The Fate Of The Marked

Chapter Twenty-Four

The flight to North Carolina was a nightmare. The box in my bag didn't cause any problems as we went through security, which just made me want to open it more. The coin remained in my pocket. The plane shook and trembled for the first hour before evening out.

When I finally managed to keep my eyes open without wanting to throw up, another unsettling feeling set in. Something wasn't right. I sat between Jane and Derek, ready to bolt for the bathroom. The crystal shook a little. Above me, in the baggage hold, something rattled.

I shifted again and tried to get comfortable. I couldn't calm myself. My heart pounded, despite my efforts. Derek's arm was around my shoulder and Jane was talking, but I hardly noticed. It was all background noise.

My shoulder burned, as of something hot was running over the mark. I wondered if this was going to happen every time I got on a plane. Finally, I gathered my strength and stood enough to look around. Most people were sleeping or playing on phones, but three stood out.

All three were wearing suits, and were in different rows. The man farthest away had a hat pulled down over his face, as if he were sleeping. The other two were looking around.

I ducked back down and took a few deep breaths, telling myself it didn't mean anything. It began to rain not long later. Lighting made the plane shake. Derek never moved his arm away from me. I realized with chagrin that it was the only thing stopping me from locking myself in the bathroom.

Again.

Two hours later, I woke up with my face pressed painfully into his shoulder. I sat up after we landed, more than ready to get off the plane. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end when I turned around and saw that two of the three business men were gone. The third was still asleep in the back.

I grabbed my bag from the rack above and allowed myself to be led outside.

It was pouring rain. Lightning danced in the sky and thunder rumbled in the close distance. Derek hailed a cab and we all climbed into the back, shoving the luggage into the trunk. I was still tense, glancing through the rain, but nothing was wrong.

It took us nearly and hour to get out of the city. The cars were all driving slowly because of the rain. I was smashed against the window. Pain would spike through my back at odd seconds, jolting me, and making me jump. The crystal had become more and more warm.

Something was going to happen.

We pulled up a long driveway, to a smaller house. By the time I got inside, I was sure I was going to pass out. My vision was blurry, and I felt too hot, despite being soaked with freezing cold water. Jane showed me my room upstairs and I excused myself to the bathroom across the hall.

They left just as I closed the door. My knees were shaking and I could barely stand. Carefully, I laid down on the tile, so I wouldn't fall over and crack my head open.

The crystal shook violently, my palm felt as if it had been lit on fire. I bit my lip to keep my agony to myself. All at once, everything went a blinding white, then I was floating into nothingness.