Death

Amie awoke in a panic. Her nightmares were filled with angry wisps of mist attacking her, beating her senseless. She started crying and screaming, "LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

Julia grabbed her arms to stop them from flailing, "Amie! You're okay! You're okay!"

Hearing Julia's voice was enough to get Amie to stop acting so aggressively, but she was still panicking. Her nightmare was still gripping her while she was trying to process her surroundings. When the haze of her subconscious finally relented, Amie regained clarity and realized she was back in her room.

Amie was calm now, but she was having trouble focusing, "Julia? What happened?" Amie suddenly became aware of a massive headache that was originating from the right side of her head. "Ah! What's wrong with my head?" She asked as she clung to the spot.

Julia gently pushed her to lie back down, "You got hurt, you've been unconscious for two days."

Amie remembered flying across the room in the underground palace, "Where's Jacques? Did Dr. Sybil check up on me?"

Julia's expression was grave as she asked, "Amie, why are you asking about Dr. Sybil?"

Amie was confused, "She didn't come to treat my head?"

Julia shook her head, "Jacques and I have been the only two taking care of you. I don't even know how you know Dr. Sybil, but don't mention her to anyone else, I don't want anything to happen to you."

Amie didn't understand Julia's answer, "Why are you saying that? Do you know about Dr. Sybil?"

Julia was silent for a moment before speaking again, "Amie, you probably have a concussion, you need to rest."

Amie was starting to get upset. She pulled herself up from the bed, causing a lightning strike of pain to travel from her wound down to her feet. She doubled over, but still had the energy to protest, "Julia, I'm not going to sleep until you tell me what's going on! Where's Dr. Sybil?"

Julia, realizing Amie will not rest until she tells her, held her head low and whispered, "She's dead."

Amie's pain vanished for a brief moment upon hearing the news, "What?"

Julia was barely audible as she told Amie what happened, "Prince Felix caught her practicing magic. She was executed yesterday. Burned at the stake."

Amie couldn't handle the news in her disoriented state, "No."

Julia started, "Ami-"

Amie shouted, "No! NO! This can't be! She was a good doctor! How could they do this! She was a good person!"

Julia tried again, "Amie, I'm sorry. You need to re-"

Amie didn't want to hear it, "Don't tell me to rest! Where's Jacques? Why did this happen? She was a good person!" She kept repeating herself over and over again, "How could this happen? She was a good person!"

Julia didn't know what to do. Her dear sister was suffering from a head injury and was not in her right mind. She tried to interrupt Amie's loop, "Amie, please listen to me-"

Amie screamed, "NO!" Amie started to act erratically, tossing and turning in her bed while acting out with aggression towards Julia.

Julia and Amie started to struggle. Julia was trying to restrain Amie, but it was just making the situation worse. Julia kept yelling, "Amie stop! Amie please!"

Amie kept shouting in response, "NO! NO!"

Jacques heard the commotion as he was nearing the top of the stairs to Amie's room. He ran the last few steps and swung the door open. As he entered Amie's room, he shouted, "What is going on!?"

Amie paused at the sound of Jacques' voice and Julia stepped back from the scene to allow Jacques to take over. Amie looked up at Jacques, "Dr. Sybil?"

Jacques' expression was somber. He stood motionless. Without saying a word, he conveyed everything Amie needed to know. Amie's face fell into her pillow. She started crying in a soft whimper. Jacques walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. He uncharacteristically pulled her into his arms and allowed her to sob into his shirt.

Jacques looked at Julia, "Could you give us a moment?"

Julia was shocked at the sight, "Prince Jacques, I think you are behaving rather inappro-"

Jacques glared at her, "Leave."

Julia fell silent. She bowed her head and left the room, leaving Jacques to tend to Amie alone.

Amie's sobbing was becoming silent, slowly being replaced with a soft breathing. As much as she didn't want to admit it, hearing Jacques' heartbeat was soothing. She felt a drowsiness take over her while she listened to the rhythm of his heart. Before falling asleep, Amie heard Jacques speak, but couldn't tell what he said. Just hearing his voice made her feel calm though. Her body being unable to handle the stress anymore, Amie drifted back into sleep.

Amie awoke the next day. Her head was still throbbing but not as bad as the day before. Still wanting to rest, she closed her eyes and turned around to go back to sleep. Her arm rested on top of what she thought was a pillow until she felt it move. She shot up into a sitting position and was shocked to be greeted to the sight of Jacques sleeping next to her. She froze for a moment, unsure of what to do.

He was lying there so peacefully that Amie had a hard time believing this was the mischievous, trouble-making Jacques she thought she knew. If this was even a month ago, she probably would have slapped him across the face by now. She couldn't bring herself to do that, however. She knew he was the only one who could have saved her in the underground palace, and she still remembered the concern Jacques showed when she was beaten by his father and how much he was willing to risk by showing her the underground palace and introducing her to Dr. Sybil.

'Dr. Sybil, that's right.' She thought, 'he just lost somebody close to him.' Amie gently touched his shoulder and moved him just enough to wake him up. His eyes fluttered open and he glanced up at her. Amie was gentle, "Jacques? Do you want to talk about it?"

Still groggy, Jacques closed his eyes and mumbled, "No."

Amie lied back down next to him. She knew he saved her life, not once but twice now in a week. She also knew he was grieving the loss of someone close. Amie decided to allow him to rest, but before allowing him to go back to sleep, she muttered, "Tell no one of this."

Jacques smiled with his eyes still closed, "You wouldn't be the only one in trouble if anyone found out." He then wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, "Goodnight, Amie."