SMOKE (The Aurum Trilogy Book 2)

Chapter 19

NINETEEN

Lauren

The pain ripped through my skull. I nearly crashed onto the hotel's balcony as I dug my fingers onto the banisters. I could feel my insides being clawed up and twisted. I hastily took of my high-heeled shoes, and ran down to the lawns. My toes grazed upon newly-trimmed wet grass, and I stumbled, catching my skirt onto my arms before they got soiled. I fell to my side, my elbow crashing against the soil. Air was knocked out of my lungs, and I took a sharp breath, trying my best to numb the pain.  

            Fight it. Fight it. Fight it. Fight it.

I gritted my teeth, clenching and unclenching my fists. I could feel the weight of bricks being pressed against my chest, blocking my windpipe. Flashbacks swiftly entered my mind as I shut my eyes. His voice. His laughter. His golden eyes. The way his lips claimed mine before I knew it. They way all of him seemed so familiar, too familiar.

I need to kill Knoxx. I have to kill Knoxx.

I summoned my will and pushed back thoughts of this boy. This boy was a mistake-a mistake I should've looked over, a mistake I should've avoided, an error I should not have committed. I was the perfect killing machine, and Argentum cannot afford anything less than perfect. I came here to kill and not to feel.

I let out a scream of pain. Sudden flashes of black and white shrouded the back of my eyes, and my head throbbed as if a vein was going to pop in my temple. I felt my arms and legs grow stiff till I no longer felt anything. I wriggled my fingers, but they remained limp and unable to move.

Fight it. Fight it. Fight it.

I moved to a state of trance and imagined myself floating away on a river of calmness. I imagined the way the cold water licked my fiery skin, the way it quenched my parched throat and chilled my steel heart. I imagined the way it carried me through smooth currents, the sound of water sloshing filling my ears along with a chorus of chirping birds. I tried to think happy thoughts-how Dr. Carter fixed a smile for me whenever I trained with him, how Lia called me her sister, how Daniel wrapped his arms around me almost naturally as if I belonged with him and he belonged with me, how Argentum was waiting for me to bring home victory.

I can't die now. I can't. I have to go on.

I sat up, forcing my legs to make use of themselves. I propped myself on my elbows, adding extra weight on my arms. I tasted blood on my mouth, and I realized that I've accidentally chewed my cheek while experiencing that moment of pain. I could almost feel the currents going faster, bringing me home, bringing me back where I belong.

Then, his image flashed again in my mind. Under the chandelier, his golden features stand out like an angel. His mask makes him an enigma I want to reveal, a soul I long to know. I could feel the heat of my cheeks rising as he leans closer, closer, till there's nothing in between us, till our lips touch and electricity cackles all over my body. I surrender.

I fell back to the ground, hitting my head. My vision exploded into shards of different colors, transforming the world around me into a gigantic kaleidoscope. I let out a moan of pain and propped myself back up with my elbows. The water has gone turbulent, sending me to rapids and allowing my skin to be gashed by the jagged edges of stones. I was far, far away from home.

I dug my elbows further onto the ground, soil crunching under my skin. Sweat dotted my forehead and trickled between my breasts. A loose curl dangled over my face, but I didn't bother brushing it away. My body was convulsing till it became uncontrollable. I counted my breaths, trying to keep my calm state, but panic was swelling like a balloon inside me, threatening to pop anytime. The wall-less garden was squeezing me in, and fear shot through me in spasms. I had never felt this much pain before.