Falling Through Portals

Star Eaters

Chapter 97

    It was so hot.

    Percy slid down the desert dune as the sand got into his shoes and his pants. The hot sun bead down on him. No wind and no water from where he stood. The sky was achingly blue and completely clear. It would have been beautiful if he was sure he was going to boil into steam in the very place he stood.

    Keeping his mouth firmly shut, he tried to conserve all the water he had. But his lips were chapped and his tongue was already drying out.

Percy squinted and held up a hand to shield his eyes as he looked up at the sun. gods he wished that the sun would go away for just a moment. He swore if he could find one scrap of shade, an oasis, or a palm tree, or anything other than the scorching hot sand he would spend the rest of his life planting trees with all of the satyrs.

    His orange camp shirt was stuck to his skin in sweat. The dark blue jeans made his legs feel like an oven, but he knew that if he took them off he would risk so much more sun damage. Instead he kept moving up the next dune.

    His climbing became crawling as he neared the top of the dune. This dune was much taller and steeper than the other ones. He should have walked to a lower part of the dune before starting the climb. The sand gave way under his weight and he started to slide backward. Exhaustion was nagging him. Every movement made him want to cry. But he dug his feet in to keep from toppling downward. Somehow he kept going. 

    He was nearly at the top when pain exploded in the back of his calf.

    Percy screamed as the pain made his vision go black for a moment. Losing his balance, Percy tumbled backward. A Face full of sand greeted him as his whole body rolled down the dune. Pain over whelmed him and stars decorated the back of his eyelids.

By the time he rolled to a stop at the bottom of the dune he could barely think over the stinging, burning pain that was surging through every nerve in his body.    It was like someone had reached into his calf and torn out a piece of his bone.

He just laid there, shaking for –he didn't know how long.

Sand was in his mouth, up his nose, in his eyes, and everywhere else on his body. It was a miracle he could still breathe. Crumpled beneath the baking sun, Percy didn't move. All he could do was groan against the pain.

Percy didn't know how he got there or why he was in the desert. But he wasn't leaving without a miracle.

    ************

    Lorem woke up surrounded by the smell of linin and vanilla.

Soft sheets caressed her arms and toes.

    Blinking awake, Lorem found herself in a lavish bedroom with blood red walls and white trimming. She was tucked into a four post bed as soft light filtered in from the window above her. Wetting her lips, Lorem sat up and rubbed her bare arms. Someone had removed her coat and top leaving Lorem in her white camisole and pants. 

    She looked around the room and found her clothes on a chair next to the bed. No doubt her shoes were on the floor. Lorem closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Running her hands over her face, Lorem remembered what had happened. Sherlock's accusation, her insides burning up, and then he carried her . . . here. She opened her eyes and stared at the ornate ceiling. It was black with gold patterns swirling high above her. It reminded her of something, but she couldn't put her finger on what.

    Lorem ran her hand through her hair and she frowned. She patted down her head and looked at the pillows around her. Something was missing. Her . . . her head piece. Lorem's eyes widened as she sat up straighter and searched the room for it. It wasn't on the chair or on the dresser on the other wall.