The Last Hope (AU Book 1 of The Last Series)

Chapter 18

Fernos scowled and narrowed his eyes, not liking what I had told him. He didn't say a word while he looked at me, slowly blinking with hard eyes that didn't show any information.

"Dear, you need to talk to us about what happened," Tabitha said softly, and I looked at her with wide eyes and did not respond. She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet, hesitating, before she walked over to us. She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I couldn't help but flinch and try to get away from it, for some reason.

Tabitha pulled her hand back and off of my shoulder before she clutched it to her chest, and her heart skipped a beat before it started to pound harder and faster in her chest. "Oh," she said, her voice filled with shock and sadness and barely above a whisper. "Oh, Dear."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and closed my eyes, my heart filled with grief and guilt. I grabbed Fernos tighter and pulled him closer to me while I took a deep, shuddering breath and then released it with a small whoosh.

"Sorry, sorry," I said hesitantly before I cleared my throat and shifted on my bed, my cheeks turning red. "I didn't mean for that to happen, Tabitha." I paused and licked my lips before I cleared my throat and shifted on my bed some more. "Can you forgive me?"

Tabitha sighed and offered me a tight smile, her eyes filled with sadness and pain. "Oh, don't worry, my Dear," she said softly while she shook her head. "You are ok. That was ok. I know that you didn't mean to."

I didn't say another word and closed my eyes tighter while I set my jaw. My heart skipped a beat before it started to pound hard and fast, breaking every so slightly.

Tabitha cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. She furrowed her brows and cocked her head, studying me while she raised an eyebrow in question. "What happened, Caroline?" she asked softly. "We want to help. I know that you don't want us to know or help, but we need to know and want to help."

She paused again and sighed, shaking her head before she cleared her throat again. She took a deep breath before she released it with a small whoosh. "Why are you mad at Cooper and do not want to be around him any more?"

I bit back a small scoff and rolled my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line because I couldn't help but feel annoyed that we were having this conversation. "I am not mad at Cooper, Tabitha," I said, softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "Why do you think that I am mad at him?"

I didn't say anything about her saying that I didn't want to be around him any more...

Tabitha frowned and narrowed her eyes a little while she studied me, and I knew that she didn't like my tone or my attitude or the fact that I didn't say anything about not wanting to be near him. She didn't say a word while she looked at me and then looked at Fernos, silently telling him to say something to me and get me to open up about what had happened and why I was scared.

Fernos bit back an annoyed sigh before he pulled me away from him so that he could look at me. He studied me, and I held his gaze for as long as I could before I couldn't help but look at my hands, not able to meet his gaze any longer.

"What happened?" he asked with a small hum in his voice, dipping his head closer to his chest. "Why are you scared of Cooper? Does this have to do with the nightmare you were having?"

I hesitated before I slowly nodded. "Yes," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I could still feel his hand around my neck, and my heart skipped a beat before it started to pound faster and harder in my chest.

Oh, Goddess, no...

Please, no, not again.

My hands started to shake from fear and nerves, and I slowly started to struggle to breathe again while panic dug its nasty claws around my throat and my chest, squeezing whatever air I had in my lungs until I was basically choking.

Instantly, Fernos stood and moved me so that I was sitting on the edge of the bed and grabbed my arms while he stared at me. "Tabitha," he barked and held me tighter, his eyes showing the concern and fear that I was feeling. "Come here and help again. She's choking."

"But on what?" Tabitha asked and moved to his side. She furrowed her brows and pressed her lips into a thin line while she looked at me. Worry flickered through her eyes and she placed her hand on my throat, and I couldn't help but flinch back and away from her but that didn't stop her from keeping her hand on my throat. "She's not choking on anything."

"Magic," Fernos replied instantly. "Why do you think I had you use magic the first time? Someone is choking her even if we can't see it."

Tabitha hesitated before she pulled her hand away from my throat and took a step back and away from her. "I don't know if my magic is going to work again," Tabitha said, her voice barely above a whisper while she shook her head. "Are you sure that I sh-"

"No!" Fernos exclaimed, interrupting her, and she flinched and took another step back and away from me with a pained look on her face. "Perseus is not strong enough to help with this, and I do not trust him to be near her when she is in this state."

"Bu-"

'Tabitha, please," Fernos said, interrupting her, again. "Just do something and help her. She is turning blue."

And sure enough, I was turning blue while I struggled to breathe with each shuddering breath that I took.

Black stops started to appear at the edge of my vision, and I took a deep, shuddering breath, even though it didn't work, and I couldn't get any air into my lungs.

Oh, Goddess...

Please help. I think I am going to die...

Tabitha pressed her lips into a thinner line before she looked between me and Fernos before she sighed and nodded. "Ok," she said before she cleared her throat and moved her sleeves up her arm. "I am going to need your help again, Fernos. Caroline, do you trust me?"

Yes, I wanted to say but couldn't while I nodded in confirmation. Please, help, for I can't do this alone. I can't breathe, and I do not know what's going on with me.

"She does," Fernos said while he looked at me before he looked at her. "Now, start. Do what you must and tell me what you need me to do."

Tabitha pressed her lips into a thinner line and nodded. She placed her hands on my chest and head. "Close your eyes, Caroline," she said, and I instantly did what I was told to do and closed my eyes. "Fernos, put your hands on her shoulders and focus on your powers. I am going to need to use them."

Fernos set his jaw and nodded before he placed his hands on my shoulders, and I held back a small shiver when I felt his magic wash over my body while I waited for myself to start breathing again.

Oh, Goddess, please make them hurry...

Tabitha took a deep shuddering breath before she released it with a small whoosh before she focused on her powers as well as Fernos's power and started to mutter something under her breath that I couldn't understand.

Finally, after what felt like hours but only a few minutes, there was this flashing light that appeared in front of my closed eyes with this small pop! that had me flinching and trying to duck away from them, even though I couldn't move.

The feeling around my lungs and throat disappeared, and I was able to take a deep, shuddering breath while I opened my eyes again to see fuzzy figures of Fernos and Tabitha staring at me with matching concerned looks on their faces.

Fernos opened his mouth and asked me something, even though I couldn't hear his question. He furrowed his brows and pressed his lips into a thin line before he opened his mouth again and asked something else that I again couldn't hear.

Tabitha moved closer to me and placed her hand on my shoulder. She turned my attention to her and asked me something, even though I wasn't able to hear her either.

She pressed her lips into a thin line and placed her hand on my head again. She took a deep breath and released it with a small whoosh, and this warm feeling washed over my body and I slowly started to relax and slump against them.

And with that, everything went black as my world turned upside down.