Ch.40 A Promise

Chapter 40

Heyder could feel Exton's eyes on the back of his head like the heat of two super powered lazerbeams. As Rye checked Maya's temperature and gave her some medication to help the fever go down, Heyder sat next to the bed holding May's hand. The soft warm glow from their hands reflected off of Maya's sleeping face as Gemma kissed her forehead and tucked the blanket in around her. After a few minutes, Heyder looked over his shoulder to the werewolf standing by the door.

Exton's face gave away nothing. His eyes were empty and his face smooth as a stone. He stood leaned against the door frame with his arms folded over his chest. His eyes stayed glued on Maya as Rye gathered her things and looked at Heyder.

"I have her something to help with the fever," she said. "Is there anything else I should know about?"

"No," Heyder said. "Just the fever."

"How long does it usually last?"

"Three days," Heyder looked down at his hand holding Maya. "But I've never healed anyone before during the fever."

Rye followed his eyes. She took in a long deep breath before turning to her son by the door. With a small smile, she gave him a nod.

"She'll be okay, Eggs."

Exton didn't respond. He simply straightened up and walked out of the room. Gemma looked up from where she sat beside Maya. she looked at Rye and gave her a small nod. Heyder didn't pay much attention as the door closed behind him. He wished Gemma would leave too, but he knew Maya would want her to be here.

"I would never do this to her on purpose," Heyder said quietly. He kept his eyes on Maya as he spoke to Gemma.

Gemma took in a deep breath. Leaning over, she pushed back some of Maya's hair out of her face and kissed her forehead again.

"I heard about her traveling," she said, looking at the jinn through her lashes. "I heard she was there when Sofia and Owen captured you."

Heyder nodded.

"You didn't fight because of her," Gemma concluded.

Heyder didn't have to answer.

"Exton is worried,"

"I understand but he needs to know I will never let anything happen to Ma-"

"His birth mother died from a curse," Gemma looked down at Maya's sleeping face. "He was about two or three."

"And then when we met Rye had a curse on her too," Gemma continued. "So I hope you can see why he isn't staying calm."

"He thinks Maya's faith will be like his birth mother," Heyder looked up slowly.

"Yes," Gemma nodded slowly. "He won't say it, but I know him. He's scared to death. He witnessed his mother die, not once but twice. He can't do it with his daughter......"

"I won't let a-"

"You keep saying that," Gemma sighed, her eyes snapping up to meet Heyder. "I need you to mean it. Promise me you won't let anything happen to my daughter."

"I promise," Heyder said, without skipping a beat.

"Exton will never be the same if anything happens to Maya."

"I promise," Heyder said once more. "I won't let anything happen to her. But Gemma......"

Gemma waited for the jinn to continue. She looked into his hard brown eyes and put on a brave face.

"If I fail...." Heyder said the words as if it hurt. "You need to put me down."

"What?" Gemma frowned.

"I need you to promise me," Heyder said. "If I can't save Maya, you will burn a hole through my chest."

"You know my magic won't be enough," Gemma shook her head. "And I can't do that. Not even to you. I can't aid your suicide."

"You'll have the whip," Heyder said. "Use it....and if it's still not enough.......you will have help."

"Help?" Gemma raised a brow. "From who?"

"Don't worry about that," Heyder shook his head. "When the time is right, she will know what she has to do."

"Who?" Gemma's eyes married.

Heyder looked away and concentrated on the little trinkets on Maya's dresser. Her lacrosse sticks from when she played hung on one wall, a decaying rose sat on her dresser, and a framed photo of her and Adeline at a Halloween party from when they were maybe seven rested center stange. Heyder found the corner of his lips perk up slightly as he saw the huge grin on his girl's face.

"What are you getting my daughter into, Heyder?" Gemma's voice called back his attention.

"I'm trying to save her......save all of you," Heyder sighed, dropping his head.

"From what?"

"I can't tell you," Heyder said.

Gemma watched him closely for a few seconds. She took note of the way his eyes grew heavy and his face paled. Beside her, Maya's fever started to slowly break and her eyelids fluttered in deep slumber.

"Heyder," Gemma spoke after a while. "Stop healing her."

Heyder didn't listen. He ignored her as his hand stayed around Maya. the exhaustion was starting to show on his face.

"You won't be much of a help if you give all of your strength to her," Gemma pointed out. "Her fever is breaking. She will be fine. You need to save your energy."

"I'll be fine," Heyder said, waving away Gemma's concern.

"You promised me you will save my daughter," Gemma reminded him. "You can't do that if you die."

"Just a little more,"

"Heyder," Gemma snatched Maya's hand away from his. "That's enough."

"I'm only trying to help, Gemma."

"Thank you for that, but she needs you to save her from far more worse things than a fever," Gemma placed Maya's hand over the girl's belly.

Heyder didn't respond. His eye lids were starting to grow heavy and he felt his legs ache from sitting on the chair. With a heavy sigh, he pushed away from the bed and leaned back. With his eyes still on Maya, Heyder rubbed the stubble on his jaw.

"Get some sleep," Gemma said. "I'll watch her."

"No, it's fine. I'm staying."

Gemma pressed her lips into a thin line. She was about to argue when Heyder stopped her.

"Go check on Exton," he said. "I'm sure he needs you there with him right now. I know I would want Maya around at a time like this."

For a brief second, Gemma was caught off guard by his words. It was a strange phenomenon to see the mellow side of Heyder. Gone were his high walls of thorns. In the receding sunlight, his sharp features lost their unearthly beauty and became mundane. For the first time, Gemma could see pieces of a man and not just the aura of a jinn.

After some long silent filled moments, Gemma finally decided to go check on Exton. She looked over her shoulder at her daughter and then at Heyder. He remained unmoved from his seat but once Gemma slipped out of the doors, Heyder got off the chair and sat down beside Maya on the bed.

With long tired fingers, he traced her sleeping face. Her skin had started to cool and the color was returning to her cheeks. Heyder watched her as long as he could before the sleep took over and he laid down beside her. With Maya's soft heartbeat playing a lullaby it wasn't too difficult for him to dive under.

____________________________

Maya couldn't explain the strange pressure she felt in her chest. The air was too thick to breathe and the room was too hot. The humidity in the air coated her skin in a sticky mess. Her hair stuck to the pool of sweat gathered at the base of her neck. With great difficulty, she focused her eyes and took in a lung full of hot air.

"Maya," a woman's voice called to her.

Maya looked around at the empty room she laid in.

"Maya," the voice called again.

Pushing off the floor, Maya began to sit up. She held herself up right on her elbows and squinted. The pressure behind her eyes were unimaginable and every time she blinked, it was as if the room kept changing.

Suddenly, just as she sat up, the shadowy form of Ira appeared in front of her. Maya's heart jumped in fright as she stared at the woman's dark eyes. But as she struggled to breath, the familiarity of Heyder's face started to rise. He had his mother's eyes and her nose. Maya's gaze moved over the woman's calm face. The corner's of her mouth perked up into a half smile, just like her sons.

Out of habit, Maya lifted her hands and reached out. The easiness in her heart started to grow as she thought about Heyder by looking at his mother. But as she reached out and touched the woman's face, she suddenly started to see Mirza's face. In a panic, Maya let go of Ira's face. The woman frowned and her brows furrowed....just like her son.

Maya's chest started to once again tighten. She pushed away and created as much distance as she possibly could between her and Ira. but before she could get too far ahead, Ira lunged forward and wrapped her hands around Maya's neck.

Frightened and overwhelmed, Maya tried to scream, but her voice was lost. She felt Ira's nails dig into her neck as Mirza's face swam in her vision. She clawed at Ira's hands but the jinn was too strong. She squeezed Maya's neck as hard as she could. The look of determination in her dark eyes made tears rise to Maya's eyes. She let her lids close as her vision started to blur. Just when she thought she couldn't take the pain any more, she felt her body bolt up straight.

Gasping for air, Maya looked around her room. The moonlight poured in through the window and the cool breeze made the space cozy under all the blankets. Her heart raced as she pressed a hand to her forehead and tried to catch her breath.

"Maya?" Heyder's deep voice called out to her.

Maya blinked against the darkness and looked beside her. Heyder's sleeping figure laid against the pillow, his dark hair messy and his face restless. He struggled to pull himself out of his sleep, but his concern for her made him fight to get up.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his voice coated heavily with sleep.

"Nothing," Maya shook her head. "Bad dream."

"How do you feel?"

"Warm," Maya said as she laid back on her side.

"I'll open the windows," Heyder pushed back the covers.

"No," Maya stopped him before he could lift his head. He could barely open his eyes, the thought of him leaving bed didn't sit well with Maya. She pulled the covers back over his shoulder and moved away.

"I'll be fine," she said. "Stay on your side."

Heyder mumbled something in his sleep Maya didn't catch. She looked back at him, but he had already fallen back asleep. The distance between them on the large bed was great. Maya scooted to the very edge of her side to stay as far away from the jinn as she possibly could. She turned her back toward him and pulled the covers under her chin.

Other than the ticking of the clock in the room and Heyder's even breathing, nothing else could be heard. Maya found herself focusing on his every breath. She counted all the way to one hundred before her own breathing synchronized with him. Her lungs inhaled with him and exhaled with him. She didn't know why she was doing it, but sleep had left her and the only thing she had energy to do was listen to Heyder's breathing.

After several minutes, Maya looked over her shoulder. Heyder had moved and his arm rested over his eyes. The covers were thrown off of his body and the dark ink on his arms were now visible under the moonlight. Maya turned to her side and faced him. She reached out with her fingers and traced the first cherry blossom her hands could reach. As soon as their skin touched, she felt her body relax. Beside her, Heyder sighed in his sleep and moved his head on the plush pillow to get comfortable.

Maya frowned as she watched him. His neck was leaned towards the side and it looked extremely uncomfortable. He was too deep asleep to notice but he would surely feel it in the morning. Unable to help herself, Maya shifted closer to the jinn and pushed her hand under his head. Very carefully she moved his head onto the pillow and positioned it to be more comfortable.

Once again Heyder mumbled something in his sleep. The words were forgine, but the way they sounded made Maya's spine tingle. She laid back against the pillow beside him and waited for him to say something else. Her hand rested on his chest and as the night passed, their bodies became more and more tangled. The two moved in and out of their sleep as Heyder pulled Maya closer to himself. Maya didn't protest as he wrapped his arms around her. She tucked her head under his chin and inhaled his scent. His skin was much cooler than her, the feel of it made Maya sigh.

"Are you okay?" Heyder's deep voice, laced with sleep, asked.

"Yes," Maya mumbled against his neck. She felt his arms tighten around her. "Heyder?"

"Hmm?"

"What was your mom like?"

"It's two in the morning," Heyder groaned. "I think."

"It's actually four," Maya said.

"Can we talk about my mother in the morning?"

Maya didn't respond. She stayed still in his arms, tucked in under his chin. Her hands were folded against her chest and Ira's red ruby ring pressed onto the base of her throat. A few minutes passed as they laid silently.

"She was hard to please," Heyder said in the darkness. "Everything had to be done her way."

"Oh," Maya said as she pictured the woman once more.

"She made you crave her love and attention," Heyder continued. "To get praise by her was like winning a lottery."

"Did she praise you?" Maya asked.

"More often then the others," Maya could almost picture the smile on Heyder's lips as she listened to him. "My brothers hated me."

Maya felt her heart sink. She closed all the space between them and pressed herself closer to Heyder.

"Heyder...." She spoke his name gently.

"When I was little I used to always wonder why they hated me so much," Heyder continued. "I tried to make them like me. But the way they looked at me....."

Maya didn't know if it was the fever or the sleep in her eyes, but she couldn't bear to hear anymore. She moved her head up and pulled Heyder to her chest. She held him tightly and pressed a kiss against the side of his head.

"I'm okay," Heyder smiled in the darkness.

"I know you are," Maya whispered. She pressed another kiss and moved her legs in between his. "But just stay this way."

"I'm not going anywhere, Birdie," Heyder sighed.

______________________

The next morning, Maya woke once again for the hundredth time. The feel of cool fingers touching the side of her face pulled her out of her sleep like a fishing rod. She blinked against the sunlight and shifted a yawn.

"How do you feel?" Rye asked, looming over her.

"Tired," Maya groaned. She reached out with her hand beside her and held on to the hem of Heyder's shirt.

"I don't know if that's the medicine," Rye said. "Wonder boy here has been pumping you with his magic. It could be that."

Maya looked at Heyder beside her. He was still deep asleep and for the first time she realized why he was so tired. He had used all his energy to heal her.

"You should eat something," Rye said as she tucked a strand of Maya's hair behind her ear. "I'll have Layla bring up breakfast for you."

"Can you ask her to please bring some coffee?" Maya said as she rubbed her eyes.

"I thought you didn't drink coffee," Rye frowned.

"Heyder does," Maya yawned again. "No sugar, no milk. Just black, please."

"Okay," Rye smiled. "I'll send Layla."

"Thank you," Maya took Rye's hand and placed a kiss upon it.

"Make sure you eat, and take the medication," Rye patted her hand. "And don't let him heal you anymore. Poor thing might pass out and die on us."

Maya smirked looking back at Heyder. Even with his body covered in tattoos, his face looked so childish as he slept like a baby. She was tempted to lean over and kiss his cheeks but stopped when she felt Rye watching her.

"That's a pretty ring," she said, pointing to the band around Maya's finger.

"It's his mother's," Maya looked down at the thing.

"How romantic," Rye laughed.

"Not very," Maya rolled her eyes. "He had his best friend ask me."

"So he's the shy type," Rye teased.

"Heyder? Shy?" Maya laughed. "Not in this lifetime.....or in any other ones."

"Make sure you get him to ask you properly," Rye looked at the jinn. "Your dad is pretty upset."

Maya sighed, "This marriage isn't going t-"

"Shut up," Heyder groaned. He buried his face in his pillow and pulled the extra one over his head. Maya stilled as he moved around to get comfortable.

"How is he sleeping in jeans?" Rye asked as she eyed him.

"I could get naked," Heyder said from under the pillows. "Just say the words, Mimzy."

"I'm your grandmother in law," Rye huffed. "Show some damn respect."

"Maya," Heyder reached out blindly. "Make her go away."

"This place used to have standards," Rye shook her head as Heyder pulled Maya closer.

"Heyder, stop it," Maya pushed at his hand.

"Wake sleeping beauty up," Rye said as she began to head toward the door. "Eden called. She said Tobias is coming to see you both at noon."

"He is?" Maya's eyes snapped up to her grandmother.

"You dad has been harassing the man," Rye rolled her eyes. "Practically dragging him out of hell."

"We'll be there," Maya quickly threw the covers off of herself. She swung her legs over the side and jumped up. But her body betrayed her.

Maya's knees buckled like a newborn deer. There was no strength in her legs, not even enough to hold herself upright. As she started to sink to the floor, Heyder jumped up and grabbed her. His eyes were coated with sleep and worry, his hair messy and his shirt wrinkled. Rye took a few steps forward, but as the jinn pulled Maya back onto the bed, she gave him a nod and slipped out of the room.

"You're not completely healed," Heyder said as he sat Maya down against the pillows.

Maya looked up into his dark eyes as her skin started to buzz. She wanted to drown in the feeling of feeling so relaxed and blissful, but as soon as she realized what Heyder was doing, she pushed him away.

"Stop," she frowned. "You already gave me too much."

"I'm fine," Heyder ignored her.

"Heyder," Maya pushed his hand away again. Heyder paused as he moved back. His eyes scanned her face before nodding and rubbing the back of his neck.

"I need coffee," he said.

"Layla is bringing us breakfast," Maya pulled her legs up and pulled the covers up to her chin.

Heyder watched her from where he sat on the edge of the bed. He waited until she was comfortable to move over and hold himself on top of her. His dark eyes took in every small detail of her face. Maya's heart started to hammer against her chest as the corner of his mouth curved up into a smile.

"I love you," he said, looking into her eyes.

Maya frowned. She tried to turn her head away but Heyder's stopped her as he leaned forward and pressed his nose against the edge of her face.

"You made me promise to love you my way," Heyder reminded her. "I'm not one ot break my promises, Birdie."

"I didn't know what I was saying," Maya muttered. "I was scared and panicked. It wasn't re-"

"I don't care what it was," Heyder sighed as he turned his head and brushed his lips against her jawline. Maya felt her body betray her by rising up to meet his touch. "A promise is a promise."

Not a whole lot happened in this chapter. Honestly it was suppose to be longer but I am so tired after work and I just wanted to give you guys an update. I hope you won't mind that this book will be very long. We're already at ch 40 (yikes). I will try to be better and put more story and less fluff, thank you for being so patient and kind with your words and encouragements. You have no idea now happy they make me when I read them at work.