Keeper of the Lost Cities Story; The Lost Secret

Chapter 36

Kai walked the halls with her friends during lunch. She still had a bit of a limp, but it was barely noticeable. 

"Kai, will you be able to come back to school tomorrow?" Gracelyn asked. 

Kai laughed, "I hope not. I'm going to milk this injury for all it's worth." 

Asher rolled his eyes, she could tell that he didn't agree with her 'milking her injury.' Kai on the other hand was enjoying the time off and the time away from home. Most other people would love to go home from being in the healing center, but not Kai. Her home had too many sad memories. 

"At least you can walk now," Amaria said laughing. 

She referred to earlier when she had fallen on her face trying to get out of the healing center. 

"Ha ha, very funny." Kai joked. It did worry her though; if she couldn't walk, then she'd never leave the healing center, and as much as she liked missing school she didn't want to be stuck in the healing center forever. 

Zayne and Gracelyn started laughing about something, but Kai wasn't paying attention. She was focusing on not feeling the pain in her leg. But as she focused on not focusing, it made her focus on the pain. 

Her steps became slow and Asher grabbed her hand to help her. 

"You need to get back to the healing center," He said turning her back that way. 

Kai sighed but agreed because she knew he was right. 

As Asher led her away, Kai pretended not to hear Gracelyn and Amaria giggling with each other. 

"Thanks for helping me," Kai said once they turned the corner. 

Asher nodded but said nothing. He seemed to be lost in thought. 

"At least I made it to 45 minutes of walking," Kai said trying to encourage him to respond. 

He again just nodded in response. 

Kai was worried she'd done something wrong. Maybe it was because of the night before. Kai had almost kissed him. 

"Is everything okay?" Kai whispered when they got into the healing center's main area. 

It was empty like usual, but they both knew that Sophie, Fitz, Elwin, and possibly more people were on the other side of the wall. 

"Yeah I'm fine," He said in his I'm obviously not fine voice. "Why?" 

Kai wanted to laugh at his question, but she knew that was not the time. 

"Because you're not fine," Kai said. "I can tell." 

"It's just that-" His sentence was cut off by Biana and Elwin walking into the area. 

They both stared at Kai and Asher for a second and Asher pulled his hands away from hers. 

"Uhh- Elwin, she's having a bit of trouble walking," Asher said. 

Kai was annoyed at them for interrupting Asher telling Kai... well whatever he was going to tell her. 

"I'm fine," she snapped, but Elwin had already flashed a light over her ankle and was checking it. 

"It just looks strained on the muscle," Elwin told her. "You just need some more rest." 

Kai sighed. She didn't want more rest, she wanted to walk around more. Sadly she knew that her ankle wouldn't comply with that statement. 

"Are you here to help Fitz get home?" Kai asked Biana. 

She knew that Fitz was able to go home now, but she thought he was still going to stay another day with Sophie. 

"I'm not sure," Biana said uneasily. "Maybe." 

Kai knew why Biana was here. Everyone knew that Alvar was being placed at Everglen later that day. It was understandable that Biana wouldn't want to face that alone. 

Kai wanted to say something, but she didn't know what to say. 

"I'm gonna go to class now," Asher said. His voice sounded strained. 

"Bye... Asher," Kai said, but he'd already walked out before she finished. 

Kai stared at the empty doorway in shock. Asher always made it a point to at least say goodbye to her. She bit her lip to keep the threatening tears from falling, she didn't want to cry over him. 

"So umm... can I go in there?" Kai asked. As she said it, the taste of metallic blood coated her tongue. She knew that the other two could probably see it, but Kai just couldn't deal with that right then. 

"Um let's just wait a second," Biana said. 

Elwin nodded his agreement so Kai just stood there and waited. She guessed that Sophie and Fitz were talking, but considering the fact that they can transmit to each other Kai assumed it must be... something else.

It felt like an eternity until Elwin went back in, with Biana on his heels. Kai stumbled in after and flopped onto her bed. She wondered how Elwin knew to come into the room. 

Elwin immediately began checking up on Fitz, making him drink a bunch of elixirs and flashing tons of orbs. Biana was grabbing all of Fitz's belongings and clothes. 

"Going home?" Kai asked. 

Fitz nodded. 

Kai didn't know him that well, but just from being in the healing center with him for a while, she knew that she would miss him being there. 

Kai watched as Elwin shoved a bunch of elixirs into a satchel and handed it to Biana, who helped Fitz up and onto his crutches.  

Sophie and Biana gave each other a funny little side hug and Biana whispered something to Sophie. 

"Anytime," Sophie told her. "Will you be okay? 

"Of course," Biana said. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than Sophie.

Biana began to dig around for her home crystal, and Sophie turned to Fitz. 

Kai was too far away to hear what she said, but Fitz wrapped his arms around her and hugged her. The hug was long enough to make everyone uncomfortable, but thinking about what they went through, it wasn't so weird. 

"Check in when you can," Sophie said softly. 

"I will," he said letting go of her. Kai pretended not to listen and tried to give them some privacy. 

Once they had lept away, Kai let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She realized that all she was thinking about was hugging Asher like Fitz hugged Sophie.