CH 55: Nightmare

~ Alastor's POV ~

As she laid her head on my chest, there was only one thought that plagued my mind.

Please, don't let me lose her again.

Esme was daring, sometimes too much for her own good, and I knew that if she saw someone she loved in danger, she would risk her own life for theirs. I wasn't a stupid man, I knew it could be for anyone in this hotel. I've seen the way her heart has opened for them, much more than mine has, and how she held a genuine affection for the wayward sinners here.

How and why, I don't comprehend.

There was a time that I wouldn't bat an eye at this type of challenge. I had no doubts of my capabilities, no sir, I was more concerned about losing my precious flower. I had come so attached to her that it frightened me. I allowed myself to become so intertwined with her that the sheer possibility of any inch of her skin being touched by those vultures set my chest on fire. 

Her breathing is growing more still and her eyes are beginning to flutter shut, "Esme, darling..." I shake her lightly.

No, I need to hear you say it.

"Hmm?" She hums in a sleepy state. She's going to have to pay attention to this one. I pull her up into my arms, forcing her to look at me. Her large green eyes stare at me in wonder as she's now lying on top of my chest, our bare skin still against one another. I can feel her heart beat against mine moving in steady time, and her small scales resting against me. Her body was always slightly damp, she made sure to moisturize daily, or else her skin would become shriveled up.

"Don't take any stupid risks, I don't care who or what it is for. Don't try to save anyone else if it puts you in danger."

"Alastor, you are being absurd. I know what I'm doing here." 

"Just promise me, you'll return to me in one piece."

There's a pause and I know she is hesitating. She searches my gaze, her pupils darting back and forth ever so slightly as she stares into my soul. 

"I promise..." She whispers.

I reach over and pull her head to my lips, kissing her temple softly. "Now, get some rest. You're going to need it."

She smiles that endearing, sweet, and nurturing smile before she rolls off me and nuzzles into my arm. She quickly falls into a sound sleep, but I remain as awake as ever - watching her. I wanted to make sure I remembered how she looked on this night. If something were to happen to her, at least I could burn the picture of her sleeping beside me in my brain long enough to commit it to memory. Every moment we had shared together from the moment I first sat down on the barstool had let to this very moment. Everything we worked for, our lives together would be at stake in less than 24 hours. If something were to happen to her, I could not follow. I had already disappeared for so long, but where she would venture would be where almost no sinner had returned. 

I lay my head back against the pillow and let out a deep sigh I didn't know I was holding within me. My hand finds my hair and I pull it away from my forehead, running my fingers through it calmly. No tugging, no anything, just trying to soothe myself while I feel the rise and fall of her chest against my arm.

Eventually, I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I could see was the glorious scarlet sky being filled with all those flying vermin, making a perfectly good buffet. At first, it seems exhilarating, but soon the horrid images fill my vision like a twisted movie on display for me. I see all of them descending upon Hell, their weapons ready and shining brightly. Their eyes gleamed with malevolence and malice.

Usually, this would almost excite me, but there's one thought that runs through my mind.

Where is she?

Somewhere amongst the bloodshed and slaughter, my eyes land on her alongside her feminine fellow. She is hauntingly beautiful, her hair floating about around her as she uses her magic to fight off the enemy. Her serpents spring from her hair, their fangs glistening with hardened teeth that I know could only be angelic stone. Hell, she was a sight, one that I wish I could photograph and hang in a museum for my eyes only. Usually I wasn't one for photos or any snippets of time, whether they be moving or not, but I wanted to be able to watch every fiber of her every second I could. I wanted to remember her like this in her glory. 

Their movements are seamless and deadly, but no matter how hard they fight, it seems like they're hopelessly outnumbered. She stumbles backward, her back hitting Anthony's as she continues to ward them off, but they just keep on coming. Finally, he shoots a series of bullets through them, their guts shattering across the air.

I walk closer to the edge of the roof, about to call to her when I hear,

"Argh, I'm gonna wipe that shit-eating grin off your face 'cause radio is fuckin' dead!"

There's a bright beam of light in front of me and I feel a snap, as if something has broken both in my hands and inside me.

"What just happened?" I look down an-, "Ffffuck."

And then the pain, oh lord the pain. Even though I knew this was not reality, I could still feel it as if it were. God damn, is that what angelic weapons felt like? All that from a blasted guitar?

This was a figment of my imagination, it had to be, but holy Hell, the ache I felt was so physical that it made me question if this were reality.

I go flying and my back hits the railing, causing me to flop onto the ground. Trembling, I manage hold myself together, revealing the blood on my glove as I gather my broken staff. 

"Any fuckin' last words?" He taunts. I look up to respond but there's a sudden mist and before I know it,

Medusa herself is standing there.

"You're going to regret you ever did that..." She growls, her body practically burning with green magic. She readies her attack and he winds up his weapon. 

"Esme...N-"

"NO!" I shout, jolting awake, causing the room to fill with that loathsome static. She jumps up, turning to me, her hair all frizzed up. The lights throughout the room flicker hysterically as I catch a grip. 

"Wha- the fuck?" She sits up and pats down her locks, turning to me, "Alastor, what's gotten into you?"

Since when do I breathe so fucking fast? All I've done this evening is hyperventilate and hyperventilate. I turn to her, taking in some labored breaths, "Nothing, sweetheart, go back to sleep."

"You're joking, right?" She leans forward, "Alastor, come on now you're sweating..." She turns and flicks her wrist, turning on the light. Within a moment, she takes the blanket off of us and pivots her body towards me. Her delicate hands move through my hair, petting my ears gently to soothe me. She had a mother's touch, one that I'm shamed to admit I also fell prey to - my body relaxing under her care. 

"I...had a nightmare," I admit in embarrassment.

She chuckles fondly, "First our own daughter, now you? Will I ever have to stop worrying about silly little nightmares?" She rubs my back. Her hand is so small.

"It's almost morning, you need your sleep." She coos, cupping my face and smiling up at me. For a moment, I forget she is unclothed, my eyes catching a glimpse of her in her most vulnerable of states. Something about her holding me so close to her, her bosom inches away from my fur, felt so endearing - intimate in a way I never knew I craved to feel again in this realm.

"I never sleep anyway."

"This is an important day..." She persists. "Now, what's bothering you?"

"Just some pre-battle jitters is all..." I turn away from her, ashamed, and lay back down.

They're lying flat against my head again, aren't they? Could someone hand me the scissors so I could cut them off? That would be great.

I feel the bed indent as she lays back down. There's a pause before her small frame encompasses me and holds me close to her chest.

This is....odd, but I'll allow it.

There's something about it that is comforting in a sense.

Throughout our lives together, I had tried to do everything in my power to protect her. From the moment I put that ring on her finger, I knew that I was binding us together. Everything was planned, and everything was for her safety. I never had to worry about the unknown, until now. I knew that frivolous pieces of jewelry couldn't save her against them, with their angelic powers and all, which left me contemplating the unknown. It was out of my control, every aspect of the next morning would be completely out of my control. 

If she was with me on the roof, she wouldn't be safe. I'd put her in harm's way unknowingly.

If she's down there without me, she's in harm's way as I'm not there to defend her.

There's no getting out of this, I see that now. But, as I lay there and feel her chest press into my back with every breath, I hear her words in my head - small phrases that I've cherished over the years.

"No train is going to take me away from here..."

"I think you're very special."

"I trust you."

If I'm telling the truth, I kept them on a special record in my conscious, playing them over and over each once and a while to fill the void while I longed for her.

Which, was daily.

Sometimes hourly.

I didn't know what higher power could possibly be in charge of all of this, and I was certainly not going to pray to Lucifer, but I will do whatever it takes for her to make it out of this alive. 

Take me if you have to, just leave her unharmed.

I don't sleep for the rest of the night, but I do preserve the feeling of her arms around mine for as long as I can before the sun officially rises.

It is time, we must get ready. 

~ Author's Note ~ 

Five more chapters to gooooo ~ 

What are our predictions for the extermination? 👀

⬆️Actual footage right now because I'm fucking exhausted. 

BUT I HAVE CON TOMORROW AND I MEET BLAKE SO YAY! 🥰

🖤Words: 1844🖤

~ Artemis 🦌💗