The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 07

Alex's POV:

Once Cody was gone, I began counting the seconds, wondering how long it would take for him to reach the point where we were attacked and come back with the bullet. I wasn't sure whether Emma would be able to come up with something even if he did get the bullet but somehow, the pain had drowned my pessimism along with my strength. I was too desperate to jump into the what-ifs.

I grunted again when the pain intensified and noticed Emma looking at me in concern. Though the pain was nearly killing me, my supernatural senses and instincts were still somewhat present and I knew that she wasn't only concerned – she was scared out of her mind.

That made me feel guilty so the next time the pain attacked me like that, I suppressed my cry by digging my fingernails into my palm and biting down my tongue.

A few minutes later, Emma began pacing around the room, giving away her anxiety. I tried to say something but I was too out of breath. Instead, I tried to remain calm, to control my breathing but the pain wouldn't let me.

It was nearly impossible to control the pain by the time Cody appeared on the balcony again. I somewhat relaxed when he came inside and I saw the bullet in his hand. I was welcoming any hope that was knocking at my door, surprising even myself.

"Hurry," I breathed out. Cody and Emma glanced at me in concern. Finally, I stopped trying to suppress the pain. My back bent on itself and a hiss escaped my lips. "It hurts!"

"Hey," I heard Cody's voice beside me. "Hey, it's okay."

But I couldn't focus on it. The pain was everywhere now. Every time I tried to breathe, my lungs felt like they were closing in on themselves. My legs felt numb, my muscles aching. My head throbbed badly.

I felt a hand close around mine. From the calloused fingertips, I knew it was Cody. His finger's tightened around mine. That was when I realized that it wasn't just a kind gesture. The pain that was doubling by the minute started to lessen. I felt my headache lessen and the pain draw away. Oxygen flowed into my lungs swiftly, relief descending upon me. My tensed body relaxed and so did my breathing.

Beside me, Cody grunted a little and I realized what was happening: he was taking my pain away. When I relaxed and was no longer breathing heavily, Cody let go of my hand and stood up.

I heard Emma's voice, "What did you do?"

"Bought us a little more time," he said as Emma crushed the bullet and examined the powder revealed from within.

"I meant to her."

"Nothing that's going to hurt her," Cody said.

Even though I had my eyes closed, I knew the way Emma would be looking at him. And judging from what Cody said next, I wasn't wrong.

"Relax, I didn't drug your sister," he assured her. Emma continued to work in silence while I treasured my recent relief from deadly pain. Cody hadn't taken all my pain but compared to what I was feeling a few seconds ago, this was a luxury.

"This is beyond anything I've ever seen," I heard Emma say after a while.

I opened my eyes to look at Cody who was already looking at me. "Is it surprising that he crosses the boundary of science?" I asked.

He shook his head lightly and I sighed inwardly. Emma's eyes darted between me and Cody, "Do you both know something I don't?"

Cody raised an eyebrow at me as if asking for permission. I bit my lip before looking at Emma, "Are you sure you haven't seen anything like it? Isn't there something that comes close to—?"