Angel Wings

Chapter 14.2

Evabelle made her way dazedly to her room, not really talking with any of the others, not really knowing what to say. Eventually when she found herself crawling into bed, she found herself agreeing with Faux. Except for the fact that it was kind of the opposite feeling she felt on Christmas Eve. The prospect of gifts and treats of the coming morn, left children buzzing with so much excited energy, that it was nearly impossible to fall asleep. That was not how Evabelle would have described what she felt, lying in bed. The buzzing energy was there, but it was a terrified, I'm going to be sick, kind of feeling instead. She did her best to get her mind off of it and try to think of anything else. There was nothing though.

The piano man wasn't playing tonight. They were probably getting to bed for the day tomorrow. Evabelle didn't realize how much she missed the beautiful chimes of that piano and its player until their night at Kalas Hem. When they had returned and he had begun to play that night, she had instantly calmed. It had been a relief, especially after the Del and Aza fiasco. But now there was only silence, leaving too much room for Evabelle to stress.

Suddenly a loud bang sounded against the wall, just outside Evabelle's room, causing her to shriek. She leapt from her bed and stared at the door, waiting for the sound to come again. Another sound did come, but it wasn't loud just an urgent knock on the door. Evabelle didn't move until she heard CJ. "Evabelle, please open the door!" he gasped. "Hurry, I—" But Evabelle had already swung the door wide. Something was definitely wrong. The boy was hunched over, looking starkly pale as he clung to his wounded shoulder.

"CJ!" Evabelle exclaimed. "Are you—?"

"Never mind that!" CJ wheezed as sweat trickled down his face. He leaned himself against the wall to keep himself upright. "Evabelle, it's me!"

Evabelle stared at him. "I can see that. CJ what did you do to your arm?" Had he banged it against the wall? "CJ, we need to take you to Calandra."

The injured boy shook his head. "No," his eyes were swirling in pain and...something else. "I have to tell you... don't... you can't... go... it's...." CJ's voice petered off as he slowly sank to his knees, his head bowed.

Evabelle knelt beside him. "CJ? CJ are you alright?" She grabbed his good shoulder and felt herself shaking. She turned her head about to cry for the others, but then CJ looked up.

Tiredness reflected in his hazel eyes. "Evabelle," he blinked at her, momentarily confused. "Evabelle, I'm so sorry." He rose to his feet with Evabelle's arms out in case he fell. "I guess I'm more scared than I thought. I don't want you to go." His voice still held a slight tremor.

Evabelle scanned the boy up and down. He still held his shoulder, but the panic in his gaze was gone. "CJ, I don't really have much of a choice. But you don't have to come. Maybe it would be better if you didn't."

"No!" CJ exclaimed. He snatched Evabelle's hands. "I won't abandon you. I'm coming."

"Alright," Evabelle acknowledged. "But go get some rest, CJ. If your arm hurts tomorrow, I want you to stay here. Okay?"

CJ nodded and released her hands. "Okay."

She watched him return to his room and she herself fell against the wall, the half moon shone through the great arching windows, reflecting in her eyes. How could she possibly be reassuring him, when she herself felt as though she might just have an anxiety attack.

Evabelle let her eyelids fall shut. Perhaps she should go to the library and find a story that wasn't her own, so that she could escape before being plunged into the topsy-turvy world that had become her life.