Something stirs me awake and I sit up suddenly as something shifts near my face. I had fallen asleep with my head on Daella's bed and as I blink and turn I see her arm shift, her hand tensing in my own.

Her eyelids flutter and I move, turning to face her I reach over her and shove Alvaryn's leg.

"Alvaryn, wake up!" I whisper loud enough for him to hear and in an instant he is awake, blinking at the morning light and turning to Daella.

Her eyes scrunch and she mumbles something before her eyes finally open. She blinks, looking up at the ceiling before looking around. She gasps as her eyes go wide taking me in and then Alvaryn, she immediately pulls away from us, pulling her hands free from ours she presses herself against the headboard looking at both of us with wide terrified eyes.

"Dae, it's okay, you are safe, you are in your room." Alvaryn says slow and gently.

She turns to him suddenly, gripping her blanket tightly.

"Wh-what's going on?" She asks, her voice raspy as she stares at both of us.

"You've been asleep for a few days dearest, but it's ok, your safe now." I tell her, willing myself to stay where I am instead of moving closer to her, she already looks scared enough, I don't want to terrify her.

"What happened?" She asks quietly.

"What is the last thing you remember?" Alvaryn asks.

She looks at him, brows furrowed, then down at the blankets.

"I don't know, it's all confusing. I remember the selection, then, something happened and everything changed, you were there, both of you, but you were different..." She looks at me, eyes wide as she remembers things, seeing things I cannot. She pulls further away from me in fear and I squeeze my hands into fists as I try to keep my control in place.

"Dae, you were attacked, those things you saw, the things you remember, they're not real, they're nightmares." Alvaryn says calmly, he has moved to the very edge of the bed, giving her more room but she still looks at him with fear.

"Attacked?"

"Yes, Prince Arden, he left nightmares in your mind, and then at the selection you collapsed. You've spent the last two days in a magically induced rest while your mind and body recovered." Alvaryn explains and I don't know how he is able to be so calm about all of this. Even hearing Arden's name is enough to set my fire ablaze.

Her eyes widen as she takes in this knowledge.

"I remember the Queen screaming." She says in almost a whisper.

"Yes, Mother was attacked by Arden as well, she then attacked our Father, both of them are still unconscious but they will be fine."

"So it wasn't real, everything you did...all the things you said..." She stops, looking at me with glassy eyes.

"What did we do?" I ask, wanting to know what she saw in those nightmares so I know exactly how to make Arden suffer.

She shakes her head, tears spilling, I move without thinking and lean up, wiping the tear from her cheek, she startles, pulling away from me and I tense at her reaction.

"You put me in a cage, you left me alone..." She stops, more tears sliding down her cheek.

"You know I would never do that, we would never do that. It was just a nightmare dearest, it wasn't real." I tell her.

She nods to herself, wiping the tears from her face. She turns to Alvaryn, he was watching her with concern and caution.

"Do you feel different Dae, do you feel like anything has changed?" he asks her. She blinks at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"In order to make the nightmares stop, we needed to do something." He explains carefully. "Our second healer, Quirin, he suggested an old ritual that used to be performed that enabled fae to share magic." He begins and I watch him and Daella, waiting for her reaction to the truth.

"What kind of ritual?"

"Aeris and I, we both gave you a part of our magic so that your mind could fight off the nightmares and create a magic shield against them, which is why you were able to wake up." He explains.

She sits in silence for a long moment, looking down at her hands that rest in her lap.

"You gave me magic?" She whispers.

We both nod.

"What does that mean for me? Do I have magic now?"

"That was why I asked if you felt different." Alvaryn replies.

She thinks for a moment and shakes her head.

"Do I feel different to you?" She asks Alvaryn and he nods slowly.

"She does?" I ask Alvaryn and he looks at me and nods again.

"Reach your magic out towards her, I can't feel any magic exactly, but it's definitely different." He answers with a serious expression.

I turn to Daella, reaching my magic out towards her, sensing her form as it has always been but as I get closer, there, in her centre, where magic resides in those fae who possess it, there is a small space, it didn't feel like mine, or Alvaryn's, but it was not there before.

"I guess that just means it worked right, I mean you're awake, our magic must have done something." I look to Alvaryn and then Daella. She looks so scared and small and I wish there is something I can say or do that will make those fears go away, anything that will help.

"Daylight," I say softly and she perks up, looking at me with glassy eyes. "You have to know that no matter what this means, no matter what happens we will be right here with you. We will speak to the healer, to all the healers in the kingdom if necessary, Alvaryn will read every book in that damned library, we will do everything in our power to make sure you are safe. I know this is all a shock to you and you are feeling scared and unsure, we are all walking down an uncertain path, but we are doing this together." I reach out, taking her hand in both of mine. "Do you trust that we only wanted what was best for you and we wouldn't have done this if it wasn't absolutely necessary?"

She nods quickly and I let out a breath of relief.

"You're not mad that we did this without your consent?" Alvaryn asks coming closer to her.

She looks at him and shakes her head. "I still don't understand what exactly happened, and my mind is still trying to separate reality from nightmares. But I know you did what was best for me, even just the remnants of those nightmares is enough to know I do not want to be trapped in there for a second longer." She says with a faraway look.

"Have you both been here this whole time?" She asks, looking at both of us and we both nod in answer. "What about your parents, or Demwyn?"

"We've been keeping an eye on our parents but we need to wait until they wake up before we can do anything. Demwyn is...well he's been preoccupied with being acting King and holding all the useless council meetings while over managing the guard service." Alvaryn answers quickly. "You don't have to worry about anyone else right now, all that matters is you are awake and safe and you should probably eat something, and I will get your servants, and the healer to check on you, and maybe he can answer more of our questions." Alvaryn says moving into action, he stands and smooths out his trousers. "Do you need anything else?" he asks Daella but she shakes her head. "I'll be back soon." He smiles down at her then nods at me before leaving.

I pick at the blanket under my fingers unsure of what to do or say.

"Aeris," Her voice is soft and sweet and I look up to find her vivid blue eyes looking down at me.

"Yes?"

"You look exhausted, when was the last time you slept?" She asks, tilting her head to study me. She reaches her hand out slowly and her fingertips graze my cheek, my eyelids close and I lean into her touch. Her velvet like skin palming my cheek, I place my hand over hers, holding it close against my face.

"It's been a little hard to sleep while not knowing whether you would wake up or not." I admit. I had gotten a few hours here and there where I had passed out, but I would hardly call it sleep.

"I'm sorry." She whispers and I open my eyes to find her sad expression.

"Don't apologize, you have nothing to apologize for, none of this is your fault." I insist, leaning up to move closer to her. I hold onto her hand kissing her palm gently. "We should be the ones apologizing to you, for putting you in this position, for risking your life like this."

"You had as much power over this as me, no one could have known this was going to happen."

"No, but it is still our duty to protect you."

"And you did." She replies. "I'm awake, the nightmares are leaving, whatever you both did saved me."

I kiss the inside of her wrist, breathing in her scent.

"You called me Daylight." She says softly and I can hear the smile in her voice before I look up to see it on her face.

I nod. "It seemed the most fitting, since the moment you collapsed at the selection it has been growing darker and darker, not knowing what would happen and whether or not you would wake up. And then, the moment you stirred and opened your eyes, everything became bright again, you are my daylight Daella."

Her eyes turn glassy and she leans towards me opening her arms, I move instantly, wrapping my arms around her as her arms wrap around my shoulders. I press my face into the crook of her neck breathing her in and holding her as close as possible.

"I love you so much Daella, please don't leave again, I don't want to go back into the darkness."

She pulls back, holding my face in hers and I feel tears well in my eyes.

"I will never want to leave you Aeris." She tells me pressing her lips to mine. I wrap my arms around her again, pulling her closer.

In the hours we had sat waiting for her to wake up I couldn't stop my mind from wandering what would happen if she didn't wake up. Returning to the life I was living before she had shown up, in a constant state of drunken debauchery and self-loathing.

I knew I would never be good enough for her, could never make up for the years I had wasted away and all my past mistakes but I would rather spend each and every day trying to be good enough for her and being able to stand by her side then return to that sad, cold and lonely life.

"Thank you for being here when I woke up Aeris." She says quietly and I squeeze her tighter.

"I will never want to be anywhere else."