Chapter 33

"Arya! Arya, wake up!" a familiar voice wafted through the thick fog of my fragile awareness. "Please, wake up!"

As if that voice were a tangible tether, I latched my mind onto it and let it pull me up and up, out of the sea of nothingness that had been my reality for what seemed like a very long time.

Almost instantly, I felt my body around me again, and I strained to open my eyes.

My vision was blurry and unfocused, but I could see Tobias's handsome face hanging over me, his features etched with panic. Behind him, everything was starkly white, so bright it made me wince.

I wanted to close my eyes and fall back into my stupor, where everything was easy and fine. Here was too bright. Here, my body hurt in so many places, and I didn't want to feel it.

"No, keep your eyes open," Tobias encouraged. The desperate plea in his tone hooked into my heart and kept me from sinking, no matter what I wanted.

I felt him pull me up into his arms, and weak as I was, I let him cradle me against his chest. Despite the pain screaming in my neck, being held by him like this felt so good, so comforting, that I could almost tolerate the pain. And it wasn't like I had any strength or energy to pull away or seek help, so I was beyond content to just melt into his warm embrace.

He felt so strong, so safe. If I were to disappear back into the abyss now, here in his arms like this, would I be able to take his comfort with me? I'd have no reason to ever wake again.

I realized suddenly that he was talking as he patted a hand over the side of my head, but I couldn't pay attention to what he was saying. The way he touched me made me feel so cared for. Precious, even. It was all I could focus on.

His fingers found my chin and tilted my head up to look at him.

"How badly hurt are you?" he asked.

I didn't really understand his question. I knew my neck was killing me, and I felt weak, but I couldn't remember why. I couldn't really remember anything before the nothingness he'd pulled me from.

I opened my mouth, stuck for an answer for a moment.

"I… I don't know," I eventually mumbled.

With my chin gently between his fingers, he turned my head to inspect the side of my neck that hurt so badly, and I heard him suck in a breath.

"We have to get you to the infirmary immediately," he said. "You've lost so much blood."

Blood?...

Like an avalanche, the preceding events crashed in on me so violently that I jolted against him and nearly jumped out of his hold. The simulation. The vampire. The mer bitches that had locked me in there.

"No, not the infirmary!" I insisted.

The room around us came into clarity. The walls, floor, and ceiling were once again a glaring white. The simulation was over, though after having survived, I wasn't so sure now that none of it had been real. Because I was out of it, and the pain in my neck was still very real. The weakness in my limbs was very real. How could a computerized illusion do that?

"What? Why on earth not?"

Anger bubbled up inside of me, mixed with a fair bit of embarrassment.

"Cora, Letti, and Adina were the ones who trapped me in here," I admitted, glaring down at my lap. "If we go to the infirmary, I'll have to tell Caesar what happened."

Tobias stared down at me with confusion, like nothing I was saying made any sense. He shook his head in an almost irritated fashion. "I don't see the problem. They should be punished for what they did to you."

"No. I don't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing how badly their little stunt hurt me." My voice cracked, and I suddenly felt like I was on the verge of falling apart. The impact of what those girls did, what they intended, was only just starting to hit me, and I didn't want to process it right now.

I took a steadying breath before I continued, garnering my strength. "And I don't want to be a tattletale either. The mers have enough reasons to hate me as it is. I don't want them thinking I need Caesar to protect me. If I'm going to get back at them, it will be on my own terms."

He looked at me for a long moment, different emotions swirling in his amber eyes as he considered my argument. Finally, he let out a rueful breath.

"Okay. I know a harpy who owes me a favor. We'll get you to him and no one will have to know about what happened tonight."

Relief washed over me, mixing with a growing tide of gratitude at his rescue. I twisted my fingers into the fabric of his shirt and clung to him.

"Thank you." For everything.

He gave me a gentle answering squeeze, then pecked the top of my head.

"I'll send him a text," he said, shifting our combined weight so he could reach his phone in his back pocket with his free hand.

I listened as he tapped out a text message, savoring the feel of him as so many thoughts and emotions tumbled around in my head.

There was no doubt in my mind that I had almost died in this room. If Tobias hadn't shown up when he did, I would have. Had Cora and her lemmings meant to get rid of me? Did they actually hate me so much that they wanted me dead?

And Tobias. How? Was it just a happy accident that he found me here? How did he stop the simulation?

I relaxed against his chest, inhaling the dark, smokey scent of him. It didn't really matter how or why he came to be here, but it did matter that it was him who came. It couldn't have been anyone else. And I was so unbelievably grateful to him, I couldn't even begin to put it into words.

Tobias's phone made a swoop sound, and he put it back in his pocket.

"He's on his way. He should be here soon."

I nodded, nuzzling into him with the gesture.

"How did you find me?" I couldn't help but ask.

His body stiffened around me, his muscles tensing and heat radiating off of him.

"I was out for a jog when I saw those three bitches snickering about something," he ground out. "When I confronted them, they told me what they'd done to you, and I came running. I should have known Adina was up to something the way she was buddying up to you."

Rage and betrayal simmered in my veins, just below the shame and hurt. I had really thought Adina was becoming a true friend. I had fallen for her act, hook, line, and sinker. I was such a fucking fool.

"They actually wanted me to die," I mourned softly.

Tobias let out a sigh, the gesture somehow sounding conflicted.

"The simulations aren't meant to kill you," he said. "They're programmed to stop when you either tap out or can no longer continue to fight. Maybe they thought you knew that."

I frowned, popping my head backward so I could look at his face. "How the hell do you tap out? If I had known that was an option, I would've taken it immediately."

He shrugged noncommittally. "You just basically say out loud that you give up. Then the simulation ends."

I closed my eyes in a moment of self-irritation. I had thought some form of those words a dozen times when I was in the sim, and now he was telling me that if I had just said them, I would have been fine? Fuck my life.

I huffed out a breath. "Okay, so barring that, it would've stopped just before it killed me?"

His jaw ticked on both sides, and sorrow darkened his blazing eyes. "When I got here, the vampire had just bitten you, and it took me a few seconds to abort the damned program. I believe that if I'd been a few seconds later, it would've ended when you passed."

Something twinkled in his eyes, something dangerous and painful, and I wasn't sure he believed what he'd said.

"I've only heard of two deaths in the sim's history, and those were on the higher levels, and were the result of complications after the fact and not in the simulation itself."

I took a moment to let that information set in.

"How is it even possible?" I asked, the question having plagued me from the moment the room turned into a forest. "How could a projection look and smell so real? Hell, how could a computer program bite me and actually suck my blood out? Is there some kind of magic to it?"

He shook his head. "No, not magic, and not a projection either. From what I understand, it's nanotechnology. You can see it and smell it and feel it because, in a sense, it is real. The nanites in this room can form any object and are controlled completely by the programming in the control panel."

I tried to concentrate on his explanation, but my growing awareness meant the bite in my neck was hurting much more. I hissed and put my hand to it, but the feel of the wet mangled flesh made me flinch and gasp.

Tobias took my fluttering hand and held it against his chest, rubbing his thumb lightly over the top of it.

"Hold on, Ajax should be here any minute. I'm sorry I didn't get here sooner. I should've been here."

I could hear the anger in his voice, and I didn't want him to be angry at himself. He didn't deserve that. This wasn't his fault.

"I'm just glad you got here at all," I said. "If you hadn't come and the sim had stopped when I passed out… I'd have died by morning, wouldn't I? I'd have bled out before anyone found me. It would have looked like a stupid accident."

Tobias held me tighter. "I don't know what I'd do if—"

Seconds after footsteps pounded down the hallway, a hyper blond boy burst into the room. He looked to be a few years younger than Tobias.

"Dude, I'm sorry, I got here as fast as I—" His eyes widened as he finally took me in. "Holy shit, she's fucking bleeding out! You weren't kidding!"

"No shit, Sherlock. So shut the hell up and heal her," Tobias ordered.

"Yep." The boy, Ajax apparently, came to my side and dropped to his knees to examine me closer. After a few quick glances over my body, he asked. "Just the neck?"

"Not sure, but we can check for other wounds after her neck is sealed," Tobias said.

"Right." Ajax nodded and obediently pressed a hand to the bite mark on my neck.

"Ahh!" I squawked at the brash touch to my wounded flesh.

"Sorry, but there's no way around it," Ajax said with a frown. "But after a few seconds, you'll be fine."

I wanted to bite his damn arm off for pressing so callously to my agonized neck. Why the hell did he have to do that anyway? As a matter of fact, how was a harpy supposed to heal me? I scrutinized Ajax, and he clearly hadn't brought any medical supplies with him. Not even so much a bandaid. How the hell—?

A soft golden glow illuminated the corner of my vision toward the side he was touching, at the same time that a powerful but soothing warmth started beneath his palm. It felt so nice, like the kiss of the sun on a warm spring day, the kind of heat that makes you want to bask in it rather than flee from it.

It was like only my neck was in the most relaxing hot tub ever created, and I no longer minded at all that he was touching me.

"Okay, that looks good." Ajax suddenly pulled his hand from the side of my neck, making me feel oddly at a loss for the sensation.

"Let me see," Tobias said, craning his own neck to inspect mine.

And I realized that, even though the incredible warmth was gone, so was the screaming pain. I tentatively lifted my hand toward it and touched my fingertip testingly to the surface of my skin. There were no bumps or dips, not wet liquid. Nothing but smooth, unblemished skin. Not that I could see it, but it didn't even feel like I had scars from the teeth punctures.

I snapped my head up at Ajax in shock and amazement. "You can heal people. Is that a harpy power?"

Ajax blinked at me, then looked at Tobias. "We'd better check her head. It sounds like she might have hit it pretty hard."

I swatted his hand away as he moved to scrutinize my scalp. "I didn't hit my head. I'm just new to shifters, and I didn't know harpies could do that."

Ajax looked questioningly at Tobias again, and Tobias nodded. "Okay, well, do you know if you got hurt anywhere else?"

I pursed my lips, taking a mental inventory of all the sensations throughout my body. From as much as I could tell, nothing else hurt.

"No, I don't think so," I concluded.

"Well, we should do a full body examination anyway," Ajax said, nodding enthusiastically. "Let's get this shirt off."

He reached for the bottom of my shirt, and Tobias's free hand shot to grab his wrist with a speed and ferocity that surprised me.

"Wanna lose that hand?" Tobias snarled dangerously, and I could almost swear I saw wisps of smoke trailing up from his flared nostrils.

"Whoa, easy." Ajax wrenched his forearm free of Tobias's death grip and held both hands in the air in a submissive gesture. "I'm just doing what you asked me to do."

While I had to admit it was kinda hot that Tobias had defended my honor like that, or whatever it was, I also didn't want anyone else to get hurt tonight.

"Oh, that's right, my hand," I said when the memory came to me.

I untucked my right hand from where it was smooshed between me and Tobias and unfolded it in front of me. The gash I'd slit with the arrow was still there, smeared with my blood. Odd that it only hurt once I remembered it was there, and now that I didn't have the searing pain in my neck overriding my senses, it definitely hurt. Kind of like a papercut, but tenfold.

"Here." I offered my hand to Ajax, and this time, I didn't wince at his rough treatment as he clasped his hand over it.

The warmth came, and I couldn't help but smile as I marveled at the now familiar tingling sensation. Just like before, it was over too quickly, and I missed the heat when he let go.

"Is there anything else?" Ajax asked, somewhat impatient now.

Tobias looked down at me assessingly.

I shook my head, certain that I hadn't suffered any more injuries. And if I had, well, they wouldn't be more than scrapes and I'd live.

"Alright, so…we good?" Ajax asked, gazing at Tobias expectantly. It made me wonder what sort of favor he owed Tobias, but I wasn't going to get into that right now.

"We're good," Tobias told him gruffly.

"Sweet." Ajax popped to his feet. "In that case, the next time you need my services, it'll be my usual fee. Later."

He gave us a two-finger wave before heading out the door with a spring in his step.

"Okay, well, that was weird," I said after a brief silence when we were alone again. "But, um, thank you for doing that."

He shook his head, a scowl weighing down his eyebrows. "I should've done so much more. I should've—"

I pressed a finger to his lips. "Tobias, there was nothing more you could've done. And the very fact that you came at all, that you saved me…"

My emotions at that fact were spilling over inside me, suddenly too much for me to handle. I wanted to kiss him and never stop. I wanted to hold him tight and never let go.

"It means more to me than you will ever know," I admitted finally. "So please, don't beat yourself up over what could've happened or what didn't. You saved my life. And I owe you a debt I have no idea how to repay."

His expression still looked somber and self-deprecating, his gaze decidedly cast away from mine.

How could I show him that what he did was more than enough? That I was so grateful for him always being there, even when I didn't necessarily want him to be. It almost felt unfair that I had all this gratitude shining inside me and he was unwilling or unable to accept it.

I cupped the side of his face and gently turned it toward mine so that he had to look at me.

"Have you eaten yet? I'm guessing the cafeteria's closed, but we could share another after hours snack together. Like old times." I smirked playfully, even though "old times" was only just a week ago.

He looked at me with that steely gaze for a moment, then his sullen exterior finally cracked and he huffed a laugh. "Only if you load up on fish and seaweed."

"Deal," I said with a wide smile.

We both got to our feet, and to my mortified irritation, my legs were still a little wobbly. He gripped my hips with both hands to help stabilize me, but his intimate touch warmed me so thoroughly that it made my legs feel even more like noodles.

He arched a brow at me, a playful expression tugging his lips. "Do I need to carry you to the cafeteria?"

I rolled my eyes even while I slung my arm around his neck for support. "No, but just until I get some food, I'd appreciate a helping hand."

He bit down on a smile. "You got it."

Our gazes lingered for long seconds as he held me upright, his eyes drawing me in like magnets. And suddenly, I couldn't hold back anymore.

I leaned in and touched my lips to his. He held me tighter, his palm flattening against my lower back. It wasn't heated and passionate like our kiss at the party. There was no anger or jealousy or possessiveness in this moment, but softer, more tender emotions that were just as raw.

Our mouths didn't open, our tongues didn't touch, and we let each other go at the same time, looking at each other for a long moment.

"Let's go get you some food," he said breathily.

I nodded, noting my own shortness of breath. How had such a chaste kiss taken both of our breaths away?

He walked me across the campus and into the main building. There were students in the great hall, but none of them paid us any attention as I hobbled with one arm slung over Tobias's shoulders into the cafeteria. I was grateful for that. I had no patience for dealing with the gossip train tonight.

Just as I suspected, the cafeteria was empty, the buffet station closed up. Tobias escorted me to the kitchen, which was thankfully unlocked again, and he helped me to a chair up against the counter—the same chair I'd been sitting in when we first met.

He went about preparing various food items for us on plates and popping them in the microwave, then brought them to the counter and sat across from me, just like that first night.

I couldn't help but smile. I'd had no idea then how much I would come to feel for this beautiful, stoic boy. Not that I really understood exactly how I felt about him now, but whatever these feelings were, they were deep. The kind that could be just as devastating as they were wonderful.

We ate our food in comfortable silence, our eyes meeting and locking for micro eternities intermittently as we chewed. I heard in a movie once that a real connection was being content to be quiet with someone for longer than five minutes. That's what this felt like. I didn't feel anxious or uncomfortable or need to fill the air between us with words.

I could sit in this moment with him forever.

Eventually, he looked down as if thinking hard about something, then looked back up at me with purpose in his eyes.

"Seeing as you didn't die in the sim room," he began with a chuckle that was meant to be playful.

I grimaced.

"Too soon?" he asked.

I pursed my lips. "Maybe. But continue."

He hesitated a few seconds before going on, and it was kind of cute how timid he suddenly seemed. "I was wondering if you might consider having a proper meal with me tomorrow night. On purpose. Outside of the school."

I blinked at him a few times, a smirk quirking the edges of my lips. "Are you asking me out on a…date?"

He smiled. "Yes. Yes, I am."

I bit my lip to hide the fact that my breath was hitching in my throat. "And your friends won't happen to be there, like the party?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Just the two of us. A proper date."

The butterflies in my stomach were doing somersaults. Hell, it was a veritable Cirque Du Soleil in my gut.

Even if I wasn't drowning in gratitude, and even if I wasn't so flooded with relief that I wanted to take life by the horns and ride the hell out of it, my answer would have always been the same. When it came to Tobias, it was always inevitable.

My smirk turned into a full-on grin that I couldn't contain if I tried. "Yes."