The Hidden Gemstone

Chapter: 43

Cody’s POV:

“No, no, no, no,” Alex kept muttering under her breath. Her expression was paler than it had been when she was close to death, fear filling her eyes. She took Zoe’s shoulders and started to bring her down on the ground, out of her sitting position. I helped her as she got Zoe to lie on the ground on her back, facing the sky. Feeling for Zoe’s wrist, I tried checking her pulse again.

Nothing.

I felt hollow. I would never admit to Zoe how much she’d grown on me in the past six days. She felt closer to me than my own brothers, and I never thought that seeing her like this would strip me of every feeling. I wanted her to wake up, to roll her eyes, to walk in the face of danger and stick a lollipop in its mouth because that’s what she would do over and over again to prove that she was fearless.

Fearless, but not invincible.

Because now she was hurt.

“Okay, I-I’m going to try chest compressions to restore her heartbeat,” Alex stammered, her voice getting stuck in her throat. I saw the tears rolling down her cheeks and felt my insides churn. “Keep checking for a pulse. And someone needs to go find Marie to—”

“I’ll do it,” Elijah volunteered immediately. “I’ll go find her, just… please, don’t let her die.” He looked up at Alex who nodded at him. Taking his cue, he got to his feet and, glancing back one more time at Zoe, ran out of the woods.

I kept my fingers on Zoe’s wrist, praying silently in my heart. I kept feeling for pain too because that was what would flood her the moment the first ray of life was restored in her body. Alex kept pressing down on her chest even as she let out occasional involuntary sobs and the distress in her expression made me want to tear the world in half.

For a long time, nothing happened. My mind kept going to the worst scenarios possible and with the condition Zoe was in, it was hard to bring it back. I didn’t want to lose her. As much as I hated to admit it, I felt as though it was my kin who was dying at my hands. She was the closest thing I had to a sister even with all the insults she’d thrown at me.

Alex was on the verge of breaking down. I saw her slowly pull her hands back from Zoe’s chest, her eyes glowing a dim blue color as tears rolled down her cheeks. The ground suddenly felt damp beneath me, the water obeying Alex even though she was giving no orders. She released a sob.

I felt the tears prick in my eyes, but before I could comprehend anything, my wrist stung. I looked down and saw the familiar dark blue indication of pain traveling up my veins. A spark of hope lit in my chest and I drew in a sharp breath.

“Alex, keep going,” I said urgently. She looked at me with a puzzled expression, her eyes still glowing blue, the forest floor getting more damp by the minute. “She’s starting to feel pain.”

Her eyes widened and she didn’t waste a second before resuming the chest compressions, this time with more hope in her eyes. After a moment, I felt her blood pump through beneath my fingers. I let out a sigh of relief and continued to take as much of her pain as I could. It hurt, but I didn’t stop.

A few minutes later, Zoe suddenly inhaled sharply before coughing lightly. Relieved, Alex took a deep breath and sat back, the blue glow fading from her eyes, getting replaced by a dim gray one. The breeze shifted and blew in our direction, drying whatever water the ground had pulled.

Without wasting more time, I proceeded to slowly take Zoe’s flannel off. Alex helped me by pulling back the other arm. Once it came free, she lifted Zoe’s body slightly and I passed the flannel under it before wrapping it around the wound in her stomach, tying it tightly to prevent any more blood from escaping.