Curtain Call (The Jewel Project #7)

34. Stabilizer

The jewel swayed in darkness, floating above the void. For some reason, as the light touched it, it didn't become blinding, rather shone a deep violet.

It had to be destroyed, but it wouldn't fall. And as much a Kyle tried, he couldn't reach it, couldn't swat it down and shatter it. It came in and out of focus.

"Hey."

Maybe if he reached out more. But the pain in his sides wouldn't let him. It tore through him, breaking him from the inside out.

"You have to get up."

The voice swirled inside his head and the darkness around him distorted into the faintest light. Snitch Gravel's silhouette caught shape.

Kyle blinked, trying to jolt his brain into making sense of what he was seeing. Weren't they supposed to be in the cave?

"It's the break of dawn," Snitch Gravel said, his voice low. "You need to get back in your cage."

Right, the cage. He was a prisoner. Except Snitch Gravel had let him take his bed. No wonder his body felt as if it were floating. He hadn't felt that much comfort in over a month.

"Okay," he said and pushed himself into a sitting position.

His vision swam, but he forced his body to stand and move, follow Snitch Gravel down the narrow hall and back into his cell. The room beyond the iron bars was still empty, the only sliver of light breaking through the tiny rectangular window placed high on the opposite wall. He'd never even taken the time to examine the place, and he didn't feel like he could focus on it now either, not in the poor light and with his head still throbbing.

"Here." Snitch Gravel pressed something into his hand. "Eat this now, before the guards return to their posts."

Food. Another sandwich. Kyle knew he should eat it, but for some reason, he couldn't break through the grogginess. His body hurt. His mind was still lost inside the cave and he could almost still see the jewel floating in front of his eyes.

Snitch Gravel left him to it and closed the door behind him. Even though the confusion, Kyle heard the click of the lock. He really was a prisoner now.

Not that it mattered. He sat down on the clod stone and absent-mindedly munched on the sandwich. He couldn't even feel the taste, but knew that he needed the food. After he was done, he lay on one side and closed his eyes.

In what felt like seconds, the sound of an opening door came from the other side of the bars. He could hear voices, but the meaning of their words was lost on him. Instead, he sank back into his sleep.

Sounds and lights broke though the darkness and silence, creating a state of semi-consciousness that only confused him further.

"What do you think is wrong with him?"

"Is he knocked out?"

"Do you think the boss gave him something?"

"I think they were right. He must've caught some jungle bug."

"What if he's contagious?"

"That's why the boss gave us such short shifts."

"I don't want anywhere near him."

"What if he dies?"

"Just leave him there. We're guards, not cleanup."

"He's bleeding."

That last affirmation his brain decided to process was a bit problematic. Kyle forced his hand to his side. He'd felt something was off there, that his t-shirt was getting wet, but he'd thought it was the humidity and he was actually sweating. After all, why would he be bleeding?