"Selyn?"
"Don't kill me..." I whispered, struggling to keep my eyes open.
"I will tend to your wounds. I will make amends for my mistakes, Selyn. Rest. I won't hurt you. You have my word."
I closed my eyes, and the darkness enveloped me once again. This time, it didn't feel as cold.
"She has lost a lot of blood... but her condition is stable..."
"In my presence, you will be safe. What can I do to help her?"
"Check her temperature... during the night... we will be here."
The only voice I could hear clearly was Saphyr's. It was muffled, but close. I tried to move several times, but it was useless: my body was heavy, and my eyes were too tired to open.
"Selyn? Can you hear me? You are safe now."
I wanted to protest and tell her that I couldn't be safe with her by my side, but I couldn't find the energy to do so. Everything was so blurry: I woke up a few times, but exhaustion prevented me from lifting myself and taking control of my body.
"Mother... father..."
Mine was a tormented sleep, filled with agonizing scenes and terrifying visions. I saw a lot of blood and heard the screams of the dead demanding justice... revenge.
"Selyn?"
I tried to open my eyes. Something warm had been placed on my forehead, and I felt a presence beside me. The room was dark, but a faint light illuminated the surroundings.
The room was small but cozy. I saw candles and a basin of water resting on a small table next to the bed. When I turned the other way, I lost my breath. Saphyr was lying on the bed beside me, silently observing me.
"Do you humans talk during your dreams? I heard you whispering..."
I tried to pull back, but Saphyr noticed and placed a hand on my arm, stopping me. My eyes flew open, and I froze.
"How do you feel? The wound will improve within a few days. I couldn't make it disappear entirely, but I can speed up the healing process..."
Saphyr's storm-gray eyes were locked on my face, stealing my breath away. She was so intense, and I sensed that she was dangerous, even though in that moment she seemed far too amicable.
"Why are you here? Why am I alive?"
Saphyr sighed and lay down beside me, continuing to watch me with an enigmatic expression. Then, she reached out a hand and tried to touch my chest.
"What are you doing?" I jerked away, almost falling off the bed, but Saphyr was quick enough to catch me and keep me steady on the mattress. Our faces were very close, and I could feel the warmth of her pale skin against mine. My heart was beating faster and faster.
"I offer you my most sincere apologies for what I have done to you. I swear on the name of Zestia that I will bring you no harm and that I will protect you to make amends for what I did. It is a sacred oath."
"There are no sacred oaths on Earth..." I muttered, trying to pull away from her.
Saphyr smiled. "Do you want to see what happens if I break an oath?"
"Don't—"
Before I could finish speaking, Saphyr wrapped a hand around my neck and began to squeeze, gently at first, then increasing the intensity. I felt no pain, because suddenly I saw a light run along Saphyr's body and tighten around her neck. Her face displayed suffering, and she pulled her hands away from me.
"You will suffer no injuries, you will feel no pain, because it will all fall upon me. My body suffers for yours."
My eyes widened. Was it possible she wasn't lying? That she was sorry for what she had done? Could I really trust her...?
"Are you willing to do anything just to be forgiven?" I asked hesitantly, averting my gaze from her face.
"I have sworn it."
"I only have one desire. Protect my family, help me save them... they are innocent people! There are many people like them out there." My eyes filled with tears, and the anger and despair I had felt when Saphyr found me resurfaced, stronger than before. I grabbed Saphyr's shoulders tightly and spoke with conviction, forcing the angel of death to pay absolute attention to what I had to say.
"Will you do it? You have to... after what you caused... together with your kind... how many lives have you taken? How many? For what? For what?!"
"Selyn... if you wish, I will explain everything I know to you. I will protect you, and if you search for your family, I will follow you."
"Will you save them? From them?"
"I will."
She had answered with certainty, without hesitation, and that helped stem my tears. For the first time, after hours of profound anguish, I felt a shred of hope for the future. I let her go when I started to feel pain in my shoulder.
"Selyn, do not move too much, otherwise—"
"You have no right to worry about me." I wanted to turn around and forget about her presence, but I couldn't run away either. I had to stay strong, for my family...
"You are right. I have no right, but our oath has bound us, and I will see to your protection and your health... until you dissolve the promise."
"Me?" I whispered, confused by her words.
"When you forgive me, our pact will cease to exist."
I tightened my grip on the sheets, determined not to be softened by her apparent kindness. I would never trust one of them. The Angels of Death were not human; they did not know mortal feelings, and I didn't believe they could give weight to promises made with earthlings.
"I am going to get you something to eat. The couple hosting us has prepared something warm for you."
"How did you convince them...? They should have run away after seeing you."
"I arrived with a bleeding woman in my arms."
"That doesn't mean you wouldn't have hurt them."
"They thought helping you was the right thing to do... They know I will protect this territory until our departure."
"Then they'll die..."
Saphyr stepped closer again and placed a hand on my arm, delicately. I didn't move it away, but I remained tense. "We have many things to discuss, but for now, you must know that I will try to reason with my kind. They too, like me, have been deceived."
"You said that earlier too... What do you mean? They ordered you to exterminate us, but you didn't know the real reason?"
"We will speak as soon as I bring you food."
With that, she left the room, but left the door open.
I heard voices in the distance; they weren't familiar, but they sounded friendly. One of them belonged to the woman who had likely been arguing with Saphyr in the room earlier. I wanted to go thank them, but I was still weak. I only managed to push myself up on the bed and adjust the pillow to stay sitting against the headboard. In that moment, I realized I had a bandage wrapped around my head. I touched it gently, then sighed.
For some reason, she hadn't killed me, but could I really trust the oath? I had seen it with my own eyes... That blue light had traveled across Saphyr's skin and tightened around her throat.
My father would tell me not to trust anyone in times like these.
Saphyr returned to the room, accompanied by the lady of the house, who smiled at me sweetly.
"I ask for forgiveness for the intrusion... And I thank you endlessly."
"Don't worry about it. In times like these, it is important to help one another."
I shifted my gaze to Saphyr when I noticed she seemed distracted. She had placed the food tray on the nightstand next to the bed and given me only one look before turning quickly and heading for the door again. "I will be nearby."
"Are there other angels of death?"
My voice betrayed my fear.
"Angels...? Of death?" the woman asked, looking at Saphyr, then at me.
"That's what I call them..."
"Angels of death?" Saphyr wore an indecipherable look. Before I could investigate her expression further, she left.
"Eat something, it will help you regain your strength."
"Thank you..." I accepted the food and started to eat, but I kept thinking about Saphyr and the possible dangers awaiting us in the woods. I didn't know our precise location, but from the window, I could see the trees and the fence enclosing the property of whoever had taken me in. Perhaps we weren't very far from Greenhill.
"Aren't you afraid of Saphyr?"
The lady was near the window, looking outside with a serene expression. "Saphyr is a very beautiful name. That woman... she promised me and my husband that she would bring us no harm. I believed her. When everything started, Robert and I were near Woodstock, and we saw the inferno enveloping Greenhill... it was terrifying, horrific. We fled toward our home, already resigned to our end. If we are to die, at least it will be in our home, and we will begin a new journey together in the afterlife."
"We can't accept what is happening... we can't—"
"I know. I know there are brave people out there like you, and for that, I thank you. I understand that it was your strength that kept you alive until now."
She looked at me with admiration and approached the bed: "Saphyr said you are special. I believe it too."
"She said that?"
As the minutes passed, Saphyr became increasingly enigmatic. She had said she would explain everything, and I wanted nothing more than to get some answers. In what way was I special? It could mean anything, and as far as I knew, the angels of death were neither merciful nor interested in human beings.
Once I finished my meal, I tried to get out of bed, assisted by Manuela, the woman hosting me, and I too went to the window to look for Saphyr.
"Are you worried about her?"
"No. I'm worried about us. What if she doesn't come back?"
I had to leave as soon as possible, and I needed the certainty that Saphyr could protect me.
"Saphyr told me she would mark the area before leaving to let her kind know to pass by once they reach these parts. With a little luck, that will keep us safe..."
What kind of creature could turn into a gentle protector after showing such coldness and cruelty in hunting down an innocent person? Saphyr had tried to kill me and hadn't listened to my pleas, my reasoning... It had been a miracle that saved me, something Saphyr had to explain.
"We need to leave. Are you feeling better?"
Saphyr arrived suddenly and stared at me from the bedroom doorway. Her voice was deep, laced with worry. Her face was stained with a bluish liquid, much like her weapon, which illuminated the surroundings with a faint, dark glow.
"W-what happened?"
"I tried to reason with them. I explained the motives behind my actions... they didn't believe me." Her gray eyes roamed the room, never staying still. She seemed distressed, confused, almost pained. Yet her face remained impassive: despite her pale lips, her facial muscles were relaxed.
"Saphyr?"
"One of them escaped... they will look for me. We must go."
Manuela's husband joined us in the room and stared at Saphyr for a moment before addressing me: "I've prepared some provisions for your journey... and this jacket, in case it gets colder in the nights to come. If you have to walk or... run, it might be useful to wear trousers."
Manuela nodded and hurried to grab some clothes from the room's wardrobe. I thanked them for their kindness, moved by the help they had offered me. I made Saphyr promise they would be safe, and with her help, we left the small house to begin our journey.
I was weak, but I could walk. That being said, I was certain I would need to regain my strength quickly, because Saphyr's eyes were vigilant and her shoulders tense. Someone would find us... someone would try to kill me again, and this time, kill Saphyr too.