The Book of Gemma VOL. 2

34: WHY DO YOU ALWAYS GO ALONE

I hear Lib race up the stairs and without hesitation she springs open the door,

"Deecon! Edna! Come with me!"

We didn't hesitate either, we were hot on Lib's trail as she led us to the compound.

Edna's breathing became sharp and fast as she saw the ash laying in piles, the smell of burnt flesh making my stomach turn. Burned bodies and black soot cover in the shape of an arch in front of the compound steps, pieces of the building shattered in front of the doors. I help Edna over one of the fallen beams as Lib springs over it, thrusting the door open.

"I got them!" Lib shouts in the room.

Cane, Tori and Capri sit by the wooden table, their faces distraught. They didn't even care to move from their seats as we entered. Kyto rushes from the hallway and sees us, "Dee-...Deecon.. I told Lib to just grab Edna." His voice is full of sorrow as he looks at me, surprised I was there.

Lib crosses her arms, "He deserves to know, Kyto. He is her partner."

Has Gemini told Lib about us? I know gossip spreads like wildfire through the compound but for the Zodiacs to see me as her partner... felt thrilling.

The more I studied Kyto's face, the more mine fell.

"Deserve to know what? Where is Gemini?" Panic striking my vocal chords. Edna steps in front of me as Lib and Kyto look at each other and say nothing.

"Where is Gemma? Where is Aries?" She says sternly, tired of waiting.

Kyto takes a deep breath and points down the hall, "Aries is this way."

Where Aries is.. Gemini should be.

Kylo leads us down the hall to the infirmary, Aries hooked up to machines as he lays there sleeping.

Gemini... where is she?

The room is littered with injured soldiers with groans of pain as they get stitched up.

It took everything in me not to shake Aries awake and ask him where she is.

Edna runs to Aries, half her body thrown over his chest as she weeps. He doesn't even flinch, deep in recovery. I've never seen God's like them sleep unless they were that drained of strength.

I look back at Kylo as a bit of fear strikes him, he already quaked at the thought of my reaction to not seeing Gemini in the room.

I growl at him, "Where is she?"

He tugs on Edna's arm to pull her off of Aries, "Leave him to rest, Edna. I just wanted to show you that he will be fine."

I look back to Aries and see the blanket humped over his legs, his left foot not poking through like his right. Like a chunk of the top of his foot had vanished from physical form. Had he lost part of his leg?

I keep the thought inside my head, Edna would be going back up the rollercoaster if I put her back on that ride.

Kyto doesn't wait for us to follow, he strolls down the hall to the large wooden table in the den, Cane, Tori and Capri still slumped in their chairs.

"Is Aries up yet?" Capri says lazily as she rubs her temple.

Cane leaning over the table with his eyes nodding off, trying to fight the rest he desperately needed for his bruised body. Tori shapeshifts into Aries, trying to keep the path of conversation on something besides Gemini. "Capri, darling.. I have never felt-" Tori halts her imitation of Aries with rib cracking coughs, a bit of silver blood splatting on her hand. Cane grumbles to her, "Enough Tori, save your strength for healing, not a theater performance."