Chapter 10

Awaking once again Ignis sits up, her bones feeling heavier and thoughts in a foggy mist.
Where am I? A hazy cloud sitting on her head, she looks around; the church is empty and her body is no longer bound to the platform. Slowly she attempts to stand, but in her weakened state, she flops to the floor. In doing so, her ankle twists and a sharp pain runs through her leg.
"Wh-what?" Ignis says to herself, holding her foot, surprised at such a little fall has hurt such a powerful being. Why am I alive? The memories of the Ancestors return to her, the spell, and the pain… the bitter cold.
Picking herself up she limps down a few steps, the church eerily quiet. What happened? Ignis makes her way out, a buzzing echoing into her ear. She hasn't felt this fragile in years. Ignis pushes herself out of the doors, it's night time, and she has no clue how long she has been in the church for. The wind sweeps under her as she walks through the city, the cold penetrating her viciously. She feels … human.
Ignis stops in the middle of the street, the thought hitting her suddenly. She no longer feels the desire in her chest to burn, she no longer feels the heat in her stomach she used too. Ignis glances down at her palms, the tingling no longer prickling her fingertips.
"This couldn't…no…they couldn't'…." she softly whimpers.
"LADY! Are you okay?" A man yells across the street, staring at her with confusion and suspicion. Ignis looks down at herself realising her clothes have been burnt and her flesh is on show, red raw and marked. "You need to go to hospital!" he continues.
Staggering, physically helpless for the first time in years, she makes her way to the only person that could help.

Practically naked and ever-so weak Ignis limps onto the patio, remembering the distant memory of slaughtering a coven. Her mind is rushing with thoughts and her a dull ache begins to pound in her skull, and although her body may feel heavy and sore, her chest feels an uncomfortable darkness; a gaping hole in the middle of her rib cage. She no longer feels angry.
"Hello?" Ignis calls out onto the empty patio, her voice raspy. "Someone…Hello?" Ignis attempts to yell louder. The stinging on her skin begins to arise and tears roll recklessly down her cheeks.
"Ignis?" Elijah's voice is heard in the distance. She glances up, blinking away the tears, she sees Elijah steps out on the wooden railing is topless, wearing only silk pyjama bottoms. Ignis begins to drop to the floor but Elijah suddenly beside her, picking her up and holding her carefully.
"What has happened? Who has done this?" he sternly asks, his arms soft around her body. Ignis opens her mouth, but words fail her, instead the only form of communication is through her tears. The monster truly and finally broken.

Ignis leans on the door frame, wrapped in Elijah's silk dressing gown, watching him fill up the bath with warm water and lavender scented oils. He turns his head to her, eyeing her carefully.
"I insist you let me heal you." Elijah stands leaving the water to slowly fill up.
"I don't want you to heal me." Ignis admits. I want to heal myself.
"Then let me bandage you up, I can put some cream on that" he steps forward, his flawless skin radiating beauty against the bathroom light.
"No" Ignis snaps back, her body still stinging. Elijah frowns frustrated, his knuckles tightening.
"Who did this to you?"
"I had this coming Elijah, just let me be." Ignis sighs, still not having told him about the removal of her powers. The embarrassment will burn more than the new marks on her skin.
"I cannot help you Ignis unless you tell me."
"I don't need your damn help okay?" she tries to yell, but it escapes her mouth as a plead, her throat still dry.
"Then why did you come back here?"
"I just…" Ignis notices the bath over flowing and begins to rush over to turn the tap off, but before she can Elijah grabs her wrist.
"Tell me." He huskily demands. Elijah leans in, Ignis's cheeks flushing red.
Normally she'd threaten him, she'd slap him hard across the face or send him flying in the other direction. But Ignis does none of these things, she no longer has the desire to do so. Instead she turns her head away, refusing to look him in the eye.
"Ignis?" he persists, worried.
She doesn't respond, she pushes away from his grip and walks to the bath; turning off the water that has overflowed slightly onto the floor. She stares at the water, breathing heavily. Is this what its like to be a human? Ignis bends over, her fingers caressing the top of the water, it's soft against her skin.
"How are you supposed to go on in life, when you have no clue who you are Elijah?" she turns to him, his jaw rigid and his eyes warm. Tears begin to roll down her face, never has she felt so weak. Elijah steps forward, reaching his hand toward her cheek and slowly using his index finger to stroke her skin, a tingle shoots down Ignis's spine.

"Do you remember the night you first saw me?"
Ignis nods her head, her feet soaked in the puddle of water that is sitting on top of the tiles.
"I remember when I saw you…I saw your eyes against the flames and it revealed your soul."
Ignis rolls her eyes.
"You should get out of that habit" he smiles "I'm being truthful. I wouldn't lie to you."
"Let me guess, you'll give me your word?" Ignis sighs teasing, almost forgetting the emptiness in her chest. Elijah reaches down to Ignis's waist and pulls her body close to his. Chest to chest, Ignis parts her lips trying to regain control of her breath. Fully aware the only thing separating from skin contact is thhe dressing gown he gave her, Ignis tries to hide her reddened cheeks.
"Love, I'll give you a lot more than my word … that is if you let me of course." His hands begin to travel up and down her back slightly, making Ignis shiver. Forgetting how to speak Ignis stares into deep green eyes, so dark they are almost unrecognisable as green, but Ignis can see the slight shimmery tint.
"Will you let me?" Elijah asks again, his voice gruff as he plants a gentle kiss on her cheek. Ignis exhales loudly, her body still aching, however this time for Elijah's touch. "Ignis I ask of you to say something, I may be patient but I also may implode."
Ignis smiles lightly. "Yes" she breathes in tightly.
Elijah tilts his head back, his eyes looking slightly down to her, before leaning and kissing her passionately on the lips. He isn't forceful, and for once she isn't forceful towards him. She is completely submissive, happily tame and no longer angry. His tongue begins to stroke hers as he deepens the kiss with such serenity, and his hands hold in-between the arch of her back; pulling Ignis's body tighter against his.
Suddenly he pulls away, again looking down to Ignis.
"Perfection." He softly speaks.
The stranger with compassion. Raising onto her tippy toes, Ignis gently holds the back of Elijah's neck, pulling her lips to his with ease. Maybe this human thing isn'ttoo bad.