Chapter Five

—FORESTS OUTSIDE LUNARIA, AETHERIA—

Dante woke up, his ears twitching picking up the sound of light whimpering, crying and moaning. He looked across at Madeleine realising the sounds were coming from her and he wondered what had happened to her that made her dreams haunted.

He considered blocking her dreams so she could sleep peacefully but as he made a move to approach her, Madeleine woke up with a start, pain etched across her features.

As Madeleine sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, shaking from the force of her nightmares, Dante's eyes narrowed with concern. He could sense the depth of her distress, and he didn't understand why but his instincts urged him to comfort her.

What the hell had he gotten himself into? He barely knew her. He definitely didn't care about her but every fibre of his being screamed against the pain she was silently enduring.

Madeleine's eyes were closed, and her face was scrunched up in a mixture of pain and fear. Her breathing was ragged, and her body shook with the aftershocks of her nightmare.

Dante's gaze lingered on her, his expression softening. He had seen his share of trauma and pain, and he knew that the wounds of the past could linger long after the physical scars had healed.

He hesitated, unsure if she would welcome his touch and the comfort he was offering but chose to act despite it.

Without making a sound, Dante stood up and approached Madeleine. He sat down beside her, his movements cautious, and wrapped a gentle arm around her shoulders.

Madeleine flinched at first, still caught in her nightmare, but as she realized it was Dante, she relaxed slightly, allowing him to pull her close. She buried her face in his chest, and her body shook with silent sobs.

Dante held her, offering what comfort he could. He didn't speak, knowing that sometimes words were insufficient in the face of whatever she was going through.

Instead, he let his presence speak for him. He didn't know how long they had together but he offered her a silent promise; as long as she was with him, she would be safe and protected.

"I can take the memories if you want," Dante told her softly as he patted her gently on the back.

Madeleine pulled back, looking up at him with tears-stained eyes. "No, I don't want you to take them," she said, her voice surprisingly firm. "The memory of pain is what keeps us from making the same mistakes again. I won't forget, even if it hurts."

Madeleine's eyes searched Dante's face as if looking for understanding. "Would you want someone to take your pain if you were in my position?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dante's expression turned somber, and he nodded. "If I could, I would. Pain can be overwhelming."

Madeleine looked away, her gaze drifting down to her hands. Dante gently turned her chin back towards him. "What was your nightmare about, princess? Was it something to do with the werewolves from earlier?"

Madeleine's eyes flashed with a hint of defiance. "You said you didn't care to know before."

Dante gave her a small, gentle smile. "Sometimes talking about something helps take a bit of the weight off. It can be freeing."

Madeleine shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears again. "I don't want to talk about it. I can't. It's still too fresh in my mind."

Dante's expression softened, and he pulled her close again. "Then don't. Just sleep. You're safe now. The nightmares won't come for you."

As he spoke, he whispered a soft spell and Madeleine's eyelids began to grow heavy with sleep. She struggled to stay awake, but it was no use. With a soft sigh, she fell asleep in Dante's arms.

******

Madeleine woke up the next morning to find herself curled up in Dante's arms. She felt a wave of self-consciousness wash over her, realizing that she had fallen asleep in the arms of a stranger who she had just met. She tried to pretend that she was still asleep, hoping that Dante wouldn't notice that she was awake.

But Dante was not fooled.

He whispered softly in her ear, "I know you're awake, princess. You're tensing up in my arms, and your heartbeat just quickened. But since you seem so comfortable, I'll let you stay a little longer."

Madeleine's eyes snapped open, and she quickly got up from Dante's arms, her face burning with embarrassment. "I was just resting my eyes," she stammered, trying to play it cool.

Dante chuckled and smiled at her, genuine amusement crinkling the corners of his eyes. "Oh, my mistake. Of course, you were," he said, his voice low and smooth.

"By the way, do you know that you snore?"

Madeleine's eyes widened in outrage, and she felt her face grow even hotter in embarrassment. "I do not snore!" she exclaimed, her tone indignant.

Dante held up his hands in mock surrender, still grinning at her. "I'm just saying, it's a very...soothing and endearing sound. I've never heard anything quite like it. It's cute.”

Madeleine's embarrassment turned to full-blown indignation, and she glared at Dante, trying to maintain her dignity. "It's not soothing, and I don't snore!" she repeated, her voice firm. “And it is definitely not cute.”

“Of course, princess. Whatever you say,” he said with a smirk as he got up from the ground and walked past her.

“You're annoying,” Madeleine stated as she walked towards the river. “I'm going to wash up.”

Dante grunted his approval and went to check on Anya's wounds.

Madeleine finished her bath and came back to meet fruits spread out on a rock.

“Eat,” Madeleine said before Dante could speak. “I know.”

“Good,” Dante nodded his approval and went back to tending to Anya.

“What's wrong with her?” Madeleine asked as she took a bite from one of the fruits.

“Her wings are broken and her paws are injured,” Dante said, as he replaced the dressing on the injuries.

“I thought you healed her with your magic?” Madeleine queried, a confused look on her face.

“Anya is a magic beast,” Dante said as he patted Anya's fur. “I can't heal her completely with magic because her magic will interfere and cause more harm to her. I can only remove the poison and infection from the chains used to bind her.”

Madeleine shook her head. “Magic is weird. Why doesn't your ma…”

“Finish your food so we can leave,” Dante interjected, cutting her off.

"Rude," Madeleine muttered under her breath as she continued eating, trying to savor the last few bites of her meal.

As soon as she finished, Dante stood up and announced, "I'm going to take a bath. I could use a good wash."

He began to walk towards the river, pulling off his shirt as he went. Madeleine's eyes followed him, admiring the strong muscles of his back. She wondered what his chest looked like, and her curiosity got the better of her.

She tried to sneak a peek, but just as she was about to get a glimpse, she realized that Dante had set up a magical barrier to prevent her from seeing him.

Madeleine felt a flush rise to her cheeks as she realized she had been caught trying to spy on him. She quickly looked away, trying to compose herself.

A few minutes later, Dante returned from his bath, his hair wet and his skin glistening with droplets of water. He smiled a knowing smile at Madeleine, pretending to be oblivious to her earlier attempt to spy on him.

"Ready to continue our journey?" he asked her.

Madeleine nodded, still feeling a little flustered. "Yes, let's go."

As they set off, Madeleine couldn't help but steal glances at Dante. She knew nothing about him except his name, his use of magic and the fact that he owned a griffin.

She wondered just how many secrets he could be hiding beneath his reserved exterior. And now, she was determined to find out some of those secrets before they parted ways.