Who is Magpie?
Chapter 108- Behead, befriend, between

The headless frame tipped over to the ground and Leti ran around the building to the front door. The sprinklers had diluted the spores in the air, making it more breathable but her one track mind had literally forgotten her pain and limitations.

When she got to the front doors she ran through them, dropping the head onto the floor in front of everyone. Her mates came up behind her, having felt her pain and ran to her following the blood, but arrived after she had already shifted.

The splat sound drew the attention of those still fighting before the growling took over everything that could be heard. Weapons clambered to the ground and she stayed to watch over them as the others took their weapons further away.

Kay had joined them upstairs at some point after Jessamine had left, and now stood in reverence, feeling as she looked into the eyes of the wolf that it was her friend. Finally, when everyone had been contained she shifted back, falling exhausted into the arms of Ezekiel as Bronx removed his, only slightly bloody, dress shirt to wrap around her.

“It’s done,” she rasped, panting heavily.

Azural was joining them, calling in their medical support team to bring in aid.

“Jess!” Kay gasped, running over to her but Ezekiel stopped her with a growl.

“Now we do have time for wolven formalities, take care of your own threats, then you can come see her.” Their eyes met and Kay nodded slightly.

“Take her to the medical wing, there are baths and showers there that run on water that has been steeped with the healing flowers. It will help the burns,” Kay advised before heading off.

She rounded up the wolven still willing to help, along with the Fae she had gotten to her side, and began moving those that still lived to the kennels for holding.

Jessamine squirmed in their arms, adrenaline fading and the pain soaking in. The cut along her face swelled and bled down her cheek, making her eager for the healing gel should it scar.

Ezekiel picked her up. “Can you tell me the way?”

She nodded, warming into his chest and biting her lip to prevent herself from making a pained sound as she was moved. Halfway there Bronx took over carrying her, also needing to feel that she was okay and pressing her body close against him.

“I’m so sorry,” she muttered into his bare chest. “I’m so so sorry…”

“Sshh sshh sshh, it’s okay. I told you to take the shot, it doesn’t matter how things were, I’m fine and you’re safe. That’s all that matters.” He soothed, kissing the top of her head over and over.

They entered the medical room, all the doctors already gone whether they had fled or were sent downstairs with the rest didn’t matter. None of the doctors could fight and were generally scared or repulsed by her. They moved to the shower helping her to stand in Bronx’s shirt that reached the middle of her thighs as the temperature was adjusted.

She moved instead to sit on the wooden bench to the side, the exhaustion catching up with relief finally settling in. Jessamine could feel their eyes on her and looked up to meet the stares.

“What?” She asked, cupping the water and splashing it over her cheek.

Jessamine moaned into the feeling of the warm water cleansing the wounds from the wolvesbane, the ache fading and she knew it would look less angry and swollen soon. They didn’t respond and she carefully stood back up, moving her whole body under the shower to let it soothe her aches and wounds.

She had never been permitted to use the showers, that she was aware of, and now wished that all of her showers could always feel this luxurious. A hand on her hip stilled her movements, and a second hand on the other side brought her the feeling of comfort she had been missing.

‘She’s alive, she’s okay, we have her. She’s alive, she’s okay, we have her…’ their thoughts rang out, as they gently kissed their marks on either side of her neck.

“So… You didn’t replace a new Luna while I was gone?” She asked pathetically, just needing to hear the words.

“Of course not,” they both chuckled, squeezing her tightly.

“You are my Luna,” Ezekiel breathed.

“You are my love,” Bronx confirmed. “Whether or not we can have children, it is you that brings us happiness.”

“You can put any other lies they may have told you far from your mind. I have done nothing but think of you since you left, and Bronx … well he slept half the time but when he was awake only thoughts of you I’m sure,” Ezekiel teased, jabbing his brother in the shoulder where a bruise was forming.

Her eyes shifted to black and she looked up at them with confident innocence. “We wouldn’t have made it if I didn’t do it,” she begged for forgiveness. “And knowing what I do now, things would have been so much worse if we hadn’t taken care of her injuries and….”

“Sshh Sshh sshh,” Quoba soothed, taking over for Ezekiel. “I know, it was a good thing it worked, being here, if you were as Azural described, would have put you at a major disadvantage and possibly too weak to hold out for us.”

“I’m sorry we took so long,” Bantu whimpered. “More than that, I’m sorry I didn’t let go. I should have realized how taxing it would be for you, but I was selfish. I just wanted to feel you with me.”

Leti cupped his face in her hand. “Jessamine and I were just as stubborn. We could have ended it, but we needed you to be okay, and I did it because I want to survive to be with you and Quoba, and my pup..-oops,” Leti gasped and turned away from their faces. “Jessamine wanted to tell you that.”

“What?” They both gasped just as suddenly.

“You’re not…”. Quoba began, knowing they had been safe before.

She shook her head solemnly and Jessamine took back over, shaking her head. “Fuck Leti, I wanted to wait until we were home.” She sighed and looked back to them, their eyes a mix of colour and black as they weren’t sure who should be present. “Remember the year with the Fae I couldn’t remember? It turns out I was pregnant..”

Bronx was the one to speak first. “So the child is…?”

“Azural’s, yes. He’s 5, and adorable, understanding.. You’ve likely met him, or seen him when his pack moved in. I know it’s no trick, he is mine, from another life I don’t really remember. .. Azural!” She gasped, hands flying to her face and her mates growled before she smacked them. “His eye. Oakley will be so upset. We need to replace him.”

Standing under the water had felt blissful, but she darted to the towels and started to dry as she rummaged through the cupboards. Pausing only to toss a box of some random tea spitefully in the trash. When she found a cupboard of the salve she grabbed a tin and moved to get her clothes that Ezekiel had rolled into his pocket.

“I’m trying very hard not to be hurt that you’re running off to him right now,” Bronx admitted walking toward her.

She froze in her movement and met him halfway. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking of it like that, but after what happened.. I see why you’re upset.”

“I understand,” he said softly. “I feel your worry, but it’s not the same as the worry you had for me.” Her back relaxed, happy for the bond that said what she couldn’t explain.

“Let’s make it quick,” Ezekiel added, cuffing his dress shirt and tossing the bloodied coat over his arm. “You need rest, my love. Real rest, after a shower and a massage, in a big bed…”

“In the middle?” She asked hopefully.

He kissed her forehead. “Anything for you, Jessa.”

She smiled and darted to the door, but as she grabbed the handle she realized she wouldn’t need to look far.

“How long have you been there?” She demanded, opening the door and looking into the hall where he leaned against the wall.

Blood had dried down the side of his face and over his bare shoulder, his shirt remove to wad up against the socket. “I didn’t want to interrupt. Kookaburra sent me this way to clean up.”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the room, sitting him in a chair by the shower and removing the head to wash his face as he leaned back. Scrubbing the blood off with her fingers she continually smacked his hand away as he tried to touch the area. When the old blood was gone and she could see it more clearly she hissed a breath through her teeth.

“Sorry Az, but you will not be getting this working again. Not with all the Sanaberry on the shelf.” She apologized, further examining the area.

He groaned. “I know, but I’ve been considering an eyepatch. I think Oakley would take more kindly to that, especially while it is healing and looks this nasty.”

“I didn’t say it looked nasty,” Jessamine interjected but he pat his arm and she rolled her eyes. “How did you three keep from killing each other this past week,” she muttered.

“Thinking of you,” all three of them replied. It wasn’t quite in unison, but they still all looked begrudgingly at each other.

She sighed, a small amount of happiness entering the sound as she felt love surrounding her. “We’ll try the gel. It might be able to give you a cool white eye, but you’ll have to get it checked by Doctor Pon regularly incase of infection.”

Bronx touched her arm gently. “Jessa, Doctor Pon died in the fires. Him and two nurses couldn’t get out before the supply room roof collapsed in.”

Jessamine gasped, barely preventing herself from dropping the tin. “How many others?”

“There were a lot of losses; Chef Anise, Ferdinand, Gina, Vinny,…” Ezekiel trailed off. “We return our people to the ground as well, but we don’t mark graves. We have obelisks in the North garden with names of our fallen and lost. A new one will be planted for everyone lost these last few weeks.”

Jessamine nodded, through with the cream and went to replace an eye patch. “I need out of here. I’m going to replace Kay and see if she needs any help or support, but then I want to go home.”

“We’ll go with you.”

She nodded briefly, heading for the back corner of the room before Bronx stopped her. “Where are you going?” He gestured to the door the opposite way.

She shook her head, exhaustion finally sinking in with the reprieve of adrenaline and worry. “The servants halls in the wall. I.. forgot, there’s no reason to not use the hallways anymore— they’re dead.” There wasn’t sadness in her tone, more acceptance that a long and painful weight on her shoulders was officially gone.

A small cruel smile twitched at the corner of her mouth remembering every face that had taunted her that morning. Even in her pathetic state they had showed no sympathy, no attempt at humanity. Some had thrown things at her as she walked passed, and even as she didn’t react her will to keep walking dwindled.

“I saw you take Gull out. That must have felt good,” Azural commented, resting his hand on her elbow as she hadn’t moved.

“It did.” She nodded. “I don’t want to think about it right now. It’s been a long… however long I was here.” She turned back to her mates. “I just want to go home and forget.”

Their eyes pulsed darker at the wording.

“I think I could help with that,” Ezekiel husked, moving to kiss her mark.

Her hand reached out to run over Bronx’s face and hold her mark on his neck as she gave Ezekiel better access to his on her. When his lips left her skin she turned quickly, heart racing and a blush building when she opened her eyes and saw Azural off to the side.