The Last Healer

Chapter 39: Ariella

Chapter 39 Ariella

"Alexander!" My voice carried across the garden and I smiled when he turned to face me. His hand rose and waved as I rushed towards him, clutching my book tightly against my chest.

"Feeling better, are you?" He asked as I stopped in front of him and I couldn't help but smile up at him.

"I am!" I giggled as something brushed against my leg and I looked down at the little pup who plopped down on my foot. Shaking my head slightly, I turned back to Alexander and lifted the book up and showed it to him. "My parents said that I can start using my Power again, so long as I'm careful to not over exert myself."

"And the only time you did that was because there was no one around." He chuckled as his hand reached up and took the book from me. "Are you hungry?"

"I am, but-"

"Excellent." Alexander's face brightened up as he motioned behind him and my eyes settled on a small basket and a brown blanket. "My mother and I made some lunch and I thought we could eat together, if you want?"

Shifting my gaze between him and the basket, I found myself unsure of what to say. No one had ever made a meal just to eat with me and I wasn't sure if it was appropriate. Alexander's hand rose and rubbed the back of his neck as he shifted from one foot to another.

"W-well, i-if you-"

"I'd love to." I interrupted, smiling softly at him. A cocky grin appeared on his face as he nodded and led me over to the blanket. Lowering myself onto the ground, I felt Alexander step away and watched him as he walked to the other side, near the basket. He pulled out a couple sandwiches and gave one to me. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He chuckled again as he took a bite out of his sandwich and I was quick to follow suit. A comfortable silence developed between us as we ate and I couldn't help but study him.

He had a gentle look about him, but he always did when I was around. He rarely looked angry and there were times that I almost believed him incapable of hurting anyone. His brown shirt was slightly baggy, but one could see the muscles around the shoulders where the shirt was a little tight. The wind caused his brown hair to dance and pressed his shirt against his side.

"What is it?" Alexander asked, his hazel eyes connected with mine for a moment before I looked away.

Why did my cheeks grow warm when he looked at me? Why did feel like I was caught doing something that I wasn't supposed to?

He chuckled slightly before shoving the last bit of his sandwich in his mouth and leaned forward to the basket and pulled a small red package out of it. Taking the last bite of my sandwich, I watched as Alexander unwrapped the red cloth revealing a couple light brown bread-like thing with blue stains on it.

"My mother made these last night and I thought they'd be good for desert." He told me and handed me one of them.

"What is it?" I questioned as my eyes studied it.

"They're blueberry muffins." Alexander laughed and sat back in a relaxed position. "When we're able, we try to buy some extra things to make little treats like these."

"I've never had one before." I told him as I took a little nibble. I could feel his eyes watching me, waiting for a reaction. A sweet, fruity flavor filled my mouth, a perfect combination of the fruit and the bread. "It's delicious!"

"I'm glad you like it." He quickly followed suit and devoured his muffin.

"Are these your favorite?" I asked and he shook his head before shrugging. "So what is your favorite thing to eat?"

"Desert or meal?" Alexander teased and then laughed when I stuck my tongue out at him. "A few years ago, my mother made a strawberry tart and I really liked it." He snorted softly as he collapsed backwards.

"So why haven't you had it since?"

"Couldn't afford it." He shrugged again as his arms rose and tucked themselves beneath his head.

"Oh." I muttered as I looked down at my hands and I wondered if there was a recipe for a tart in one of the recipe books back home. If there was, then maybe I could make him something in return for this. My eyes glanced towards him and then to the book next to me.

"Do you want to practice now?" Alexander chuckled as I picked the book up.

"If we can." I muttered, feeling my cheeks flush with humiliation.

"Of course." He scooted closer and I could feel his chest press against my shoulder. Ignoring my flushing cheeks, I opened the book to where I had left off. He whistled softly before shaking his head. "I've always wanted to stab myself." He grumbled, a dark humor rang from his voice. My eyes slid back to the words on the paper, unsure of what to make of it. There was no way that I wanted to allow him to stab himself. A cut was one thing, it was a separation of the skin, very little else was damaged. A stab wound, however, was different. It wasn't just the skin that would be hurt, but the body inside. Healing it would be far different from the other injuries I've tended to so far.

"I don't want you to." I whispered, pulling my knees closer. If he was off by the smallest measurement, he could hit an organ and I had never Healed something that I couldn't see. What if I failed at it and he was stuck in the hospital?

"I will be fine." He promised, slipping his arms around my shoulders and held me close. "I know where I can stab where I won't severely hurt myself if you can't do it. But, I need you to remember, most of the injuries in the hospital are stab wounds in torso."

"But I don't want you to hurt yourself like that." I whispered and I realized how selfish I was being. I knew that he was willing to help me with anything that I asked, but here I was worried about losing him. I wanted to do anything to make sure he wouldn't do that to himself because of me. His head rested on my shoulders and I could feel him sigh next to me.

"So what do you propose we do?" He questioned, his grip tightening around me. "The others are at work and very little people will stab themselves without a reason and, if you go to the hospital, then you'll let everyone know what you can do."

"What should we do?"

"That's why I'm asking you." Alexander's voice was soft and encouraging, he was really leaving it to me to decide.

"I-I think it might be time for me to tell everyone else what I can do." My head turned slightly as I looked at his face. He didn't respond, only stared at me, his eyes studying me as if looking for an explanation. A moment passed and I looked away, slipping my arms around my stomach. "The steps are getting harder, much more dangerous. I don't want any of you putting yourself in that kind of danger because of me."

"I'm sure Shanae would willingly put her brother through it." He snorted and I nodded with a small smile. "I'd do it without a single doubt."

"I know and that's why I don't want to let you." I muttered as my eyes wandered around the garden before falling on the pup lying among the flowers. "You've done so much for me already, I couldn't ask you to do that."

"You'd rather announce to everyone what you can do?"

"If you're there with me, I know I can do it." I turned and smiled at him, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

"Then I'll go with you." He promised, his gentle eyes staring into mine. Alexander leaned closer, his grip tightening slowly until his face was barely a hands width away from mine.

A sharp yap sounded from Pika and he sprung away, his cheeks flushing brightly as he stood up.

"I'll get this packed and then we can go." He turned his back towards me and bent down next to the basket. I clambered off the blanket and stared at him, confusion filling my mind as I tried to understand what it was that he wanted to do.