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Emergency

    They were both at the hospital. Arlene was pacing back and forth anxiously along the corridor, waiting for the official statement from the doctor. Raven was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. It was really none of his business if this Johnny guy lived or died. But Arlene’s tears had moved him. He had cupped her face to see her close. Seeing so much pain in those hazel eyes of hers, he couldn’t bear it. He sighed and proceeded to pick her friend up. He shook his head in disbelief. Last thing he wants is to turn soft during a war. But he did it anyway, he carried the weak piece of lug from the town to the emergency centre at the hospital. 

    It had taken some convincing for him to part with his daggers too. She had insisted that he couldn’t go in a hospital parading daggers on his back. Nor wearing some strange warrior garments. In the end they had settled with Raven wearing her black leather coat and cap. His daggers, safely stored in her bag along with the spray paints, with due promise that no harm will come to his precious knives.

    Her endless pacing up and down the corridor was getting on his nerves. He grabbed her hand so she would stop and face him.

    “Are you okay?” he asked gently, pulling her close. 

    He was starting to worry about her. He couldn’t stand the sight of her tears. No damsel is gonna cry, not on his watch.

    Standing in the hospital corridors, he could actually passed for normal. Just a normal, tall guy wearing a cap low to cover his eyes. His long hair doing a good job covering his ears. Her coat that usually came down to her ankles came up to just below his knees. The scratch on his face almost gone, seemed to be made only by a cat.

    She leaned against the wall next to him. “So what now? Will he turn into a vampire?” she asked the question that had been at the back of her mind. Looking up at Raven, only up close and face-to-face someone would notice the faint reddish glow of his eyes.

    He c****d one eyebrow up. “No, usually he will be dead,” he said matter of factly. She shot him a furious look. How could he be so cool when her friend could be dying in there? But he only looked at her, gave a small laugh and grinned. How could he explain to her that human lives were so short compared to theirs? 20 years or 80 years, it only will seem like a blink to them. But yet he found that her human ways was slowly thawing at his heart. Humans were much more emotional, warm and fiery. His kind doesn’t really waste their times on emotions and feelings. They are straight and factual beings, spending most of their time focusing on their duties. Trying to get a female elf attention was like trying to initiate feelings from a boulder. Not that he didn’t have his fair share. He made a mental note to be more sensitive in the future when human lives were concerned.

    Arlene looked away blushing. Raven is infuriating. But standing so close to him made her breathless. He was beautiful, his long hair and delicate lips and that soft glow in his eyes when he looks at her. She gulped. How can someone be cold and hot at the same time?

    Finally, the door of the emergency room swung open. The doctor came up to them. Raven was careful to maintain a downward gaze, casting his eyes on the floor as if he was distraught. Johnny was in critical condition. He had lost a lot of blood in the accident and was now in a coma. He queried them again as to the nature of the accident but they maintained that he was already unconscious when they found him. Arlene was devastated. But there was nothing else that could be done. After leaving the contact details of Johnny’s aunt, they took leave of the hospital.

    Raven accompanied her home. He jumped the back fence, bounded up the tree and landed right next to her window. All with Arlene clinging to his back. 

    “You should get some sleep,” he said as he entered her room. Serious, with none of his usual playfulness. The night’s event had drained everyone. She nodded, suppressing a yawn. She was so exhausted with worry with the night’s ordeal that all she could think of was sleep. She took her shoes off and fell straight into bed, the last thing she saw was Raven, daggers back on his waist, with his long wind swept hair, standing by the window. She felt safe.

***

    Raven stood there for a while, ears listening to any sound that might be a potential threat. His eyes scanned the outside darkness for any movement. But so far the night was quiet. Still he waited for a few more minutes. He knew the vampire would come back for her. The question is when? How long will the fight last this time? And there was the matter of the witch. The demons appeared from two different places, which mean there were two portals. It meant that he was dealing with a very powerful sorceress. He was not sure what he was dealing with or the extent of her power. He will need to find out soon. But he also had to make sure Arlene was safe. He turned to look at the sleeping girl and walked over softly. A picturesque of peace he thought. Totally oblivious of the danger she might be in! He pulled her blanket over her, up to her neck and looked at her closely. She had a petite frame, small nose and soft rosy lips. Her pink hair was all tousled, she was also snoring slightly. Raven couldn’t suppress a small grin. 

    Her room was painted an earthen red. A table next to her bed cluttered with .. he wasn’t sure what but these humans sure have a lot of stuff! The walls filled with paintings, mostly of animals. He found the play of colors fascinating. After feeling sure that nothing was going to disturb her tonight, Raven did a final sweep of the threshold. He took four leaves from the sycamore branch by the window and did a quick enchantment. The leaves seemed to acknowledge his whispers as he left them in the four corners of the bedroom. Raven was satisfied. The leaves will serve as an alarm. This way he would know immediately if her room had been breach by a demon intruder. He climbed back out the window, into the tree. As an added measure, decided to whisper to the sycamore itself, before he retreated for the night.