Time is Running Out

Chapter 42

 Time was running out.

Joy knew she would die soon if she didn't get proper medical care. She needed medical care, but no one had noticed her desperate needs.

Every now and then, she would gasp for breath, for the pain was nearly unbearable.

Alden spoke on the watch.

"Are you fine?" he asked urgently.

That was what he was worried about?

Xana rolled her eyes to herself and Mathew saw that as a chance. He held up his dagger but found that he could not move.

His eyebrows then creased.

He looked down.

Xana had tied him to the ceiling.

"DUDISISIDHIDHEWIG!" Mathew screamed behind his gag.

Xana sighed.

Rachel sniggered.

Alden frowned. "Is that... Mathew?!"

"MMMMRDIN?!" shouted Mathew. He was probably saying "Alden".

"Yes, it's me, Mathew," Alden replied calmly.

"MMMMROW?" Mathew shrieked again.

"Can't hear you!" Xana taunted.

Mathew snarled.

Or at least tried to snarl and choked, making everyone laugh.

"Rrrrrr!" Mathew groaned as he coughed and gulped behind the gag.

"Stupid," Xana muttered.

Mathew screamed even louder, causing him to choke again. He gagged and spluttered. The others just laughed even louder. Even the remaining guards.

Surprisingly, it was Xana who didn't laugh. Rachel and Gemma looked at her.

"What?" said Xana.

"Well..." Gemma said.

"Well what?" Xana demanded.

"You aren't laughing," Rachel pointed out.

"And what does that have to do with anything?" demanded Xana.

Gemma shrugged.

Xana rolled her eyes.

Mathew struggled and thrashed against his bonds.

"DRIUSSHSJSJSH!!!"

Xana sighed and rolled her eyes again. Taking advantage that Xana wasn't looking, a guard moved forward to stab her.

Unfortunately a flurry of dust stopped him from seeing and when the dust settled... he looked down and...

Xana had also tied him to the ceiling.

"DPQISFHXBXBSK!" he shouted.

"Why does everyone want to kill me?" wondered Xana.

She had activated the Thought-Hearer to the whole room.

How did she do that? the guards were wondering.

She is terrifying, Rachel was thinking.

I have to get her to teach me sometime, Gemma was thinking.

Emma's mind was silent.

"DIFAFUISDXHGYFPGUHS!" shouted the bound men.

Darn it! Mathew was thinking.

Xana did not like hearing others' thoughts but this was what battle meant. You had to guess what your enemy was thinking, but in this case, it was knowing what everyone was thinking.

Now.

Xana twisted to the side as another guard went for her. A moment later, he was tied to the ceiling like everyone else who had tried to attack her.