Chapter 22: Chapter 22

The moment I saw Leon, I couldn’t hold myself and literally ran into his arms pulling him into the tightest bear hug I could offer. I thought it was so surreal that he was actually standing and he was alive. It had to be one of the biggest miracles I had ever seen in my life.

When I hugged him, the book he was reading dropped out of his hands and he staggered backwards before realizing it was just me and hugged me back. Tobias walked up to us and joined in on the hug. Well, he did more of the awkward back pat thing but I considered it a hug still.

I pulled away after a few minutes and I felt everything finally fit back in place like it should have. “I still don’t get how you’re alive but don’t ever scare me like that. You hear me?”

“Yes ma’am,” he said, snickering and I punched his shoulder. “That was uncalled for.”

“It’s good to see you alive, man,” Emrys said and they shook hands and had this awkward embrace thing. I still found it nice that they were actually getting quite along. “The question would be how?”

“That is for Amara to answer because I am just as clueless as all of you,” Leon said with a shrug.

“Before we do that,” I said and walked up to the corner where Ryker was hiding and took his hand, “Leon this is my friend, Ryker. Ryker, Leon.”

“I’m not her friend,” Ryker grumbled and I glared at him. “It’s nice to see you alive, Leon.” He looked at me. “Better?”

I grinned. “Much.” I turned to Amara and flashed an award-winning smile at her. “Proceed with your explanation behind the mystery of the Resurrection of the Dead Griffin.”

“You suck at naming things,” Amara said and when I glared at her, she just rolled her eyes. She wasn’t easy to control like Ryker. I made a mental note to do something about that. “Anyway, Paris might even be a greater healer than I am.”

“What kind of person is she?” Emrys asked with a confused look on his face. “Her scent is particularly human.”

“That is because she is human. She saved a life of a caladrius and the powers of that bird was extended to her. They have the greatest healing power known.”

“I think we all know that but aren’t they supposed to be extinct?” Emrys asked and Leon nodded in agreement. “I mean, if they were still alive, we are supposed to know. You of all people should know that.”

I was confused by what he meant by that and it seemed Ryker noticed my confusion because he said, “The birds serve royalty and apparently, we are in the presence of royalty. If they were alive, they would be the first to know.” Everyone stared at him like he suddenly had two heads. “What? I studied my mythology well.”

“Anyway,” Amara started drawing the attention back to her, “they are, as a matter of fact, alive and I’m talking a whole lot of them. It appears they are hiding from something or someone so the closest you can come to them is Paris.”

I raised up my hand like a kid in a classroom. “I still don’t get what they are or what they do.”

Emrys chuckled. “A caladrius is much like a seagull except that it had prophetic abilities and healing powers. They are like sponges because they take sicknesses from people upon themselves and burn it within their own body.”

“So, I can heal people?” I asked with a slightly raised brow.

“And you can determine the fate of people, whether they live or die,” Amara added. I slowly nodded finally catching the drift. “Yet, somehow, I still get sick?”

Amara smiled at that. “That’s the catch. You can’t heal yourself because your powers don’t extend to you. Only an actual caladrius or a regular healer can heal you of whatever it is you have in mind.”

“So, I’m like a healer?” “Pretty much, yes.”

“That’s how Leon’s alive?” Amara nodded. “It might take a lot of getting used to but I think I understand what you’re saying. How do I heal people? Do I like touch them or something?”

“Well, they actually have to look into your eyes first,” Amara replied.

I nodded but then I thought about it and realized it didn’t make any sense. “But Leon’s eyes were closed. If that’s the case it can’t be me.”

“It is you,” Amara said and when I raised a brow, she added, “I know that because…”

She stopped the moment Leon glared at her and I tried to make out what was going on. “Leon, she’s trying to explain something to me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” he said a little too harshly. “Well, now I really want to know.”

“No, you don’t.”

Tobias rolled his eyes and smacked Leon’s head. “She deserves to know. Eventually, she’s going to find out. It might as well be from you.”

“I second that,” Emrys said.

I raised a brow. “Am I the only one clueless here?”

Ryker raised his hand and I looked to see him leaning on the wall. “I’m just as clueless as you are but I have a theory and if my theory is correct, then this might be the only juicy thing so far.”

“That is everyone saying you should tell her,” Amara said with a sigh. “Or I will.”

I noticed Leon getting angry so before he could speak, I said, “Don’t worry guys, whenever he’s ready, he’ll tell me whatever it is.”

Tobias grinned. “Brilliant. Now, do you want us to give you and Leon a little private time to talk things out?”

“Yes, please,” I said and Amara immediately rounded them up to leave. Ryker made sure to glare at me and I could literally tell what the look meant. I rolled my eyes and watched as they all walked out of the room in a file before turning to Leon. “I’m so happy you are okay. I almost thought I lost you.”

“You don’t want to ask about it?”

“I nearly lost you, Leon. The last thing I care about is some other secret you’re hiding from me. I mean, of course I’m curious but I know you and I’m very sure that you’ll tell me when you think it’s right,” I said with a shrug. “I’m just happy that I got you back. I was so sure I lost you.”

He sat down on the bed. “Same here. I just thought of how you’d blame yourself for everything and I knew dying on you would be a terrible thing to do.”

“You have to promise never to scare me like that,” I said with a sigh as I sat down beside him and placed my head on his shoulder. “I can’t afford to lose you again. I don’t think I’m strong enough for that.”

He was quiet for a while then he shocked me by saying, “Do you remember when we became actual friends? Like really, really close friends and not the time we were neighbors?”

I smiled at the memory. “Of course, I do. You had a knack for either trying to get me killed or pouring your drinks on me. It was mostly the latter.”

Leon rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t my fault I was clumsy.” “You still are. I swear you can trip over your own shadow.”

“My shadow’s a tricky little bastard. It likes to see me fall to its level.”

I burst into laughter. “I think I was just pissed that I had to suffer almost every time from your clumsy ass.”

“And you just had to let me have it that day,” Leon said with a deep chuckle. “The only good thing that may have come out of it, is our friendship.”

“Why did you bring it up?”

He placed his head on mine and sighed. “I made a promise to you that day.” I smiled again. I could still remember it like it was just yesterday.

“Why do I have to be burdened with dealing with jerks and messy boys after trying to deal with bullies?”

Leon’s eyes widened. “You’re getting bullied? Aren’t you popular and all that?”

“It’s not like I asked to be popular. There was just the slot for the popular mean bitch since I refused to fill it and Cara couldn’t resist taking it,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Sometimes, I wish I had a shield that would protect me from her and her goons.”

“I could be your human shield.” I raised my brow in confusion. “I’ll protect you forever. I promise.”

“We aren’t exactly friends. A promise is kind of too much.” He smiled immediately. “Not when it comes to you.”

I blushed furiously. “We don’t even go to the same school so, how…” “It might surprise you how much influence I have.”

And he did. I had never been able to find out what he did or said to Cara that made her steer clear of me like the plague. She even became nice to me and it was awkward whenever she complimented what I was wearing instead of her usual remark of “that was so last season”. After that day, Leon and I became even closer than we were.

“I remember your promise.”

“And I knew I just had to keep it no matter what. I can’t leave you because I’ll be breaking my promise and I am many things especially a keeper of my words.”

“That was sweet but I think you forgot the part where I’m the one who saved your ass,” I said and he removed his head from mine, glaring at me. “What? You have to admit that I literally brought you back to life. Without me, you’d have broken your promise. I think I deserve credit for that.”

“Who cares?”

“I do. Do you know what this even means?” He shook his head. “It means that I’m like the Great Healer. I need a catchy name. The Great Vandini. I don’t know what that means but it has this really nice ring to it. Don’t you think so, too?”

“Great, another thing to increase your ego,” Leon said laying down flat on the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

“Bitch, you can’t get rid of me,” I said amidst laughter. “I could die.”

I glared at him. “Don’t ever joke like that. You hear me? Never joke about death or I’d kill you and your ghost if I see it.”

That was enough to make him laugh. “I’m trying to imagine you killing someone and it doesn’t sit well with me.”

“It better because I plan on destroying you if you ever try to scare me with some stupid joke,” I said crossing my arms, my feigned anger seeming real.

He sat up and pinched my right cheek. “Nothing is going to happen to me. You can count on that. I am going to be more careful considering the death threats.”

“Do you think it is Avyanna?” He nodded. “Why would she want to kill you? You’re her ticket to ruling like she wanted.”

“Avyanna is not a bad person or at least, she wasn’t. I have reason to believe that someone is controlling her and it would help if I can figure out who that person is.”

“She doesn’t look to me like someone who can be controlled.” Leon smiled. “The thing about magic is that it respects no one.” “You think it’s magic?”

“I’ve looked into the possibilities and it could be. I have a feeling it’s black magic and I’m regretting not paying attention in Magicae class so that I can figure out how to find out the source of the magic and proof that she’s under a spell.”

“Can’t you ask someone?”

He shook his head. “It’s not as easy as it sounds. Even if I find out she’s under a spell like I suspect, it would be even harder to find who cast it.”

“Why?”

“It’s just…well, only my family has access to that kind of magic and none of us except my father has full control of it. If I assume it is my father, the question would be why would he do that?”

“Maybe you’re just overthinking things and it’s just Avyanna or there’s some perfect explanation for what is happening.”

“I hope so,” he whispered but the look in his eyes showed that his mental gears were still turning on figuring out who would be trying to eliminate all of us.

I knew that I should have told him about the voice but I hadn’t heard it after that day and I was trying to figure it out on my own. I told myself that I would tell him when I actually had a lead so I didn’t add it to the list of things he was worried about.