"Ailis, are you okay?" Jace asked as I slowly opened my eyes to find him kneeling beside me, a slight frown on his face. The moment he saw I was awake his lips curled into a smile.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, rubbing the back of my head which hurt for some reason. "Oww!" I hissed and Jace sighed, carefully moving my hand away from the sore spot.
"If you keep poking your head you'll make it start bleeding again." Jace told me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. Still a little dizzy I let Jace guide me back to my room and after I was settled on the rug he left.
Why did he kiss me?
"Ailis, what are you talking about?" Jace asked, now standing in the doorway and I tilted my head at him. "I never kissed you so why do you think I did?"
"Huh but I remember...actually now I'm a little confused." I replied as he knelt beside me, looking at the back of my head. "Must have hit my head."
"Yes you did, on the table you tried to lift above your head." Jace answered, returning his attention back to me. "Which was a very bad idea."
"Tell me about it. I really didn't think." I muttered, shaking my head. "Not sure why I did something so stupid."
"You were trying to impress Jace, weren't you?" Someone answered and we both looked towards the door as Liliana appeared. "Silly girl." She added, ignoring my growl.
"Stop picking on me, Liliana. A little jealous your boyfriend likes me more than you?" I shot back, rising a little unsteadly and Jace raised an eyebrow at me then Liliana. "She said you two are a couple." I added for his benefit.
"Liliana, what have you been telling Ailis now?" Jace asked, standing before he set a hand on my shoulder in an effort to steady me. Which helped a little as I swayed on my feet, a growing headache making its presence known.
"I was just messing with her. Besides I know you still care for me." Liliana answered, waving her hand towards me for a moment. "And not that...woman."
"I think you're a little jealous, Liliana. Probably mad that Jace would rather spend time with me than you anyway." I grinned, my vision blurry. Liliana raised her arms, her lips curled back to show her teeth as she advanced towards me. I stepped towards her, making her know I wasn't afraid of her, until the room turned on its head.
Moments later I slammed into the floor so fast Jace and Liliana didn't have time to react.
I stirred later, finding myself lying on something soft. Without opening my eyes I knew someone was in the room with me, a quiet humming the only sound.
I hope Ailis is okay. That's the second time she's knocked herself out.
Hearing footsteps close to where I lay I struggled to open my eyes, my vision still blurry though I could make out a green cloak. Which bought a smile to my lips despite the ache radiating from my forehead. "Ailis?" Jace whispered, his fingers brushing my forehead.
"Yeah...I'm awake. What...happened this time?" I groaned, my eyes half open.
"You passed out, probably from the concussion you gave yourself. Why do you keep picking a fight with Liliana?" Jace asked and I shrugged, eyes closed again. "Ailis..." He repeated and I groaned, opening my eyes a second time.
"She lied to me. I thought you two were an item." I explained, wishing my headache would leave. "I didn't mean to pick a fight but she makes me so mad."
With a laugh, Jace knelt. "You need to control this temper of yours. Especially with that newfound strength. Besides we're not a couple, not for a long time."
"Then why did she lie? Is Liliana the jealous type?" I asked, managing a laugh when he coughed. "I thought so. Can't stand a little competition, Liliana?" I whispered, yawning.
"Competition?" Jace asked, eyes wide. "Ailis, what are you talking about?" He looked down at Ailis, who had fallen asleep while he had been talking.
You are a very strange woman, Ailis.
Leaving Ailis to rest in her room, Jace decided to make another attempt at finding a cure.
He spent the remainder of the day in the library, pouring over as many books as he could related to the subject of necromancy. But after the day passed into night, he sighed having come no closer to an answer.
This doesn't make any sense. Necromancy raises the dead as mindless zombies but Ailis has kept her mind intact...why? How is she special?
"Jace?" I whispered and he shifted in his chair, looking up from his book resting on the desk. "Sorry to bother you when you're busy but...I got lost and wandered here. That sounded really stupid." I explained, feeling my cheeks heat up.
"That's okay, Ailis. How are you feeling?" Jace answered, rising as I moved towards him. I stumbled and he quickly moved to my side, steadying me. "Maybe you should be sitting." He suggested when I coughed, the dizziness still affecting me.
"That's a good plan. Could you help me into the chair?" I asked, noting that he already had a firm grip on my shoulder. Guiding me towards the chair he'd just vacated, Jace paused to stare as I lowered myself into it. "Thanks. Can't seem to do anything right."
"Don't worry about it." Jace told me only to freeze when I leant over, eyes wide.
"What's wrong?" I asked, adjusting the hem of my skirt. His cheeks turning bright red, Jace quickly looked away and I narrowed my eyes. "Seriously why are you blushing?"
"Your top is a little..."Jace answered, waving his hand towards me and I glanced down. I suddenly yelped, quickly wrapping the cloak around me. "Revealing." He finally finished, biting back a chuckle when my cheeks turned red.
"She told me they weren't revealing!" I snapped and Jace finally burst out laughing, much to my shock. "You're not helping telepath." I added with a grumble as he doubled over with laughter.
A few minutes later...
"I can't believe Liliana gave me a low cut top. No, wait I can believe that." I grumbled, holding the cloak tightly around me while Jace returned with a book in each hand.
"She probably didn't realize that." Jace said and I raised an eyebrow at him, arms crossed against my chest.
"Yeah she did. What kind of woman does she think I am?" I complained, still unable to believe I'd given Jace a good view of my chest. "Some sort of...bimbo? Like her?"
"I doubt that's what she thinks. Besides Liliana's not a...whatever that word is." Jace replied after a pause and I narrowed my eyes, stomping towards the door. "Now where are you going?" He asked, quickly moving to block the door before I could reach it.
"Giving her a piece of my mind of course. Now could you, maybe, move?" I told him, knowing I could just as easily push him out of the way.
Jace just shook his head and I rolled my eyes, stepping back to see him cross his arms. "No." He answered and I rubbed the bridge of my nose, getting more frustrated by the second.
"You know I could just shove you out of the way." I told him and Jace frowned, clearly not happy with my attitude. "Alright I won't. Not mad at you anyway."
"Ailis, maybe we should keep looking for a cure." Jace suggested, leading me back to the desk. "Even if you think it's hopeless."
"I thought you said you wouldn't read my mind without permission." I answered, sitting in another chair.
"I can read your surface thoughts without even trying." Jace answered, taking a seat beside me as I frowned. "You're worried you'll be stuck in this form forever aren't you?"
"Of course I am!" I shouted and he flinched. "Sorry but being stuck inside this castle really isn't my style. Not that I can go outside without making people nervous."
"In Innistrad you don't really stick out." Jace told me and I blinked, not really understanding. "You look a lot like everyone else."
"Like a zombie you mean?" I asked and Jace shrugged, looking just a little guilty. "Don't worry about it. I promise not to get mad if you use that word. Liliana on the other hand..." I trailed off when he laughed.
"You and Liliana really don't like each other do you?" Jace asked and I snorted, arms crossed against my chest. "I thought so."
"Didn't take a genius to figure that out. Anyway maybe we should start looking for that cure if I want to be human again." I replied, not wanting to think about my death and subsequent rebirth any further. With a nod, Jace rose from his seat and I followed as he approached the many shelves.
Taking a book down after staring at its spine, Jace handed it to me. I returned to the desk, taking a seat and after he returned he cracked a tiny smile watching as I started to read. Not even noticing him I read the entire contents of the book, only pausing when I realized it was finished. This book had no answer so I rose, returning it to its place before I started my own search still not seeing the tiny smile on Jace's lips.
We spent hours in that library, only taking a break to eat and drink before we returned to our mission. At least that's what I'd silently dubbed it but as the day passed and night fell I sighed and Jace's head popped up, his eyes on my face as I gently closed the book.
"Nothing. We've been at this for hours and we still can't find a single clue. Maybe I should just face the facts; I'm never going to be normal again." I muttered, feeling like my world had come crashing down on me. "Let's just give up now."
"Ailis, you told me that being turned back into a human was the one thing that would make you happy." Jace said, his book opened in front of him and I sighed.
"All I wanted from life was to be something more than what my parents wanted for me, a life outside the village. Now...I don't know what I want." I whispered, heading back towards the shelves with my book still clutched loosely in my hands. Shaking his head, Jace followed and just as I returned the book to the shelf he frowned.
"Ailis, you are impossible." Jace told me, settling one hand on either side of me. Without realizing it I snarled and just for a moment the telepath's eyes went wide.
"I am not impossible, Jace!" I snapped, shoving him back so hard he smacked into the shelves behind. He let out a grunt of pain and that caused me to rush to his side, afraid I'd really hurt him. "I'm sorry I didn't mean it! I just...snapped and you were only trying to help me too." I whimpered as Jace straightened, grimacing a little.
"I'm fine." Jace growled and I took a step back when his eyes glowed pale blue, obviously angry. Once he saw me shrink back he sighed, moving towards me but I flinched not caring if he saw me sniffing. "Ailis, I didn't mean to snap at you. You just caught me by surprise."
"Just stay back. I can't control my strength." I coughed, tears running freely down my cheeks. Jace just shook his head, pulling me into a hug. As I cried I could feel him gently rub my hair and I relaxed, not caring if he saw my tears once again.