*Chapter Three: Aneka's Wound*
Aneka emerged from her door crying. *Why do we always get into all the fights? Why couldn't it have ever been Mom and I? Why did she have to die so soon? Why did they have to take her from me?* Aneka thought to herself
"Aneka? Are you ok?" Sam asked going to her side. She started crying even more.
"No, I'm not." She choked out through her tears. She welcomed his embrace. She felt like she was loved. Her father had never held her when she'd cried or when she had a nightmare. It was always her nurse maid or her mother. So it was special to her.
"Sh . . . It's ok Aneka. I'm here for you. Don't cry. Just tell me. I'll listen." Sam said.
"My father and I had a fight about women's rights in our society. Then it came to discussing me getting married. He won't let me chose who I want to marry, but he'll choose for me. I don't want to marry someone who treats me like trash. I don't want to marry for the money or anything like that. I want to marry someone who cares for me. Not just for themselves. I want to be free of all the royalty." Aneka said. Sameth pulled her up to make her stand. He put both of his hands on her shoulders.
"Noone should chose what's best for you. I mean that." Sam said smiling at her. She liked his smile and basked in the glow. She smiled at him, but then suddenly a look of pain crossed her face. The room began to tilt in front of her. Her eyes clouded and she closed them as tightly as she could. She didn't know when she hit the floor. All she could feel was the pain. She was drawn into a shadow world. She saw herself fighting against an evil. She saw Lirael fighting along side the Abhorsen and Touchstone. She saw the worst ahead. The dead were rising a new. Chlorr had been given anew body and was alive again. It was worse than the dreams she had. Aneka awoke on a bed. She didn't know what time it was or what day it was. She sat up and looked around. She was in a room. Sam walked in and stared at her.
"What?" She asked Sam turned around quickly, but not before she saw his face turn bright red. She looked down and saw that she was completely naked. "Oh!" She exclaimed pulling the covers up to her chin. She looked down at the foot of her bed ands found her sword and clothes there. The three books she'd brought with her were opened on the floor. "Why are my books open on the floor? What have you been doing?"Aneka asked forgetting to be decent . She got out of the bed and picked up the three books on the floor. She could feel Sam's eyes on her back when she bent over.
"Sorry. I was looking for some stuff on pure free magic. I thought they would help me. Do you want to take a bath?" Sam asked trying to change the subject. He had turned back around so that he was facing away from her again. She felt a blush crawl from her head to her toes.
" There is probably something in there about pure free magic. I'm not totally sure. I haven't read them all yet. I would like a bath yes." She said blushing even more. Sam pulled a towel out of thin air, or so it seemed to her. He tossed it to her and turned back around.
"Thank-you." Aneka muttered putting the towel on.
"Are you toweled?" Sam asked. Aneka nodded and then realized he wouldn't be able to see her.
"Yes." She said. Sam turned around and looked her over. He felt weird inside. Like he shouldn't be handing her a towel at all and should be helping her with her bath.
"There is a tub behind that screen." Sam said taking her arm and pulling her behind a veil of fabric. The tub was filed with steaming hot water. "Soap is in the dish there. Shampoo along with conditioner is in the bottles."He explained. She looked into his eyes and smiled again. He smiled down at her and felt a blush crawl across his cheeks. Then he left her alone so she could take her bath. She slipped in after he'd left and she'd taken off her towel. She laid her head back and saw a sending standing over her. It was staring at her and was reaching for a washcloth. She looked at it weirdly and once it reached toward her to wash her she nearly died form fright.
"Ah" She screamed jumping out of the tub and running as far away as possible. That's when Sam came running in and ran into her.
"What's wrong?" He asked gripping her shoulders. He saw the sending behind her holding a washcloth.
"It scared me!" Aneka said trembling. She reached up and tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. Her hands were resting on his chest. Sam nearly forgot to breath when she ran into him. He could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest.
"They can be perverted. You just have to deal with it." Sam said trying hard not to laugh. He was trying to shake off the new feelings he had. One's he couldn't identify clearly.
"Well, my sendings don't do that!" Aneka exclaimed. She put her hands on her hips to emphasize her statement. The hair that she had so carefully tucked behind her ears came loose and draped over the front of her chest. She looked scared standing there naked and dripping wet.
"Would you stop moving like that?! You're standing there naked!" Sam exclaimed glancing over her. Now it was getting worse. He shouldn't have looked, but had stupidly given into temptation. Aneka blushed and covered herself as best she could.
"Well, I'm not taking a bath with sendings watching me!" Aneka said angrily. Sam saw fear in her eyes and then suddenly he felt a shock of pain rip through her. Her eyes widened and she fell to her knees. Her hands went out in front of her so she could catch herself.
"Aneka? Aneka!" Sam exclaimed dropping to his own knees and reaching for her. He could feel the trembling of her body. He pulled her to him and saw a wound on her shoulder. *Hedge* he thought to himself. The wound had opened again. He could see that it had burn marks on the edges and thought of the scars he had on his own wrists. He picked her up and sat her back in the tub. He washed the wound and decided he may as well wash the rest of her as well. He then dried her off. He tucked her into bed and put a hand to her forehead. It was hot under his touch. He saw her lips were blue and she began shivering uncontrollably. He knew she couldn't possibly know what was happening. Her eyes had gone into a blank stare. Sam felt sick with worry. Her hands were cold as ice. The only part of her body that was burning hot besides her forehead was the spot on her shoulder. She screamed trying to get out of Sam's grasp. She arched her back trying to move which caused her to brush against his arm. Sam closed his eyes letting the spasm pass. He couldn't think at all. He got one of his shirts and put it on her. His hands lingered on her arms. Mogget appeared on the bed suddenly. He licked Aneka's forehead and howled jumping back.
"She has the fever. You must heal her in Death!" Mogget exclaimed.
"What ,but what is the fever?" Sam asked. He was wrestling with her.
"It's where a Necromancer uses the blood of someone like her to bind something and Hedge is dead. So you have to heal her in Death. Otherwise she will die!" Mogget said aiding Sam for once in his life.
"Mogget you know Death and I don't get along." Sam said. Aneka moved again . Her body brushed against his this time. Thoughts rushed across his brain. *Oh Shit!* He thought. He was never going to get anything done if she kept up like this! He knew she didn't know what she was doing, but she could at least try to stop arousing him like she was. He pinned Aneka to the bed with his body. He knew it was dangerous considering the state he was in, but he had to do something and feeling her body close to him like that... not good for him, but it kept her from moving. She was beginning to settle down some, but was still shivering uncontrollably, which was making him feel weirder by the second, and then her eyes went white. Sam made himself think of something else. He couldn't let urges control him. So instead he thought about how in the hell he could heal her without entering Death. He couldn't possibly heal her in Death though. There was no way. Unless Hedge was draining her spirit form Death. Which didn't make sense at all seeing as he was very much dead and gone past the Ninth Gate.
"You must hurry! Her life hangs in a balance. Go!" Mogget yelled. Sam looked at Mogget and saw that he was serious. Then he felt Aneka trying to arch off the bed. She was trying to get up off the bed for some reason. He groaned and reluctantly pulled himself and Aneka into Death. He healed her there and came back as soon as he could. He thankfully didn't have to fight anything while he was there and Aneka had stopped moving. Which was a plus on his part seeing as things were not going to well with his hormones right at the moment.
Aneka emerged from her door crying. *Why do we always get into all the fights? Why couldn't it have ever been Mom and I? Why did she have to die so soon? Why did they have to take her from me?* Aneka thought to herself
"Aneka? Are you ok?" Sam asked going to her side. She started crying even more.
"No, I'm not." She choked out through her tears. She welcomed his embrace. She felt like she was loved. Her father had never held her when she'd cried or when she had a nightmare. It was always her nurse maid or her mother. So it was special to her.
"Sh . . . It's ok Aneka. I'm here for you. Don't cry. Just tell me. I'll listen." Sam said.
"My father and I had a fight about women's rights in our society. Then it came to discussing me getting married. He won't let me chose who I want to marry, but he'll choose for me. I don't want to marry someone who treats me like trash. I don't want to marry for the money or anything like that. I want to marry someone who cares for me. Not just for themselves. I want to be free of all the royalty." Aneka said. Sameth pulled her up to make her stand. He put both of his hands on her shoulders.
"Noone should chose what's best for you. I mean that." Sam said smiling at her. She liked his smile and basked in the glow. She smiled at him, but then suddenly a look of pain crossed her face. The room began to tilt in front of her. Her eyes clouded and she closed them as tightly as she could. She didn't know when she hit the floor. All she could feel was the pain. She was drawn into a shadow world. She saw herself fighting against an evil. She saw Lirael fighting along side the Abhorsen and Touchstone. She saw the worst ahead. The dead were rising a new. Chlorr had been given anew body and was alive again. It was worse than the dreams she had. Aneka awoke on a bed. She didn't know what time it was or what day it was. She sat up and looked around. She was in a room. Sam walked in and stared at her.
"What?" She asked Sam turned around quickly, but not before she saw his face turn bright red. She looked down and saw that she was completely naked. "Oh!" She exclaimed pulling the covers up to her chin. She looked down at the foot of her bed ands found her sword and clothes there. The three books she'd brought with her were opened on the floor. "Why are my books open on the floor? What have you been doing?"Aneka asked forgetting to be decent . She got out of the bed and picked up the three books on the floor. She could feel Sam's eyes on her back when she bent over.
"Sorry. I was looking for some stuff on pure free magic. I thought they would help me. Do you want to take a bath?" Sam asked trying to change the subject. He had turned back around so that he was facing away from her again. She felt a blush crawl from her head to her toes.
" There is probably something in there about pure free magic. I'm not totally sure. I haven't read them all yet. I would like a bath yes." She said blushing even more. Sam pulled a towel out of thin air, or so it seemed to her. He tossed it to her and turned back around.
"Thank-you." Aneka muttered putting the towel on.
"Are you toweled?" Sam asked. Aneka nodded and then realized he wouldn't be able to see her.
"Yes." She said. Sam turned around and looked her over. He felt weird inside. Like he shouldn't be handing her a towel at all and should be helping her with her bath.
"There is a tub behind that screen." Sam said taking her arm and pulling her behind a veil of fabric. The tub was filed with steaming hot water. "Soap is in the dish there. Shampoo along with conditioner is in the bottles."He explained. She looked into his eyes and smiled again. He smiled down at her and felt a blush crawl across his cheeks. Then he left her alone so she could take her bath. She slipped in after he'd left and she'd taken off her towel. She laid her head back and saw a sending standing over her. It was staring at her and was reaching for a washcloth. She looked at it weirdly and once it reached toward her to wash her she nearly died form fright.
"Ah" She screamed jumping out of the tub and running as far away as possible. That's when Sam came running in and ran into her.
"What's wrong?" He asked gripping her shoulders. He saw the sending behind her holding a washcloth.
"It scared me!" Aneka said trembling. She reached up and tucked a lose strand of hair behind her ear. Her hands were resting on his chest. Sam nearly forgot to breath when she ran into him. He could hear her heart beating wildly in her chest.
"They can be perverted. You just have to deal with it." Sam said trying hard not to laugh. He was trying to shake off the new feelings he had. One's he couldn't identify clearly.
"Well, my sendings don't do that!" Aneka exclaimed. She put her hands on her hips to emphasize her statement. The hair that she had so carefully tucked behind her ears came loose and draped over the front of her chest. She looked scared standing there naked and dripping wet.
"Would you stop moving like that?! You're standing there naked!" Sam exclaimed glancing over her. Now it was getting worse. He shouldn't have looked, but had stupidly given into temptation. Aneka blushed and covered herself as best she could.
"Well, I'm not taking a bath with sendings watching me!" Aneka said angrily. Sam saw fear in her eyes and then suddenly he felt a shock of pain rip through her. Her eyes widened and she fell to her knees. Her hands went out in front of her so she could catch herself.
"Aneka? Aneka!" Sam exclaimed dropping to his own knees and reaching for her. He could feel the trembling of her body. He pulled her to him and saw a wound on her shoulder. *Hedge* he thought to himself. The wound had opened again. He could see that it had burn marks on the edges and thought of the scars he had on his own wrists. He picked her up and sat her back in the tub. He washed the wound and decided he may as well wash the rest of her as well. He then dried her off. He tucked her into bed and put a hand to her forehead. It was hot under his touch. He saw her lips were blue and she began shivering uncontrollably. He knew she couldn't possibly know what was happening. Her eyes had gone into a blank stare. Sam felt sick with worry. Her hands were cold as ice. The only part of her body that was burning hot besides her forehead was the spot on her shoulder. She screamed trying to get out of Sam's grasp. She arched her back trying to move which caused her to brush against his arm. Sam closed his eyes letting the spasm pass. He couldn't think at all. He got one of his shirts and put it on her. His hands lingered on her arms. Mogget appeared on the bed suddenly. He licked Aneka's forehead and howled jumping back.
"She has the fever. You must heal her in Death!" Mogget exclaimed.
"What ,but what is the fever?" Sam asked. He was wrestling with her.
"It's where a Necromancer uses the blood of someone like her to bind something and Hedge is dead. So you have to heal her in Death. Otherwise she will die!" Mogget said aiding Sam for once in his life.
"Mogget you know Death and I don't get along." Sam said. Aneka moved again . Her body brushed against his this time. Thoughts rushed across his brain. *Oh Shit!* He thought. He was never going to get anything done if she kept up like this! He knew she didn't know what she was doing, but she could at least try to stop arousing him like she was. He pinned Aneka to the bed with his body. He knew it was dangerous considering the state he was in, but he had to do something and feeling her body close to him like that... not good for him, but it kept her from moving. She was beginning to settle down some, but was still shivering uncontrollably, which was making him feel weirder by the second, and then her eyes went white. Sam made himself think of something else. He couldn't let urges control him. So instead he thought about how in the hell he could heal her without entering Death. He couldn't possibly heal her in Death though. There was no way. Unless Hedge was draining her spirit form Death. Which didn't make sense at all seeing as he was very much dead and gone past the Ninth Gate.
"You must hurry! Her life hangs in a balance. Go!" Mogget yelled. Sam looked at Mogget and saw that he was serious. Then he felt Aneka trying to arch off the bed. She was trying to get up off the bed for some reason. He groaned and reluctantly pulled himself and Aneka into Death. He healed her there and came back as soon as he could. He thankfully didn't have to fight anything while he was there and Aneka had stopped moving. Which was a plus on his part seeing as things were not going to well with his hormones right at the moment.
