letting his blood run into my mouth. I tried to drink as much as possible but I felt sick. After a very short moment I pulled back and moved down to his chest, pressing my forehead against it.

"That wasn't enough..."

"I can't drink anymore," I murmured and closed my eyes.

"Okay. We'll try again a little later," he replied and kissed the top of my head. "You feel up for going outside? We could stroll around the garden. The moon is so beautiful tonight."

"I'm tired, Xipe." I put my arm around him and moved even closer to him, our bodies flush.

"We'll lie here a bit then. Do you want me to read for you?"

I nodded and let him go, so he could go get the book he was reading for me. It was some book about a man travelling the world and had met a cyclops. It was good. I liked it and I liked listening to Xipe read. I especially liked how he'd bury his hand in my hair, while I lied on his soft stomach.

He started reading with a soft voice, one that both relaxed me but didn't push me to sleep. I was just lying on top of him, listening to him, while he massaged my scalp.

If there was a heaven, I was sure this was what it felt like. Generally just our marriage had been heaven. He was sweet and attentive to me. He didn't judge me for my weaker periods. He just kept persistently loving me, and for that I'd always love him.

I stared up at the ceiling as Ton and Quetz drew symbols around the circle painted around me. They were trying some sort of healing ritual from their own country. Hopefully, this would do the trick. I was so tired of feeling tired. I just wanted to be better again.

"Right, this should do it," Quetz murmured and stepped back. "Just lie still, Frej."

"Right," I said and looked up, catching his gaze.

"It'll be alright. This won't hurt," he promised. He tried to smile a little and I tried to smile back, but neither of us succeeded. We both knew his stance on me being here. At least he was willing to help me.

Xipe stepped closer as his brother and maker started chanting in their own language. He held his arm out as he cut into his skin, letting his blood drip down on my face. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine all of the evil leaving my body.

A wave of warmth rushed over my body and I felt as if I was lifted off the floor, floating in free air. I didn't dare to open my eyes, in fear of accidentally ruining the ritual. I had to lie completely still and just relax.
A sensation of something crawling under my skin then flushed over me. I wanted to cry out, but I bit down on my lip, stopping myself from speaking. It was as the small creatures were clawing their way out of my skin from the inside. It became too much.

"Please, stop!" I whimpered. I tried to move, but my body was too heavy. I couldn't move! "Please! It hurts, please stop!"

"Stop it!" I heard Xipe roar. Then it stopped and I was back to feeling nothing but the overwhelming exhaustion. "Frej, talk to me."

I opened my eyes as Xipe pulled me to him, trying to soothe me with gentle touches and kisses on my cheeks.

"It felt like something was trying to escape through my skin," I panted and circled my arms around him.

"It's alright now. It's over," he murmured softly, running his hand up and down my back.

"I'm sorry. I ruined it."

"No, Frej," Ton said and crouched down beside Xipe and me. "It wasn't meant to hurt. If it did, it meant something wasn't right. It was good you told us to stop." He smiled encouragingly at me and patted my shoulder. "We'll try something else another day."

I nodded and let Xipe carry me back to the sofa, putting me down it. I wasn't sure I could've walked the short distance, feeling too exhausted to even keep my eyes open now.

"It's alright, Fakkel. Rest now," Xipe murmured and kissed my forehead.

I just wanted to be better.