Tye

The gasps of concern around us have me worried. With so many people already passing rumours of Bellamy's return, the last thing we need in the energy of the City Below is for word to get around that something is wrong with the saviour. While the Faithful are mostly a kind people, their fanaticism makes them unpredictable.

"Is she okay?" Tannan asks. His gaze is worried. He quickly shepherds us into a dorm room away from prying eyes. I march forward, carrying her down the hall and across the room. Tannan gives a short order to Blake, who nods and closes the door behind us, giving us a degree of privacy.

Niah feels like a wisp in my arms. She is so slight and dainty. I can carry even her fully unconscious body without losing breath. I press my lips together, unable to answer Tannan's question. Instead, I sit down on the bunk and keep her cradled in my lap, her head on my shoulder. I stroke back fine pale strands of hair from her face and gaze down on her. Her dark eyelashes brush the soft flush of her skin.

Tannan moves forward and, doctor-like, takes a quick stock of her vitals. Her breath is shallow but even, her pulse bounding but regular.

Her features are so fragile that I wonder how I could have ever mistaken her for Captain Bellamy. Her face is flushed but restful. My heart aches, fearing a death upon her but the soft pink in her lips reassures me. So does the heat coming from her although that in itself is worrying.

The door opens and Jenin darts into the room. I hear the stir of voices outside that show our dramatic entrance hasn't gone unnoticed. Blake's strong voice takes command. "Stand back, please." He pulls the door closed and the sounds fall to a vibrating murmur.

"Here." Jenin passes me a damp wash cloth and sets a bowl of cool water on the bedside table. "Karel will bring some food, something light but hardy. These will help bring down her temperature. I don't know what else we can do for her here."

Tannan nods. "We won't know until we can find out more."

Jenin shakes her head. "I don't want to draw bloods or make assertions without at least having the chance to talk to her, so we'll give her some time."

Tannan nods. "Okay then, but if she doesn't wake by morning, I want you to take her to the infirmary."

I stroke the damp cloth across her brow. "Is that really necessary?" I wonder what could have happened to her. Surely she's not so fragile that our climb could have wiped her out so completely. "You don't think it's just exhaustion?"

Jenin pauses, gazing down on Niah, then shakes her head. "I'd almost agree but it doesn't justify her temperature. I'm worried she's experiencing encephalitis but so far, her pupils are responsive. I don't believe she's in any immediate danger. Did she say anything?"

I shake my head. What little she did say reveals nothing useful so it's not worth repeating. I dampen the cloth in the cool water again, then wipe her face with even strokes across her forehead and down the sides of her temples. Her eyelids flutter. I catch my breath but she still doesn't wake.

A few deccas pass before Jenin sighs. "I'll leave you. I need to get the kits settled in. Call me if there's anything I can do to help."

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I look up to her. "What did you do with her droid?"

"Blake sent it to Lyris. It'll be upstairs in the lab by now."

Tannan nods. "Good. I'll check in with you in a few factors, Tye. Hopefully rest will do her some good."

Jenin pauses at the door. "Keep trying to bring her temperature down, Tye. That will help."

I nod but she and Tannan don't wait for my response before they both leave the room. I hear the edges of Jenin muttering something to Blake as she pulls the door closed with a quiet click, then everything else is muffled.

I gaze down on Niah and feel an aching worry in the pit of my gut. For some reason, I care about this beautiful otherworld girl. Even with her eyes closed, I remember their strange glow and the hint of a sad knowing within them. I remember the soft melody of her laugh.

I stroke the damp cloth over her skin. Her cheeks, her neck, her collar. Over time, she cools and the colour in her face softens to a gentle pink. Her breath, shallow for so many heartbeats, seems to gain strength.

Eventually, she stirs in my arms. Her eyelids flutter open. She gazes up at me with confused eyes. I smile, trying to be reassuring. "Hey there, sleepy."

She bites her lip, turning her head as if trying to understand where she is. "Where–" She stops, and moves to sit up. I help ease her upright because I can't exactly justify just keeping her on my lap. I don't want her to move too far so, as she settles on the bed beside me, I let my leg rest close to hers.

"We're in the City Below. It's a haven for the Faithful, the Shadows, or both."

She blinks and I can tell she doesn't really understand what I'm telling her. I try to imagine how new this must all seem for an otherworlder.

"You're somewhere safe, Niah. We can help you."

"Help me?"

I nod. "With your mission, your quest? Or with…" I let my words fall because I'm not sure how to ask her if she's sick. I imagine the question is all over my face.

She bites her lip again, which is adorable. A white spot appears and I want to smooth it away with the pad of my thumb but that would be weird. We've only just met. Still, I can't help feeling like I know her on some level. She feels familiar, as if our hearts have known each other longer than our own lifetimes.

She gazes at me so long that I feel like maybe I should break the silence, then she does. "Your eyes are brown."

I flush, but nod.

"I've never seen brown eyes before."

I chuckle because it's something so inane and random, but somehow it seems like her to notice. It breaks the tension. I reach out to brush a stray strand of hair from her face. "I've never seen eyes like yours, either. At least, not in person, just in pictures."

"Of Bellamy?"

I nod.

"I'm not him."

"I know." She sighs and I feel braver now. "Are you sick, Niah?"

She drops her chin and looks down at her fingers, grasping them together. I feel my breath freeze in that moment of hesitation because I suddenly realise that I don't really want to know the truth. I want to believe she's perfect, and perfectly healthy.

She lifts a shoulder and raises her eyes to mine again. "I don't know. Well, I don't understand it. Hart says there's something wrong with me, a mistake in my genes." She pauses, glancing away. "I get really, really sick sometimes."

"And you pass out?"

She nods. "Sometimes."

I lean forward, catching her chin. As I gaze into her face I feel an ache in my heart. "It's bad, isn't it?" She nods and I hate myself for the pain I feel inside. How can I care so much about someone I barely know?

She reaches forward and strokes a tear from my cheek. In her gentle gaze, I see the echo of my yearning. It's as if she's as conscious as I am about the fragility of it all. The fleetingness of this moment, this heartbeat. I reach up and catch her hand against my cheek. She's sitting so close to me that I can feel her breath on my lips.

"We'll save you," I whisper. The shimmer of tears on her lashes tugs on my heart. I pull her close against my chest. "Hey, don't cry. We'll find a way, Niah. I can save you."

She shakes her head but doesn't pull away. Instead, she leans into me and I hold her close. I feel the dampness of her tears through my shirt and drop my head to hers as she sobs. Eventually, she pulls back slightly. She lifts her face to mine.

My breath catches. Her pale pink lips are so perfect and sweet. With a soft groan, I lean forward. We barely brush, but my heart staggers. She doesn't pull away, so I taste her more deeply and we cling to each other. I pull back and she gazes up at me, her pale eyes wide. I wonder what she's thinking, what she's feeling.

She swallows, closing her eyes. She shakes her head as if there are no words that can express what dances between us. Then she leans forward, tucking herself beneath my chin. Her small body fits in the curve of mine. I hold her close against me. She's so fragile and delicate that I'm almost afraid to breathe with her in my arms, but I can't bring myself to let her go so I lean back against the wall and just hold her close.