Of Magic And Men
Chapter Eighteen

“Peter, I love you.” Peter slowly opened his eyes, one minute he had been underground holding his breath the next he was in Alayas lap, and she was crying. Raising his hand to her cheek he brushed away a tear. Alaya opened her eyes to peter looking back at her. “Peter, oh Peter, you’re alive.” Alaya hugged him even closer. This was a surprise to peter, as far as he knew she only thought of him as a friend, could he have been wrong? Did she actually like him and he just didn’t clue in? Nah. She was probably just sad because her friend had died, and even if he was wrong in his assumptions, and she did like him he wouldn’t want to risk their friendship by trying to be more than friends. “It’s okay, Alaya, I’m alright. I’m not going to leave you. “Peter, I love you, no matter what that means to you, whether you feel the same or not, I love you and i’m going to take care of you.” Did she just say what he thought she said. She loves me? How is that possible? How could she possibly love me, I’ve done nothing but screw up, I got her father kidnapped, her friend Elathor died because of me, and I failed at trying to get Merlin back. She must just be distraught. But he couldn’t deny he had waited so long to hear those words, and it felt good to hear. “I love you too, Alaya.” He finally said it, he loved her, it felt good to say, he had wanted to say it before but he was too scared, she said it to him first so he could finally say it to her. Suddenly she was kissing him, Maybe he had been mistaken, maybe she did really mean it, maybe... they were in love. Holding her the back of her head with his hand he pulled her in, she loved him and he loved her. From now on no matter what he wouldn’t hold back, he would show her excatly how he felt. Realsing her from the kiss, he spoke. “I couldn’t imagine doing any of this without you, Alaya.” Peter whispered to her. “Peter im glad you’re back with us.” said Silicont. Both peter and alaya had forgoten that silicont was there, quickly coming out of their embrace, they stood. “What do we do now, if this wasn’t the real castle where is the actual castle?” Alaya questioned. Peter slowly entertwined his hand into Alayas and squeeezed to comfort her. “No matter where it is, we are going to get your father back.” Peter wanted so much to just magically be able to give her Merlin back and end the corruption so they could spend the rest of their lives together, but he knew the was work to do. Time seemed to fly when he was with her, being night yet again, the trio decided to camp the night where they were and take the time to come up with a proper plan instead of running around half-preppared, possibly into another trap. Alaya gave peter back his weapons and bag. As they set up the bedrolls, Silicont circled a spot on the ground, then laid down, once he was comfortable. Alaya and peter laid their bedrolls out close together, and built a fire. For the rest of the night they just listened to the crickets chirping and laid side by side holding hands, before they slowly drifted off to sleep. When peter woke up the fire was out and he saw Alaya with her back towards him on the outskirts of their camp. When he had fully woken up he could hear her coughing. Quickly getting up and rushing over to her, he wanted to make sure she wasn’t sick. Running around to face her he knelt down in front of her and put the back of his hand on her forehead. Holding his hand there for a moment she continued to cough, she tried to cover her mouth. Peter removed his hand, she seemed cold. Removing her hand from her mouth Peter saw it. The same blood mixture that had sealed his mothers fate. Blood and corruption, how long had she been hiding this from him? This wasn’t good, in a way they had just truly found each other, why did this have to happen now? “Alaya, what is going on?” Peter questioned. “I’ve known for a while peter, long before I met you. I just thought it better not to say anything, I didn’t want you to think me weak.” Alaya lowered her head in embarrassment. Putting his hand under her chin, he raised her head back up gently to look into her eyes. “Nothing in this world would ke me think you were weak, especially not this.” laying a quick kiss on her check, he wanted to cheer her up. “Silicont?” silicont cantered over to the pair and peter showed him the corruption on Alayas hand. “Silicont, do you know where the real castle may be?” they couldn’t waste anymore time, they had to head straight for morgan and end this, thought peter. “I might know where to look, but it is very dangerous there, peter, there is liquid corruption everywhere and many enemies.” “It doesn’t matter how many enemies there are, we need to end this quickly, before it’s too late.” Peter exclaimed. “If you insist, I will carry Alaya, and keep her safe, while you make your way through the swamp, remember try to avoid touching the liquefied corruption at all costs, or else you’ll become corrupted and sick, just like Alaya.” Peter agreed to Siliconts plan, so they packed up their things and headed out once Alaya was a top silicont. She looked sickly slumped into the back of siliconts neck. This was it peter thought, but would they make it in time to save alaya. Morgan must have someway of reversing it.

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