It hurt. Oh goddess, it hurt. Every muscle in her body hurt, and she was sure she must have died. However else would she define this strange tightness in her heart and the tears she could feel welled up in her eyes? Then she felt contact, a small touch of a hand on hers, nothing more, and she suddenly felt alive…


Thea worked all day and all night, even though she had to take occasional rests at Eric's insistence. Galen watched in amazement as she pressed crushed herbs into Keller's wounded, chanting under her breath, using the crystals to direct her energy. It was like watching a miracle take place in front of his eyes. And it was, the miracle of Keller being returned to him.

A few times, she had woken up only to mumble some strange sentences. Galen didn't understand why, but after what she'd been through, she had a right to be undistinguishable. Now, her eyes popped open and she moaned in pain, Galen shot forward like a bullet, Thea gave him a look and he only reached for her hand instead of embracing her as he wanted to.

He wanted to kiss away the pain, hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he couldn't, not without causing more pain, and this thought saddened him, but her being alive was a miracle in itself, her and his family…untouched.

At least he assumed his family was fine, he hadn't really asked, he'd been more concerned about Keller, the one he had known was in extreme agony because of him, his soulmate – the most important person in the world to him.

"Can I go and see my family until Keller wakes up?" he asked, looking up. Thea and Eric shared a nervous glance, which they often did when deciding whether to tell someone something.

That's when he knew. He stood up, then sat down hard, never letting go of Keller's hand, "how are they?"

"Brena, your mother, your father," Eric started uncomfortably, crossing the room and putting a hand on his shoulder. He might have brushed it off, but it was strangely comforting, "they were…they…uh…they didn't make it."

Galen looked down, feeling the tears rolling down his cheeks. They seemed to spring without even forming in his eyes first. The fact Keller was alive seemed even more of a miracle now, but maybe his parents and he had never been particularly close, yet they'd been his parents… and Brena was his little sister – what more could he say? She was only four…

"Lira and Taylor are fine," Thea put in shortly, doing something with a crystal, then setting it down, "I can't do anything more for her until she regains consciousness."

She looked as though she wanted to leave, she was shooting glances at Eric, as though to tell him to give Galen some time alone to talk to his soulmate. He wasn't getting the hint, he hovered near, watching Galen. Maybe he knew the question he inevitably had to ask.

"How did they…how did they die?" he asked, choking on his own bile and tears.

Now, Thea too crossed the room towards him, put her arms around his neck, gently, and he knew it wouldn't be good, she thought he'd need a shoulder to cry on, "they were beheaded. None of them were harmed before that Galen, just Keller, she was going to be next."

She was right, he did need a shoulder to cry on. He dropped Keller's hand, she shot up right in front of him, eyes open, mouth wide, "Galen!" she screamed.

It took all three of them to calm her down, until Galen reached for her hand and this seemed to silence her immediately, he was crying, and she saw his tears.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I couldn't save them, I would have done anything, Galen…I would have…"

"Shhh," Thea hushed, "save your strength," she fluffed her pillows like a mother hen, clucked her tongue when she looked at her, then nodded, "come on, Eric," she winked, leaving the room.

"Galen, I…"

whatever she was going to say, it didn't matter, he brushed it aside with a hand through her hair, "it doesn't matter. All that's important is you're home, and that I love you." He put his arms tentatively around her, careful not to touch anywhere where she was hurt.

This time, when she drifted into unconsciousness, it was in his arms.

Only 8 more short chapters to go! Lol, I'll definitely be finished by Sunday. :D maybe even tonight.