In My True Element

Chapter 25

I'm leaning closer to Ilana trying to find some warmth in her and offer some in return, but it's not helping. Not anymore.

During the first hour our emotions were so high that neither of us really felt the cold that was slowly but oh so persistently claiming us for its victims. Now, however, the inevitable has to be faced head-on. There is no help in lying to ourselves. We won't be able to survive for much longer.

"D-do you h-h-hear it-t?" My teeth chatter and my speech is barely comprehensible.

"What?" Ilana's faint voice freezes my heart more so than the cold that has proven that it can penetrate everywhere. I start rubbing her back with new force. If I increase her blood circulation maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to buy her some time and she'll survive until Davidson finds us.

"T-th-he w-w-wind. It-t's q-quiet-ted d-down."

Ilana lifts her face up; her lips have acquired a disconcerting blue shade.

"Yes, I hear it."

"Y-you a-aren't-t s-shiv-vering." This realization suddenly hits me and I start panicking. She isn't shivering; how did I miss that? It's bad. Her body isn't fighting the cold anymore. Her body is giving up. I need to do something. And do it now.

As difficult as it is in our confined space, I manage to shrug out of my parka and put it on top of Ilana.

"What are you doing?" Her voice is so quiet I need to strain my ears to hear her. Her lips aren't moving anymore.

"Y-you're t-t-too co-old." It's becoming more and more difficult to find the right words. My brain is slowly giving up. "A b-bit l-long-ger," I whisper more for my own comfort than for hers.

"It's okay. I'm happy to die like this. It's good." I lean closer to her mouth to hear what she's saying and every cell of my body rebels. No. It's not good to die like this. She has to live.

Too stubborn to give in, I forbid my body to be weakened by this cold. I'll stay strong for the two of us.

"D-don't you d-dare to f-f-fall as-s-sleep." I shake Ilana until she opens her eyes. This small action, which in the past we wouldn't have paid any attention to, now requires almost too much energy. More than she has. I give her another shake and continue rubbing her back, hoping to increase her blood circulation.

This is when some distant noises penetrate my foggy consciousness. Can it be happening? Has someone really found us?

I lift my head and hear what is unmistakably Darren's squeaky voice. "It's their bike! They must be here somewhere!"

I have to get out and show them where Ilana is. We're saved. Yet, I'm too scared to leave her here alone, even for a second. What if I leave, and she closes her eyes and never opens them again?

I shake Ilana one more time. "T-theey are h-h-here. C-can't-t sleep." I order and wait for her to acknowledge my words with a faint nod. After that I carefully crawl out of the hole and try to call for help, but Brackwick's men already see me. Just before I collapse Darren, who's the closest, catches me.

"Is she in there?!" There's panic in his voice. I understand him. If anything happens to her, none of them will be allowed to live for much longer. He doesn't want to save her right now, he wants to save himself.

Regardless of his reasons for being here now, I feel grateful and nod at the hole. He lets go of me and I slide to the ground. We're alive. Nothing bad will happen to Ilana now. I watch Davidson and Simon run to the hole and help Daren pull Ilana out. Her eyes are still open. She listened to me and didn't fall asleep. I smile and lose consciousness.