Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, Summertea88! I'm having so much fun with these recent chapters as Sleet and Silvermist are coming to blossom!


"Why aren't they healing?" She asked

Sleet set a hand on her arm to calm down as Spruce examined the incisions that evening.

"It's likely because so many organs were critically damaged that all of the healing went to those. All organ sugar tests are coming back normal. And an ultrasound to check right them now while the incisions are raw would be too painful." Spruce adjusted the sheet to keep Sleet modest and began removing the thigh wound stitches. "How's the pain level, Captain?"

"Much more bearable since she did the healing." He looked exhausted.

Heaving a sigh, she gave him a look. "He breaks out in a sweat now and then from pain."

Healer Spruce glanced at Sleet, who seemed to be struggling with another wave of pain at the moment. "The dandelion seeds inhibit the pain petals from fully working." He glanced at the vitals. "You're blood pressure is higher than I'd like. We're going to skip the next dose of dandelion seeds—"

"No," Sleet grunted and closed his eyes to hold his breath for a moment.

Spruce snipped the last stitch and pulled up the sheet. "I wasn't asking." He felt Sleet's brow and then looked at the increased heart rate that the bee reported. "Your body was put under immense stress between the full sugar transfusion and major surgery, just hours after being at death's door from the Kerval."

Opening his eyes, Sleet tried to glare, but he failed in his miserable state.

"We need your pain under control. If you won't cooperate, I'll let Silvermist take all of your pain."

That gave him enough energy to throw Spruce a lethal look.

Sitting on the edge of the chair, she leaned her elbows on the bed and took his hand. "Sleet, if you're exhausting yourself this much, my healing stalls. All I'm doing now is replenishing your energy rather than healing you. If you don't take the dandelion seeds so the pain petals work better, I'll promise to not absorb your pain."

"Or I just take them and—"

Bringing his hand to her lips, she held his eyes. "You said you'd let me fret, but now I'm afraid that you'll put yourself in so much pain that your heart could give out."

Spruce began to take the sutures out of Sleet's arm. "She is right about that. The only reason why you haven't faded from all of this is because you can handle a higher pain threshold as an Alamur."

"I've survived being—"

"But in your weakened state, even you are pushing your limits," Spruce cut in, his tone firm. "I don't care what you've survived, you didn't have the Kerval, combat, and then a full sugar transfusion before recovering from multi-organ surgery. The local anesthetic given internally during surgery will start to wear off soon, and you aren't due for pain petals for another three hours."

Sleet squeezed her hand. "You have to promise you won't take the pain."

"If you promise to let us do everything to keep the pain controlled, I promise not to take it."

He gave a nod.

An hour later, he was doubled over and gasping in agony as he vomited from the pain, which only made him hurt worse.

She fetched a healer who gave an injection that stopped the nausea.

Sleet sank back against the pillow, his damp chest heaving. "I'm a wimp," he breathed as she wiped his brow with a cold leafkerchief.

"No, you tore the incision open again," the healer said and peeled back the bandage that had sugar leaked on it. "The staples are holding it together well enough. We can push up your next pain petal dose a bit, but you have an hour to go until then. We'll get some ice packs." The healer left.

Taking his hand to test if the dandelion seeds had worn off yet, she gave a firm squeeze. "Let me try healing again."

He squeezed firmly, but his other hand grabbed the metal bar at the head of the bed and held tight, slightly bending the metal. "No," he gasped with his eyes squeezed shut. "You're using up your dust."

"Then after the next pain petal dose." This helplessness when he was in so much pain was unbearable torture.

"You promised." A soft cry of agony, and he let go to crush a handful of the sheets. "Something's wrong," he whimpered.

Running out, there was Spruce with his healer coat off down the hall, as if heading home. "Spruce!"

He spun, spotted her, and immediately opened his wings and shot over, bumping into other fairies in the hall. "What's wrong?" He went straight into the room.

Sleet writhed in the bed as Spruce threw down the sheet. Sleet's belly was distended.

"He vomited from the pain and tore some of the incision."

Spruce kicked the brakes off the bed. "He tore himself internally, too. Nurse! Sleet, we're going back into surgery, and we'll get you fixed up."

The other healer walked in just as Spruce pushed the bed to the door. He barked something and both healers started running with the bed.

Staring after them racing Sleet to surgery, the shock prevented anchored her feet to the floor until the surgery doors swung closed and he was gone. There hadn't even been time to give him a kiss and promise it'd be alright.

Setting a hand over her heart as tears welled, she rubbed it hard to strengthen his glow through surgery. And let her fear through to feed it, too.

A slight flicker around her heart. He tried to touch his heart to say he was alright, but then the glow numbed the slightest bit as the anesthesia must've knocked him out.

Holding both hands over her heart, she closed her eyes and forced every last bit of love into him. Fairies passed on either side as she stood in the middle of the hall, bumping into her now and then.

There was nothing else to do but worry now. Worry wouldn't do anything to help his glow, so she let the next strongest emotion flow.

Anger.

The Alamur were after her Sleet, and he'd be more vulnerable than ever over the next weeks. Her wings rose with fury. No one would hurt him. Fists clenched at her sides. Next time, fear wouldn't paralyze her from protecting Sleet. Next time when they came for him, she'd be a force like nothing they've seen and could never overcome.

Running down the halls, she stepped out the doors and took off into the night sky toward the palace.


Bats and hawks swooped. Flinging beads of water as big as their bodies made them screech and flit away in a panic. No others dared attempt to attack the red-glowing fairy.

Landing at the castle created a gust of wind, and the door guards shielded their eyes for a moment. "Halt! Who goes there?!" They stepped in front of the doors and lowered their arms as the wind calmed when she folded her wings down.

"I'm here to speak with the Queen about the Alamur," she ordered.

They looked at each other. "What creature are you? What land are you from? Any visitors must see the General before being permitted access to the Queen."

Her red glow grew more intense. "I'm a Pixie Hollow fairy! Silvermist, mate of Captain Sleet of the Winter Army! Let me pass to see the Queen!" The command in her voice gave them pause.

The guards frowned. "Tell us who you really are, or we'll arrest you."

"Fine! Arrest me! Take me to Lord Milori or the Queen!"

Both guards blinked in bafflement.

She stamped her foot and held out her wrists! "Now! The Alamur are planning an attack!"

One of the guards regained his composure and slapped shackles on her wrist. Holding the end of the chain, he pulled her inside.

Massive doors to the council chamber opened at the end of a long maze of hallways.

Queen Clarion, Lord Milori, and the council were all seated around a large table and looked up in surprise.

"Your Highness, forgive the intrusion—-" the guard interrupted.

"Why is SIlvermist in chains?!" The Queen shoved back her chair and stood. "Let her free at once!"

The guard blinked. "Your Highness, this creature has word of the Alamur—-"

Lord Milori stood. "This is a fairy of Pixie Hollow," he snapped. "Now, sergeant! Before the Captain of the Winter Army hears that you shackled his mate."

He blinked. "Her wings. I...yes, Your Highness. General." He quickly freed her and left.

"Silvermist, what's wrong?" The Queen stepped around the table.

Running over, she looked at Queen Clarion and Lord Milori. "Sleet's bleeding internally and back in surgery, but when I asked him what that Alamur wanted with him, he shrugged it off. I could tell he was lying. They're going to be back. Lord MIlori, I suspect he told you on the beach what happened. What will I be doing in battle when they attack?" she demanded, having more courage than ever before.

They both blinked, speechless. Lord Milori was the first to regain his composure. "You're a civilian. You won't be in battle, and the Captain certainly wouldn't allow it."

"The Captain," she spat, "will likely still be in the hospital when they attack in the next few days. They'll be certain to do it while he's still weak. The Captain doesn't have a say in this." Courage mounted, leaving her outspoken and fearless to argue with her rulers.

The Queen glanced at Lord Milori. "Silvermist, that's very noble, but—"

Fisting her hands at her sides, she let her wings relax to open. The council murmured in shock.

There was no room to be ashamed, if Sleet was to be kept safe. If Pixie Hollow was to avoid another bloodbath. They needed to see a powerful fairy, fearful of no one.

"After the last Alamur war, you know that you need any help you can get. It's likely that a siren's call will work on them, or I can summon the ocean to drown them. That Alamur knew I was a siren, but he didn't know I'm also a water fairy."

She held their eyes, courage mounting and wings raising in all their glory. "The Alamur don't know I can control the ocean. I'm Pixie Hollow's secret weapon for war."