In the Home of Demons (Peregrine x Huntress)

[Peregrine]

Even though James was focused on his will, he still heard Selena's words, her quiet plea. However, he didn't stop. She'd already told him that she'd take the pain, and he had no intention of letting her walk away with demonic energy still embedded into her being. However, almost in spite of himself, James had lowered his guard against her. She hadn't fought back even when she'd been in the grips of a demonic transformation. She wasn't the villain here.

That was why he was unable to react in time as Selena twisted wildly under the loose grip of his hands, her arms seizing him around the shoulders before he was sent flying through the air. A groan escaped his lips as he was sent crashing into a tree, and instinct took over. Dark brown earth energy flooded out from his spine, offering him some measure of protection as he moved fast enough into the branch to cause the wood to splinter under the impact.

The magic saved his life, but it wasn't enough to protect him from injury. He felt his spine shatter, internal organs rupture. A massive chunk of wood tore through his arm, before ripping free, dislocating his shoulder and taking a chunk of his hand with it as he continued to fly through the air. Pain raced through is torso, and he couldn't even let out a groan.

However, James caught himself before he landed, golden holy light beginning to shine from his eyes, before exploding across every piece of his body. The light gathered behind his back, before spreading into three sets of massive wings, unfurling behind his back. They flapped through the air, causing massive gusts of wind to race through the clearing as their force righted James, leaving him hovering about ten feet off the ground.

Under their glowing light, it was possible to see the damage to his chest and arm. However, perhaps distorted by the light of the angelic wings still flapping slowly behind his back, there was something strange about the blood that flowed around his injuries, the wet blood seeming to reflect a multi-color iridescence than plain red, as it thickly and slowly oozed out of his injuries.

However, bathed in the radiance of the golden light, the blood began to flow backwards, back into his injuries, before his flesh began to knit itself back together.

James' healing finished at almost the same as Selena was able to right herself, and James immediately gathered holy energy into both his hands, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the woman. However, under the bright radiance of the holy light, James was easily able to make out Selena's entirely human figure. His lips pressed together thinly, but he didn't attack.

The silence stretched on between them, before James finally spoke. "There's still demonic energy inside you," he stated, voice half accusatory.

 

[Huntress]

The gust from the blinding wings that spread from his back was enough to force Selena to raise her arms and stop the dirt from hitting her face. Her boots digging into the ground beneath her so she didn't lose her footing. Peeking up from behind her arm the brunette clenched her jaw and swallowed back as she gazed upon his back lit silhouette. James' eyes burned bright, as did his fists. Lowering her arms just slightly in the silence, Selena's heart began to race. Her breathing grew deeper and faster. With that amount of holy power behind him it felt like she could be decimated in a single blast. Her form relaxed as he did nothing but hover. Standing straight she dropped her arms and squinted in his direction. Crimson irises and black sclera faded, but the unnatural, almost animalistic reflection of the light still remained in her gaze. She had no control of that and she hoped that it wasn't something that James took the wrong way. "Yes." she responded to his statement. "It's complicated…but I-I can attempt to explain." she swallowed back in worry, hoping that James would hear her out before extinguishing her essence. "I-I'm fine now as you can see." she tried not to show the sheer terror she was feeling.

 

[Peregrine]

A faint, considering hum came from James' throat as he stared at Selena. However, it only took a moment's consideration before he reached the same conclusion he'd been reaching since they'd begun to travel together. Selena wasn't his enemy. She wasn't hostile. For all her oddities, she wasn't a threat to him.

Gradually, the beating of his wings slowed, lowering him gently back to the ground. For a second they lingered on his back, rustling gently against the ground, before they folded into his back, vanishing into nothing more than a stream of golden light that flowed into his spine. It was a concession, and a very obvious one. Holy light continued to dance around his fingers, a precaution against a sudden betrayal, but the light in his eyes went out with the darkening of his wings. Other than the yellow and pale green energy that still lingered around his wounds from the leftover healing, there was no sign that James was prepared to attack.

However, there was still suspicion in his eyes, as hard as it would be to see with nothing left but the faint light from the burnt out fire. He stared at Selena for several long moments before nodding his head sharply. "Alright," he agreed, stepping forward slowly with his hands lowered non-aggressively to his sides. "Explain, then."

 

[Huntress]

She watched him cautiously as he came down to the ground. With a gulp Selena stood tall, despite her height and size she was terrified. Clenching her jaw she cleared her throat as she studied him cautiously. He didn't seem convinced that she wouldn't attack him, all Selena could do was prove it to him. The silence quickly grew uncomfortable for her, eyes darting across his form. "I'm not exactly sure how it works" she started "but I was born like this." she chose to be upfront with him. Lying to keep herself safe and alive was pointless, when the man that stood before her could bring her down with ease. "It's part of me. The demonic energy. It's inside me and it has a certain effect. I can cast magic but it's almost as if it's corrupted. So I simply avoid doing so." Selena cleared her throat again as she grew antsy with his closeness. "I-I didn't mean to do what I did to you. I don't like hurting people but sometimes...I-I get lost in this other part of me." she looked away. "I'm sorry James." her words were genuine, her apology was genuine, she hadn't meant to do what she did. "It was just my survival instinct…please, I know it's hard to believe but I swear to you…it's the truth." she was trying not to sound desperate but she kind of was.

Nothing she said was a lie not even in the slightest way. She hoped that James could see that.

 

[Peregrine]

James listened to her explanation with half narrowed eyes, clearly scrutinizing her as she spoke. If he'd formed any opinion on the truth of her words yet, it didn't show on his face.

He was suspicious of her, there was no doubt of that. There had already been many unnatural things around her, and the presence of demonic energy inside her body only made it worse. Not just inside of her, but a part of her body. James had already confirmed that piece of information himself, simply by trying to extract it from her body.

Briefly he considered the possibility that all of her actions so far had simply been an attempt to get her to lower his guard, and that her words now were simply more of the same. James firmly believed there was nothing she could do to him as long as he was aware of it, but if she had some other goal in mind…

"Do you still intend to accompany me to Talindor?" he finally asked. The words were not a judgement on whether or not he believed her. As a matter of fact, they were far closer to a test than an opinion. James still firmly believed that no dark mage would ever willingly walk into the Academy City, and her desire to find someone there was perhaps one of the most compelling pieces of evidence he could find for her, if not benevolence, than at least lack of intent to harm.

 

[Huntress]

His silence had been rather unnerving. She knew that what she had said sounded ludicrous and impossible but it was the truth, she had lived with it her whole life and she had done whatever she could to keep it from others. Only two people had known about this prior to meeting the thief and James. Her father and the priestess. Her father was dead and the priestess could not help Selena any further. Now she had a lying, scamming thief that knew the truth and a mage before her with enough power to destroy her with a snap of his fingers. "I do still wish to go to Talindor. I have to get my necklace back, it keeps me and others around me safe." She explained.

She watched the man cautiously. All Selena could do was hope that he would believe her. If he didn't she couldn't blame him, and if she had to find a way to get her necklace back alone she would. There was no way for her to foresee what could come if she didn't. Chaos and destruction was guaranteed at some point but in a perfect world, Selena would be able to avoid that. She begged whatever forces were out there to help her, she deeply hoped Gurto would be able to help her…and the world they lived within.

 

[Peregrine]

James studied her silently for a moment, before nodding his head slightly. He had a lot of questions and a lot of uncertainty, but her honest words had reached him. He mostly believed that she didn't mean him any harm, and wasn't a bad person. Dangerous, perhaps, but not evil.

"Alright," James agreed. "It's late, and we've got a lot of traveling to do tomorrow. We can speak more tomorrow morning." James needed far less rest than most people, but he still needed time if he wanted to be in his peak condition. And traveling with a woman who had demonic energy inside of her certainly wasn't something he wanted to be doing at anything less than his best.

Their brief fight had, unsurprisingly, spooked the horses. They hadn't managed to tear themselves free from the side of the wagon, but had managed to drag it a good ten feet away before it had tipped over. The two beasts had worked themselves into a frenzy, and it took James many minutes to get them calm enough that he could right the carriage once more. A pillar of earth shaped somewhat like a hand rose from the ground, grabbing onto the edge of the wagon before lifting it back into place. Only after he was sure the horses were calm again did James crawl into the back of the wagon and resume his sleep-like trance.

Selena assuaged the last of his concerns by not attempting to run away in the middle of the night. James' eyes opened again shortly before daybreak, when the horizon was just starting to shift from the midnight blue to the radiant colors of dawn. James quickly set about readying the horses, giving them a quick brushing and checking their hooves before he harnessed them back into the wagon. Only once he was ready to go did he check on Selena.

"Come on," he said, his words far gentler than they'd been last night. "Ride up front with me today. We should talk."

 

[Huntress]

The night had ended with tension. Selena kept to herself and kept quiet as she took her spot on the grass by the barely burning fire. Curled up and closed off she held herself tightly as she forced her eyes shut and just urged for sleep to take her, even if it was just for a short amount of time. Thankfully it eventually came, with no dreams, just darkness. Something she was grateful for. She had not been woken by James the next day. The birds chirping and a subtle cool breeze had caused her to stir as she sat up with a long yawn. Rubbing her face and trying to rid herself of the drowsiness she felt, Selena was soon approached by James. His closeness was enough to wake her, breath catching in her throat as she almost flinched away from him. Eyeing him with caution she cleared her throat before slowly standing up. She spoke no words and simply followed his orders with a nod.

Keeping her distance from him as they sat upfront, Selena's attention remained on the path ahead of them. Talindor was a place she had never been able to visit. She wasn't allowed to. It hadn't been safe for her. Hopefully she would be okay upon their arrival. "What did you want to talk about?" she spoke quietly and as calmly as she could, sneaking a glance towards James.

 

[Peregrine]

As soon as Selena was in the carriage, James lightly tapped the back of the horses with the reins, setting the carriage off down the road. After a few quick bumps, the wheels of the carriage dropped back into the road's ruts, and the horses set off at a steady pace.

Frankly, a part of James expected Selena to try and put off their conversation as long as possible. Whether it was because she was still scared of him, or simply wanted to keep her secrets close to her chest, he figured there was no reason for her to push the issue. However, at least in that regard, she defied his expectations. James glanced over at her with a raised brow, a breathy laugh following her question. "Take a guess," he replied.

However, even with that statement, he didn't really give her time to reply. Instead, he immediately transitioned into the much more serious topic on hand. "Tell me what happened last night."

 

[Huntress]

Clenching her jaw, Selena swallowed back and lowered her gaze down to her hands. Of course. She told herself with a sigh. In truth she wasn't surprised by James' sarcastic response and what he obviously wanted to talk about. A part of her had simply hoped that he'd want to talk about something else. What had happened to her, between them, wasn't something that could just be brushed off like it was no big deal. In fact it was a big deal, a colossal, potentially world destroying big deal…if Selena didn't get her necklace back.

With a deep breath she exhaled heavily and remained silent for just a few moments. "I uh—" she cleared the dryness that had suddenly form in her throat. "I had a nightmare, it scared me out of my sleep and triggered what you saw." She explained truthfully. There wasn't a reason for her to lie to James, not anymore. He had seen it. Dealt with it and if Selena was lucky, he might be able to help her with it.

 

[Peregrine]

"A nightmare," James repeated, drolly. That statement raised several questions of its own, most notably how something as simple as a nightmare could have triggered what he'd just seen. All the more so when Selena had apparently been living as a guard in Tophia, and he somehow doubted they let people known to associate with demons in any regard into their ranks.

However, those questions weren't the most pressing matter at the moment, and he would have to set them aside for now. At some point, he'd come back to it.

"And what exactly did I see?"

It wasn't like James didn't have his own ideas about it. He'd seen the way the demonic energy was merged inside her, and how it had seemed to be produced from her own flesh, as though he was back in the realm of demons. However, he wanted to hear it in her own words, if simply to confirm his own assumptions on the matter.

 

[Huntress]

"I don't think the details of the nightmare are of importance." Selena uttered simply. Perhaps they held some importance, but that was something for Selena herself to figure out. Although it had been made very clear to her, in said nightmare, that fear was a big proponent of the attack. Not allowing her mind to wander any further on the concept, the woman gathered enough courage to look towards James for a moment before finding herself quick to look the other way. "Uh—" she cleared her throat. "Well, my explanation won't differ much from last night. But what you witnessed was a small segment of another part of me." Selena swallowed back. "I'm not quite sure how else I can explain it." The woman surprised herself as she managed to keep her eyes on the other for much longer this time. "As I had mentioned, I was born this way. I'm not quite sure how it works and no one in my life really knew how or why I was the way I was. My father's biggest concern was finding a way to keep it suppressed. That's what he focused on, for the most part." Selena cleared her throat again and looked away. Her posture was stiff where she sat as she tried to make herself look small. "I think more direct questions might help me better narrow down and explain anything you may want to know, if I have answers for your inquires. I know it's not very helpful, but it's the best I can offer with the knowledge and experience that I have." Clenching her jaw with a sigh Selena studied James' face. She was aware that her words weren't very helpful, but she was trying her best.

 

[Peregrine]

James sighed slightly, dropping the reins of the carriage with one hand to rub the side of his face. He'd been attempting to be polite about the whole thing, dancing around the subject to give Selena the chance to approach it at her own pace, but that didn't seem to be working. She was uncertain and uncomfortable, and he was getting frustrated at the lack of direct information.

"Very well," James replied, his voice still calm as his hand returned to the reins. "Let's be direct, then. Your body was producing demonic energy like a creature straight from the demon realm. What's more, if I hadn't been there to pull it out of you last night, it's entirely probable that those transformations would have continued until there was nothing to distinguish you from a true demon. And something with such catastrophic consequences happened because you had a bad dream."

There was a trace of ridicule in James' voice as his sentence finished, and it wasn't immediately clear if he was mocking Selena, or pointing towards the ludicrousness of the situation. What was apparent was that he found the situation both ridiculous and implausible.

"Outside of the many questions about how that's possible and whether or not you're even human, you were apparently living as a trusted soldier in Tophia's city guard before today, and excuse me for doubting they're particularly forgiving towards dark magic users.

"So I have two questions. How did you not get discovered in Tophia when something as simple as a bad dream can set you off and you're apparently incapable of stopping it on your own, and why are you going to Talindor, a city best known for actively hunting down anything that has even a rumor of being associated with dark magic?"

 

[Huntress]

Selena clenched her jaw, understanding how absurd her explanation sounded once James had repeated it back to her. Regardless of that, it had been the truth and she wasn't quite sure how better to explain the situation to the man. She could see how he could grow frustrated by this, but what else was she to do or say? Especially when Selena herself did not know the full truth or reasons for her existence. Swallowing back as she grew nervous Selena looked to the ground as she listened to James. Her nod was subtle and her whispered 'yes' barely traveled through the air. Clenching and unclenching her jaw continuously, Selena took a deep breath and looked off towards her right, sliding as far away from James as the front of the carriage allowed her.

"I don't dabble in the dark arts, and I don't use dark magic. My energy is corrupted by what I am, I have no control over it. Hence why I didn't focus on honing my magic skills, despite the potential everyone saw in my energy pool." Another clench of her jaw as she exhaled heavily, her chin rested on her palm as she continued to look towards the passing scenery. "I had a necklace" The beginning of the sentence hung for a moment. "It was expertly crafted and enchanted, one of a kind, intended for me and my energy levels. It served as a regulator and housing for any demonic energy that I unwillingly produced or that came to me externally." Selena shot a quick glance towards James before looking away. "The necklace, along with other enchanted pieces that I had were successful at keeping everything contained. I was about to pick up a new set of rings and bracelets when the attack on Tophia happened, I trusted someone I shouldn't have and my necklace was stolen. Now I have nothing to regulate that energy that I unwillingly create, especially under moments of extreme stress, fear and anger." Selena hoped that these details were helpful, that perhaps James was able to better understand her situation, as ludicrous as it still sounded.

"I was told to find a mage in Talindor that could help me. Something about me is out of place, there's something odd happening with my energy levels. I've worn that necklace from a very young age and it's never failed, the gem has never been damaged. After the event in Tophia it cracked, I'm not sure why, it's worrisome." She sighed. "I need my necklace back and I need it repaired by a master. I feel something is brewing and this realm isn't prepared for whatever is coming." Selena turned to look at James fully. "I hope that clarifies some things for you. You're free to ask whatever questions you'd like James; although I can't guarantee that I can answer all of them." She did a once-over of the man before returning her attention back to their surroundings. There was one more clench of her jaw and a heavy sigh. She prayed to whatever entity above, that this Gurto would genuinely be able to help.

 

[Peregrine]

Not a dark magic user? James couldn't help but doubt that Talindor would really agree with her assessment in that regard, but he supposed most of the people in that city tended to view the world in a far more black and white manner than it really was. She could create and use one of the most vicious forms of dark magic, demonic energy, and that would definitely label her as a dark magic user in the vast majority of the mages' eyes.

James sighed slightly. "With a portal that large, leading directly to the demon realm, it's remarkable that those little vessels didn't shatter on the spot." His words were an implicit acknowledgement that he accepted her words, strange as they were. "Your body seems capable of producing almost as much raw demonic energy as true demons, but that's nothing compared to the amount of power that's just ambient in the air there."

A thought suddenly seemed to occur to James, causing a momentary look of concern to flash over his face. He turned to stare, hard, at Selena. "Was the necklace already full of demonic energy when it was taken from you?"

 

[Huntress]

Selena listened to James, although she kept her gaze away from him. She hadn't the courage to look at him in the moment. Clenching her jaw her eyes dropped to the passing road beneath them. Stealing a small glance towards the man Selena raised a brow. Well, if she could become a demon then was it surprising that she could produce that much energy? Had he not figured out that she had been the demon in Talindor? Or was James simply keeping up the façade that he didn't know? Was he waiting for Selena to say it? To tell him? Could she trust him with that? If he already knew then why was she worrying about it? Scoffing to herself with a roll of her eyes Selena sighed heavily. James' question catching her attention as she glanced at him but quickly looked away, his stare burning into her form. Swallowing back she blinked a couple times. "The way you're asking and the way you're looking at me makes it seem like if it was, then it's not a good thing." She managed another glance for a moment. "How could I have possibly known that it would be stolen from me after I—" Selena cut herself off and exhaled sharply. Her quick snap towards him had been because of his glare, it almost felt as if he was accusing her for something she wasn't aware of yet. Taking a slow, deep breath she exhaled through her nose before opening her eyes and looking at James. "It wasn't full." She started, "But it had some energy stored within." Selena explained and swallowed back. "Do I want to ask why?" The brunette was evidently worried.

 

[Peregrine]

James couldn't help the momentary look of ridicule that crossed his face as he heard Selena's question. He hadn't been accusing her before, he'd simply been worried, but now it was obvious from his expression that he thought she'd asked something quite silly. He glanced over at her, one brow raised as though to query if she really needed to ask something so obvious.

"Don't tell me," James replied, his words articulated somewhat slower than was strictly necessary. "That after being around demonic energy for a good portion of your life, you are unaware of the catastrophic effects it can wreak if used by a dark mage? Now what could they do if, instead of being reliant only upon the energy they can call, they have an artifact capable of storing a massive pool of demonic energy, capable of drawing the energy in from outside sources, or even from within a demonic being itself?"

James head tilted to the side, his eyebrows briefly raised in Selena's direction, as though prompting her to use her imagination. A second later and he turned away, tapping the reins to prompt the horses to speed up their step. The carriage went from a slow roll to a slightly faster clip, which caused it to lurch occasionally as the wheels bumped across the uneven ground. "Going to Talindor is a good choice. They're likely the only organization capable of dealing with a dark magic threat of that particular scale. Luckily, if the necklace is still mostly empty, it buys us time. But that doesn't mean we have time to dilly-dally."

 

[Huntress]

Her jaw was clenched tightly as Selena swallowed back and exhaled sharply. She deserved the minor ridicule she was receiving. Although in her defense, she had never dealt with a dark mage trying to manipulate her. In truth there was a lot she hadn't dealt with, she had done a good job at keeping to herself and avoiding any situations that could lead to death, destruction and whatever else could potentially come from her other half. She cleared her throat and turned to slightly glance at James before looking away again. It wasn't the necklace that drew the energy from external sources, it was Selena herself that could absorb the demonic essence and energy. The necklace acted more so as a regulator first and storage device second. Regardless of how exactly it worked, James still had a point. If it fell into the wrong hands it could cause serious damage to the world, more reason to get it back.

Selena sighed heavily and kept her attention on the nature that surrounded them. Her elbow resting on the side of the carriage, her chin atop her knuckles, body slightly turned away from James. It wasn't a defensive position; it was more like she was trying to stay small in her corner and out of anyone's way. As the carriage sped up Selena jerked slightly her elbow tipping off the edge of where it rested. She suddenly dropped but was quick to stop her chin from slamming against the wood. The event wasn't without some minor damage though, as Selena had pulled her arm back in the moment of embarrassment, she had managed to splinter the wood, pieces jutting inwards. Exhaling in slight frustration, she eyed the damage and shook her head slightly. There was a heavy sigh as she re-adjusted herself in her seat, sitting up straight, hands to herself, folded across her chest. Stealing a glance towards James after he spoke again, Selena's attention returned to the road ahead. As much as she didn't like the awkward silence, in the moment it was accepted, she had nothing more to say. She knew this man was capable and despite his terrifying abilities, she was glad to have him seemingly on her side and willing to help her. Hopefully the ride to Talindor wasn't too long. Lest the silence become unbearable.

 

[Peregrine]

Listening to Selena sigh several times, James glanced over at her, eyebrows slightly raised. However, it didn't take long for him to realize that Selena had no intention of talking further. He was almost certain she'd fully understood his meaning, but judging by the way she'd curled up on the side of the seat, she was either mad or scared and didn't want to talk further.

James didn't push the matter, instead focusing on steering the horses to see if he could keep the wagon's wheels out from within the road's ruts. Whether or not she said more didn't really matter to him at the moment. There was nothing she could say at this point that would make the situation any better, and talking wouldn't do anything beneficial either. His misunderstandings about her mostly resolved, James was content to let them ride on in silence.

The wagon trundled across the landscape, hills and trees appearing before them before the passage of time saw them once more swallowed up on the horizon behind them. James stopped around middday to give the horses a chance to rest and eat something, checking their hooves for stones and making sure that the carriage straps were still resting cleanly against their skin. At the same time, he dug some dried travel biscuits out of the back of the wagon, tossing them to the baggage-less Selena who would likely otherwise have nothing to eat.

They barely spoke through the break, and once the horses had finished their food and water James set off again, determined to reach Talindor in as timely a manner as he could manage. However, when the sun started to pass below the horizon, James slowed the wagon once more. He'd considered riding on through the night, but if he pushed the horses further than they could manage, there was no telling how much longer it would take them to reach the city. Better to rest and maintain an even clip than push themselves to the point of injury.

Once he'd cared for the horses, leaving Selena to set up the fire again, James crawled into the back of the wagon, before pausing to stare at the other woman. "Do I need to worry about you again tonight?" he finally asked, voice somewhat dry.

 

[Huntress]

It had been a very silent ride. So silent that the surrounding sounds of nature and the constant creaking and thudding of the carriage had blended into the nothingness. Selena's mind blank, her expression blank. She had allowed herself to be consumed by the nothingness, the lack of sleep from the night prior not helping any at keeping alert. The first time they stopped she hadn't even realized it, the food being thrown her way almost causing her to fall off her seat as she had barely caught a glimpse of the bag flying through the air. Selena had been thankful for the snack, she showed her appreciation by actually muttering a thanks to James.

The horses had needed the break and Selena was glad to have some food in her stomach, regardless of what it was. It wasn't much longer before the two were off again. The guardswoman falling back into her trance-like, blank state. The lack of sleep was becoming more and more evident. Paired with the subtle feeling of uneasiness she felt towards James equated to awkwardness. She did her best to pay it no mind.

Night came suddenly and they were stopping again. Selena was sure James' reasons for stopping were valid and in truth, sleeping on the grass would be much more comfortable than sleeping on the rickety carriage. Watching James tend to the horses was Selena's cue to hop off the bench and move down the way, opposite the animals, lest she rile them up. Sighing to herself she kept her eyes on James and the horses for a moment before turning away and entering a nearby thicket.

Collecting a fair amount of firewood, the woman picked a spot and knelt down. Placing the wood in a conical formation she was quick to light it via a simple fire spell. As with the night before, there was a moment of sinister corruption before the flame burned a bright and natural orange-red. Breathing heavily through her nose Selena scooted back slightly and laid down. Behind the fire she could see James looking at her from his position on the carriage. Her eyes shimmering something sinister in the darkness, against the flickering flame. Selena's thoughts weren't sinister, she had no ill-intentions, it was simply a biological phenomenon. Like an animal's eyes against the light. Blinking a few times as she looked away from him and cleared her throat, Selena's attention turned to her boots. "No." She muttered in response to his question. "I'll be fine." She called out a little louder. So long as she didn't have any more terrifying nightmares mixed with painful memories, she'd be fine. There was a huff as she closed her eyes and turned to lay flat on her back. Her right arm came across her eyes, her left going across her stomach. All she could wish for was a dreamless sleep. James had made it evident that he didn't want a repeat of the previous night, and to be honest, neither did Selena.

Perhaps together their hope would be strong enough to stop that from happening.

————————————————————————————————————————​

Sleep had come and gone, no dreams, no voices, nothing, just a sore back from a twisted sleeping position. Selena had startled herself awake with a snort. Opening her eyes she almost hissed at the brightness of the day. It had been enough to make her roll over and cover her eyes with a groan. Her mouth was drier than a desert and every breath she took caused pain to shoot across sore back muscles. Attempting to swallow back brought forth a coughing fit. Pushing herself up, a groggy Selena exhaled heavily as she yawned. Grunting with a sigh she turned around to sit more comfortably, her knees coming up, arms resting across them as she pressed her forehead against her arms and closed her eyes again. Her breaths were deep and slow, as if she had fallen asleep again.