Waters of Oblivion

Chapter 19: The Fountain

She could sense that something was wrong, but Reine also knew that prodding Max with questions wasn't the way to get him to open up. She deliberately didn't ask about his immediate plans as they sped past the chateau's countless salamanders and out through the magnificent entrance.

As they walked across the sun-drenched courtyard, she could no longer keep her frustrations in check. Stopping in front of him, she blocked the gravel path leading to their vehicle.

"You knew that he wouldn't be able to tell us anything," she accused, balling her fists at her side to maintain her increasing temper. "So why did you bring me here in the first place?"

He took a small step forward, narrowing the gap between them to just a few inches. "It was the only way I could get you to spend a few extra hours with me. Unfortunately, something's happened and we have to leave here immediately. However, you still have two choices. I can either drive you back to Paris so you can catch the train to London, or we can go somewhere - anywhere - together."

A small tingle in the pit of her stomach reminded her of her own feelings, and she momentarily couldn't faulty him for trying to stall their inevitable separation. But suppressing her emotions in favor of common sense, Reine held her ground.

"Don't make this any harder, Max. Let's just go." She avoided his gaze lest it affect her resolve, but his proximity - magnifying his warmth and his smell - was enough to temporarily weaken her to the point where her actions belied her words.

Max immediately noticed her reluctance and placing his hands on her shoulders, he pressed on. "We can start over, darling. Right here, right now."

The force of the words shocked Reine back to reality, and she pulled away from him with an audible intensity. Turning on her heels, she shook her head in disbelief at her inability to resist him and didn't stop walking away until she reached the parked car. Channeling her frustration into anger, she finally turned around to address him.

"Well, aren't you coming?" she snapped, noticing he was still standing motionless in the same spot.

He remained silent, his eyes staring blankly ahead and his hands clutching his stomach.

"Max? What's wrong?" Her heart raced, realizing something must have happened while her back was turned.

Instead of answering, he collapsed.

Frantically running to where he was lying, she kneeled at his side on the coarse gravel. Max's face was turning more and more pale by the second, and his breathing was slowing with each strained gasp for air. His bloody hands were still resting on his abdomen, clutching the source of his injury. The carved, wooden end of narrow blade was sticking out between his fingers.

"You have to take cover," he whispered between each shallow breath.

"Where did it come from? I don't see anyone," Reine said, ignoring his request and instinctively looking around the empty courtyard while searching for the knife's source.

"Close. From less than fifty feet away," Max said as he nodded toward the castle's wall.

Hastily scanning the turrets and balconies, she still didn't see anything unusual. Becoming more worried about Max's injury than their hidden attacker, she refocused attention.

"What do I do, Max?" she pleaded.

He squeezed his eyes shut, no doubt from the pain. "You have to pull it out. I can't heal while it stays in."

"I can't," she said with increasing uncertainty. "You could still bleed to death and then . . . I couldn't deal with you not remembering me." Tears clouded her eyes.