Author's Note: FYI, some of you might have read chapter 28 the first few minutes it posted. I pulled it down and rewrote the last half last night.
She was finally quiet a bit later once the storm passed, exhausted both physically and emotionally. Milori continued to hold her, but she sat still, her cheek still on his shoulder that was wet from her tears. Part of her didn't want to let go. It was safe here in his arms. The other part of her was horrified by what she had said and was scared that if she let go, he would walk away. And she wouldn't blame him when she had said such a horrible thing. She took a steadying breath but kept her forehead against his neck and her arms around him.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, her voice thick from tears. "I didn't mean it."
"To some degree you did, but it's natural. I did promise to watch over you, and I should have. I blame myself and don't expect you not to," he said quietly.
She sat up and looked at him, surprised to see his face tearstained too.
He brushed at his eyes with a half laugh. "It's hard to see you hurt."
"I don't want you to blame yourself," she frowned and wiped away a tear on his cheek. "I don't blame you."
He softly wiped her cheek dry. "Clarion, I know that it's irrational and painful, but the truth is you wanted me to come with dust blazing and save you before he could lay a finger on you." His eyes locked with hers, full of understanding and love. "I felt the same when I was captured."
Wide eyes looked at him.
"I knew there wasn't any way in Neverland you would be able to track us, but every moment I was waiting for you to come blasting in and sweep us back home," he said with a pained laugh. His brow furrowed as he looked at her thoughtfully. "I was so angry with you when I got home, but all you wanted to do was help me." He laid a hand over her heart. "I know what it feels like to be so angry in here you think you're going to combust." Then he cupped her cheek gently and looked into her eyes. "I also know what it feels like to have an unrealistic fantasy and be heartbroken when it can't possibly come true."
Her face fell. "I didn't know you were angry with me..."
He grazed the back of his knuckles over her silky cheek. "I was afraid to tell you because I wasn't sure you could understand it wasn't true hatred. I pushed you away to protect you, but that made it so much worse." He slipped his hand into hers, holding her eyes. "I'm sorry that I grabbed you and didn't let go when you told me to stop. I didn't know how to help you get that anger out without making you angry. You're so in control that I knew I had to lose my temper for you to let loose. I swear I won't ever continue again when you tell me to stop. Did I frighten you?" he asked in concern.
"No. I knew you weren't trying to hurt me. I panicked because I was afraid of what I might say."
"I think Thomas was ready to impale me," he teased, hoping to see her laugh.
"What?"
"He heard you and ran in here like he was ready to battle an Alamur," he smiled. "I'm not quite sure why he didn't kill me. He stuck around until he was certain I wasn't trying to hurt you."
"He heard what I said?" she asked in a small voice.
Cupping her cheek in his hand he said, "You need ice cream."
"Huh?" she blinked.
He patted her back lightly. "Hop up. You are too stressed and need to get out. Mary said there is an ice cream shop on the edge of town. She tells me that females like ice cream after they cry. We will go on a big, fancy first true date," he teased, "and get ice cream."
She scooted off his lap onto the floor and looked at him in surprise. "Really?"
He got up and held down his hands. "Would you like to?" he smiled. "I'll take a swim and then we can go."
A smile lit up her face. She realized that getting out and forgetting about everything was just what she needed.
Having guards trailing along, even though they trailed far behind, was new and felt weird to him. But he didn't mind the extra protection for Clarion.
It was the middle of the day and most fairies were at work, so they weren't disturbed at all. He knew by the fact that Clarion slipped her arm through his as they walked and started chattering more the longer they walked that it was good for her to have this break.
She pointed out all of the shops and different things summer had. They were coming up on the ice cream shop when she suddenly stopped, jerking him back a bit.
He looked at her quickly to see her attention focused inward. She spun on her heel and let go of his arm to walk to the right toward the woods. He followed and came to stand beside her. Following her gaze, he looked up and saw something dangling from a branch of a eucalyptus plant.
"What is that?"
"A cocoon," she answered slowly, her eyes studying it from below. "You can see far, can't you?"
"Define 'far.'"
Her eyes remained on the cocoon and she squinted up at it. "You can tell from here if it's wiggling?"
"Can't you?" he asked in surprise.
"Warm fairies can't see as far," she said distractedly and cocked her head as she studied the cocoon.
"Oh," he replied with surprise. Turning his gaze to the plant, he studied it for a moment. "It's wiggling, but a butterfly is supposed to come out, isn't it?"
"Yes. Any cracks in the cocoon?"
He walked in a circle to see the different angles. "None." He startled when a piercing whistle cut through the air and turned to see Clarion with two fingers to her lips.
She saw him blink at her. "What?" she blushed.
"You have to teach me how to do that! I'm sick of carrying an acorn whistle around," he said in amazement.
She climbed up on Blizzard when he arrived. "Hurry up," she ordered Milori.
He smiled and climbed up behind her.
"I don't know if this is a good idea when you can't fly," he said nervously a moment later when she slid off of Blizzard and onto the thin eucalyptus branch.
"So come protect me," she smiled and carefully walked out on the leaf below the cocoon.
He slid down, sent Blizzard down so his hovering wind wouldn't knock Clarion off and followed her.
She frowned and reached up to set her hands on the bottom of what appeared to be a thin green leaf wrapped around something black and orange inside.
He watched the miraculous scene unfold before him.
Closing her eyes, she released a small amount of dust from her hands. Then she opened her eyes and trailed her nail ever so lightly down the sac, creating a small slice in it. The butterfly inside didn't move. Clarion reached up and shot a burst of dust at it and motioned her hands toward herself. The dust slid the butterfly out of the cocoon and down onto the leaf at her feet.
Clarion knelt, gently lifted the damp but beautiful wing and slowly ran her fingers over the top edge to straighten it. Then she did the same thing to the other side, leaving a trail of sparkling dust that slowly faded.
His brow furrowed when the creature still didn't move. "Is it dead?" he asked quietly.
She leaned down and kissed its head. And then she sat back on her heels with her hands in her lap as if waiting.
The wings gave a soft flutter. And then the body moved. A moment later the butterfly fluttered around her and Clarion giggled.
"You're welcome." Then she presented her back to Milori when the butterfly landed again. "Open my wings."
He slowly stepped forward, still in awe. "Your kiss brought it back to life?"
"It wasn't fully dead." She looked at him over her shoulder with a smile at his expression. "I can't open my wings on my own yet."
He carefully lifted them, never having had the chance to study them this closely. They were delicate and gorgeous. The texture was like silk and they glittered brilliantly. The veins were so tiny and delicate that they looked like the most intricate lace. He had to stand on his toes to open them completely. Then he gently pressed his hand between her shoulder blades to keep them up for her so her back wouldn't strain.
The butterfly climbed up on the stalk and Clarion took a couple steps back until their wings nearly touched. He kept his hand on her back and looked in amazement at how identical her wings were to the butterfly's. But his heart fell when he saw how much more jagged her edges were from the amputations. She had lost a fair amount of surface area, and he worried if it caused her problems.
"Her wings stayed wet for too long, and now won't dry," she explained to him. "Go on," she coaxed the butterfly.
The creature slowly started beating its wings against hers, slowly creating a gold cloud of pixie dust from Clarion's wings.
He looked at Clarion in concern that it might hurt her, but she closed her eyes and smiled as if it felt good.
The butterfly suddenly shot into the sky.
Clarion looked up with a smile as it disappeared into the clouds.
He studied her, the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. "You will fly again like that," he promised softly, his hand still on her back.
She looked at him with vulnerable eyes. "Is it mean to ask you to teach me to fly again? The weight is so uneven even just standing here. I don't know if I can anymore."
He swallowed hard and looked into her eyes, so touched that she wanted him. "You can, and I would be honored to help you, my lady," he said huskily. "I don't need wings, sweetheart, because you are mine."
A tender smile crossed her lips, and she slipped her arms around his neck as he carefully lowered her wings. "You're a romantic."
"You're sweet and beautiful," he smiled and slowly stroked his hands down her wings instinctively.
She closed her eyes and leaned into him when she felt white dust on her wings.
"What does it feel like?" he asked, his voice low and silky.
"Like a deep massage that tingles warm from your cool hands," she said, her voice lazy and slightly husky. She laid her head down on his shoulder. "It makes me want to mate," she whispered. "To have your baby." She titled her head back for his lips.
"That is one of the most romantic things you've ever said," he replied huskily and captured her mouth, not even realizing that his good wing fluttered rapidly. Her mouth tasted extremely sweet and made him feel oddly drunk in the most incredible way like never before. A surge of electricity ran through him, and he started to lift her onto his hips. A sigh of pleasure escaped her, and her arms wrapped around him tighter. He suddenly realized that she had released the smallest amount of nectar, and it was the hardest battle he had ever fought to let her go. He pulled back in surprise and looked at her to see her breathing heavily and looking just as startled.
"We are partially mated," he breathed. "You can't release nectar unless we are." His heart had never flown higher.
