The Black-Hearted Ninja (The Dark Triangle #1)

I Can't Lose You

Ah, yes, I did it again, lovely readers. Got carried away with a conversation that wasn't supposed to be significant, yet took up an entire chapter. Maybe I should just change the title of this book to: "A Pathetic Excuse For a Horror Novel In Which Brookylnisosm Focuses Too Much On Her Characters' Emotions and Doesn't Get to What Her Readers Really Want, More Death." But I guess that title would be too long, and then nobody would read my book! So the fun part where somebody gets emotionally scarred will be published tomorrow!

On a second note, if you are a hormonal teenager, during this chapter you may feel the need to throw your phone and scream, "I SHIP IT SO HARD!!!!!!" @patriciawishbone1   will get it.

Also maybe "JUST KISS ALREADAH!" or "WHAH CAN'T U JUST SAY WAT UR THINKING ALREADAH?"

Okay, I'll stop with the hormonal teen biz. On with the story.

Nya's P.O.V.

My eyes snap open and I'm staring right into the worried face of Jay.

Blinking, I take in my surroundings. Blue everything. I'm in Jay's room. I'm lying on the bed, tucked securely in the blankets with upmost care.

"Nya, please wake up. Please..." Jay's eyes are closed as he leans over me. My right hand is in both of his. "I couldn't live if you died." He is crying, tears crackling with electricity as soon as they fall. "This is all my fault...if I hadn't tried to make you do that stupid spell this never would have happened." His face is mere inches from mine. I could tilt my chin up just a little and then-

No, no, no. Stop it!

"Did we win?" It takes effort to speak. Jay sits straight up, giving me an electric shock in his surprise.

"Nya! You're alive!" Jay laughs in relief through his tears, a small smile appearing on his face. He drops my hand in favor of a very staticky hug.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I ask, confused. Everything is a little bit blurry. I'm trying to remember what happened.

"The spell took all your power! I thought you were dead! " Now Jay is brushing some of the hair out of my eyes, tucking it behind my ears with affection.

The spell.

What happened after the spell?

All I remember is black and fear.

"Did we win? Is Cole back to normal?" I ask.

"Um...well..."

"Jay. Tell. Me. Now."

"Um, I gave you some of my power and it still wasn't enough. So you passed out...and as soon as you dropped the spellbook, that weird purple magic mist just dissipated. Then Cole, uh, Cole got away. He's still demony. Then I kind of drag-carried you in here cause it was the closest room where nobody had died. And then you stayed unconscious and you weren't really breathing, so..." Jay says this all quickly, as if to get it out of the way. He didn't want to tell me.

"Cole escaped?"

"Yes, but you shouldn't-"

"We have to find another way to get the demon out!" I say with an urgency. I try to sit up but dizziness takes over, the world spins, and black spots invade my line of sight. Jay shoots out a hand and catches me so I don't fall hard back onto the pillows. "Ugh! Why can't I get up?"

"You're still drained from the spell. And I don't think you've eaten anything for days." Jay says, gently laying me back down.

"I'm not hungry. Now can you please help me up so we can go kill the demon?" I say, shoving away the covers and sitting up a bit although it takes a lot of effort.

Jay easily pushes me back down and tucks the blue blankets around me. "You aren't leaving this room until you get more rest, Nya. You made me a promise you wouldn't try to kill the demon and I expect you to keep your word!" His tone is insistent.

"But I have to do something! I can't just sit around resting and waiting for Cole or the demon or whatever it is to come murder us! If you don't remember, we already tried that and it ended with everyone else dead. So let go of me, Jay Walker. If you want to be helpful get me a weapon. I'm doing this and you can't stop me!" I fume, struggling against his surprisingly solid restraint. I never knew Jay could be this strong.

"Nya, I understand that you want to take action, but it isn't safe. You're vulnerable. Cole would rip you up like a paper doll!" Jay is getting more upset now.

"I had a way to end all of this, to get my closest friends and family back, to banish that horrible demon from my life and get everything back to normal and I failed. There has to be another solution. You don't get it, do you? How much this matters to me? I don't care if I get ripped apart. I'd do the spell again, even if it killed me!"

"YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS!" Jay shrieks. He stares straight into my eyes with an intense blue gaze, clouded with tears. The desperation in his voice is apparent. "You can't die." His breathing is uneven and mine is too. "You might have lost everything, Nya. There may be nothing left in the world you love. But I care about you too much to let you do something that only ends with your death"

"Jay..." What is happening? Why am I crying too?

"Nya, if you died I would lose the will to live! I suppose I can't expect you to understand. But I didn't do all those things, finding the spell, and trying to help, for Ninjago or the team! I did them for you!"

Jay's hands are on my arms, still holding me so that I can't get up. We're staring at each other, him with raw emotion, me with surprise. I can barely breathe, I never expected this. I want to say something back. The three words are in my mind, and I think they are in his too. I can't say them.

"I understand!" I find myself saying.

"It doesn't matter." Jay says. The static coming through his fingers tells me otherwise, even as he loosens his grip on my arms. "I'm just being overemotional-as usual." His hands begin a nervous orbit around each other. "You can try to kill the demon if you want! Who am I to stop you?"

I could go do what I want right now. Jay's not in my way anymore, and maybe I won't die. I might win. It's not impossible.

The power of positive thinking!

But it's right now that I'm struck by how tired I truly am. I haven't really slept for I don't know how long, just a very long time. I want to sleep. I'm comfortable. This room smells good, not like blood, but like Jay. And I'll never be able to accomplish anything if I don't get a little rest first.

I inspect Jay, his anxiety radiating off of him almost as much as his electricity. A yawn escapes me.

"I'll kill the demon later. I think first I'll take a nap." I say in a new tone. A tone I hope says, I'm fine. Don't worry. We'll get through this.

Jay's expression changes to something unreadable. "I'll keep watch." He says.

"Wake me if anything bad happens." I say and then burrow down in the warm comforter. Maybe I'll be able to think more clearly once I have a good night's sleep. The last thing I see before being pulled down into the warm confines of sleep is Jay's blue eyes. The emotion within them is different.

I dream of nothing.