Chapter 34
It's Safe Enough to Sleep
- I'm fine! -
- But you almost bled to death. That's the door. -
- I want to stay! -
- It will take hours for the antidote to work! Go and rest Icy, move! -
Darcy literally pushed the witch of ice out of the infirmary, closing the door behind her. At another time Icy would not have dismissed the idea of sitting on the floor to wait but in the end, she was really reduced to a rag, so she walked slowly towards the dormitory. Fortunately, she didn't have to do too many stairs, she could barely put one foot in front of the other!
After giving them a generous dose of antidote, Amentia had her unwelcome visitors escorted to the shuttles, so they had returned to Alfea. The girls had rushed to Palladium to administer the light blue liquid obtained from the crystals to the fairies while the Specialists had remained behind to explain the presence of Alec, Aire and Henna to Faragonda. For the three of them at the time there were no consequences and, since there were other priorities, they had been sent back to their respective schools. Even the Specialists had returned to Redfountain, but they could have returned the following day like Maria and Desirè, who, with great regret, had returned to Cloudtower. The Trix had every intention of waiting for their friends to wake up, but both Darcy and Stormy believed that Icy needed rest rather than a sleepless night.
Thus, she was there, her hand on the handle of a desolate, empty apartment, emptier than when she and her sisters had examined Xavier's notes that morning. Or so Icy believed.
- WHERE WERE YOU AND WHERE IS EVERYONE?! -
Icy's heart stopped, somewhat to surprise, a little for the fear that someone would go and check who was screaming like that, but the other students were all in the canteen. Before Lzzy said anything else she walked into the apartment and pulled the door behind her. She did not have time to open her mouth that she was submerged by the words of the earthling.
- Do you have any idea what it means to feel the total emptiness immediately after having had the feeling that someone was slicing your arm, having to stay for HOURS with a crazy anxiety without being able to vent to anyone and, indeed, go ahead with fake smiles thanks to which practically the whole troupe thinks that I have romantic problems but I don't want to say it, to check the phone every ten minutes hoping to find an answer to my messages, to resign and take advantage of the night to come here and find the completely empty apartment and pray that anyone comes?! - Lzzy took a breath, - Now you explain everything well and it will be better for you that the story is convincing otherwise I swear... Are you crying? -
Icy hastened to wipe away the tears that had escaped her eyes, shaking her head in a sense of denial.
- I still have eyes you know? - said Lzzy smugly, still angry with Icy.
The witch did not move, she remained with her back against the door and her eyes lowered.
- I just wanted to protect you. - she said in a faint voice.
- From what? What happened, why are you alone? -
- Valtor poisoned the Winx and the girls of the course. -
Lzzy put her hand to her mouth.
- I and the others went to look for the antidote with the Specialists, a mad queen tried to kill me and Valtor summoned a monster. Now Darcy and Stormy are in the infirmary waiting for the girls to wake up. - Icy summed up hastily.
- And… and you? -
- Since I almost died, they decided that I have to rest. -
- YOU WHAT?! -
This time in Lzzy's voice there was a high note of hysteria.
- I'm fine now, don't shout! - Icy said trying to limit the damage.
Lzzy ran a hand through her hair and started pacing back and forth in front of the door. She couldn't accept that it happened without her noticing! It was humiliating the simplicity with which Icy had managed to hide her pain from her, because dying hurts, she was sure of that.
- It's not your fault Mae, I was the one who excluded you from my mind. I didn't want you to suffer and I hoped it would all be over before you knew it... -
- And ain't it what happened? - Lzzy asked rhetorically, immediately regretting her sarcasm when she saw Icy close her eyes as if she had physically hit her. The tone softened. - Icy, you can't put me in a glass bell. Glass bells are not needed, there is always something that infiltrates inside and attacks you without you escaping because of the bell. What would have happened if I needed you and couldn't have contacted you? -
As she spoke, she approached Icy, who hugged her. It was the first time she hugged her of her own free will.
- Don't say it. I promise I will always let you enter my mind. Nothing will ever happen to you Lz, you'll see that everything will be fine. -
Lzzy returned the embrace of the witch, hearing her unstable voice say words that served to console more those who pronounced them than those who listened to them. Lzzy's anger dissolved, Icy had to be really destroyed to talk and behave that way. Furthermore, it was a real shame to ruin that exceptionally intimate moment with resentment, because Icy was always held back by someone's presence in expressing her feelings, while at that moment she was herself, in all her fragility. They remained embraced for a long time, separating only when a slight sound of footsteps warned them that the students were returning to their rooms and yet remaining close enough to hear each other's breathing.
- Darcy and Stormy are right, lil sis, you need to rest. - Lzzy whispered, but Icy objected.
Sleeping was the last thing she wanted. Then they decided to wait together on the couch, even if Lzzy should have left before dawn for no one to notice her absence.
Lzzy took off her shoes and sat down on the couch imitated by Icy, which rested her head on her shoulder. The arm that Lzzy put on her shoulders made her feel even safer, so that despite all her efforts to stay awake, she soon fell asleep. When Lzzy noticed she smiled tenderly. Softly she laid the witch down, lying down behind her after wrapping both in a blanket.
§§
For how much adrenaline she could have accumulated during the day, Aire thought she had scattered it too soon anyway. She was more than tired, she was a corpse that breathed: sending time back so that Icy's body no longer presented any wound and infusing all that energy into convergence had tired her so much that on the way back from Downland she stumbled continuously, like Henna, at the back of the group with her. To avoid being a ballast, they traveled the most uneven stretches flying, but they grew more tired. Fatigue was added to the concern for what Griffin would have said and done on their return to Cloudtower. A similar stunt could cost them the suspension, if not the expulsion. She doubted that the headmistress would go that far, they had done a great job after all, but she couldn't be sure. The buzz of the shuttle engines did not help the witch of time concentrate. On the contrary, it allowed her to sleep. Slowly the girl abandoned herself on the seat, exhausted.
She only woke up when she suddenly felt herself being lifted, taking less than a second to get back lucid.
- What the... Alec, put me down immediately! -
The boy had raised her with not much delicacy and was taking her out of the shuttle like a princess, impassive. The witch got nervous and started to punch the chest of the Specialist, who laughed blissfully.
- If you continue like this you will end up killing me, really. Have mercy! - he said sarcastically.
- Ha ha ha, how funny you are! Sooner or later I'll transform you into something that crawls, is silent and has no arms, it will be my gift to the Magical Universe! -
- Here's what happens to wake up a witch abruptly. - commented Henna as she passed them, laughing.
- And you don't think about my poor fans? You would break their heart. - replied Alec.
Aire was not caught unprepared.
- I would take the risk for a just cause. - she exclaimed.
- Here, you see? - Alec said putting the girl on the ground, - I also like you because you commit yourself to "just causes". -
- Stop it! - Aire replied dryly, turning and crossing her arms in a disdainful attitude.
That lasted very little, just long enough to see the endless climb she had to face to get to college. Not to mention the stairs she should have done once inside.
- Oh... - she sighed indeed disconsolate.
- Should I take you to the front door? - joked Alec.
- Don't you dare! Bye bye! - exclaimed Aire finding who knows where the energy to do almost ten steps of run.
Alec laughed and greeted her in turn:
- Bye little witch. I'll be waiting for another impossible mission, or even something more peaceful! -
That said the boy got on the shuttle without waiting for an answer, he knew it wouldn't arrive. Aire shook her head. "He never gives up, does he? 'I'll wait for you'... tsk!" she thought. Deep down, though, those words pleased her. That boy wasn't so bad, he was likable, but also kind and courageous, he knew how to make her have fun (even if she never let him know), and even in appearance she liked him enough. Maybe she could give him a microscopic chance, but that wasn't the time to think about it. It was better to think of what to say to Griffin, who was waiting for her and Henna right in front of the door, her arms crossed and her eyes stern.
§§
With the exception of Amaryl and Yomi, who had wanted to stay in the infirmary to "stay as far away as possible from trouble", the other girls had insisted on returning to their rooms.
- Thank Icy for us. - said Giunia going on to her apartment.
As soon as she entered, Darcy headed for the room she shared with Icy, but immediately came out looking alarmed.
- She's not in the room! - she said not too loudly.
She calmed down when she saw an indistinct bundle on the sofa she hadn't noticed before. She sighed in relief and pointed it at the others, not realizing that her friend was not alone.
Stella, impatient, leaned over the back of the sofa with the intention of waking Icy, but seeing that there was Lzzy next to her she hesitated. She was sorry to interrupt the sleep of the two, but finally decided to gently shake Icy.
- Icy? -
The witch of ice gave no sign of hearing, so Stella tried to wake Lzzy. She rubbed her eyes and, to be freer in her movements, turned on her back, dropping Icy off the couch.
- Mae! - protested the latter.
Still sleepy, she did not immediately notice Stella's presence, but when she heard her giggle, she stood up abruptly with a cry of surprise and joy that she just couldn't hold back and that finally woke Lzzy.
- The antidote worked! -
- And you didn't even change your clothes. - observed Darcy shaking her head slightly with resignation.
- I suppose it's my fault, I didn't even give her time to get in. Are you all right? - Lzzy said getting up from the couch.
- Yes, we all woke up luckily and, Icy, - said Bloom, - I'm sorry for Sky. -
Icy shook her head.
- It doesn't matter, in fact, I would have done worse if I were him. The important things are others. -
- Trust is important in a group. - the redhead replied firmly.
Darcy and Stormy had broadly recounted what had happened and Bloom just couldn't accept that Sky had allowed Amentia to hurt Icy. She understood his mistrust, but there was a limit to everything! On the other hand, the only important thing for Icy was that the antidote had an effect, Sky's mental processes didn't interest her at all in that moment.
- Bloom, on balance Sky has many good reasons for not trusting me, even though I wish it weren't like that. Do everyone a favor, forget this story. - she said.
"What good reasons?" Lzzy asked telepathically. "Among the most serious I killed him, and I almost did the same with his father". Lzzy winced and her eyes flickered toward the witch. "Wait, what?" "You heard me" "How can you say it... like this?! Even before, same indifference. And when you told me you're an orphan. How do you get so cold?"
Lzzy's incredulous and accusatory tone upset the witch, who glared at her. "It's my way of protecting myself" she replied dryly.
The dialogue had lasted long enough to be noticed by the others.
- What, are we too early? Shall we go back to the infirmary and leave you some privacy? - Musa made fun of them.
- No, don't worry, we're done. - Lzzy replied in the same light tone, even if Icy would have sworn to hear embarrassment in her voice, although she didn't know how to explain the reason given that both had made much worse jokes.