Tale of the Prophet Bearer: The Dark Queen's Reign

Chapter 35: We failed

"My lungs are going to explode if I take one more step!"

"Fine, fine, we'll rest," Cody acknowledges and slows to a stop. He bends over, hands on his hip as he tries to catch his breath.

Tucker tries to cheer, but it sounds more like a painful groan. He chunks his blanket down and collapses on his stomach. I wince at the sight of his back that resembles something that was mauled by a bear. We used Cameron's hoodie to patch up the wound the best we could, but blood is already soaked through.

"But we can't stay for too long." Cody wipes his sweat-plastered hair from his forehead. "We don't know how close Reil is."

Tucker grunts in despair. "We've been running for hours. Hours, Cody, hours. PLEASE let me have this needed nap."

"For once," Cameron throws out his blanket and curls up, his gaze distant. "I'll agree with you."

I rub my heavy eyelids, shifting my weight from one foot to the other to try to keep them from hurting. Walking through the sewers without a shoe and a bloody foot was awfully painful. I need food and a nap desperately, but I quietly say, "I'll keep watch to make sure nobody comes. You guys get some sleep."

"Are you sure nobody will sneak past you?" Cameron asks while his gaze sharpens to a glare, cynically. "You might not know if they come, like you didn't know Abby was behind the dagger."

He might as well have punched me in the stomach.

"Cameron!" Cody almost shouts, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

"I'm just saying," Cameron's glare moves to Cody. "She can't—"

"That's enough!" Cody interrupts, his tone angrier than I've ever heard it. "I know you're angry and grieving, but stop taking it out on Christina. This isn't her fault. If you want to channel your anger on somebody, do it on Reil."

"I would if we could get her!" He argues. "All you want to do is wait around here!"

"We would die if we go up there! The dragon would eat us—he almost did a few hours ago!"

"We should still try!"

"Dude, we literally just tried," Tucker pipes up, lifting his head so his voice isn't muffled by the blanket. "One of us almost lost a foot, the other their back, and all of us were halfway down a dragon's pie-hole. That's how things turned out when we try."

Cameron groans, clenching his hair with angry fists. "You guys don't understand what I'm trying to say—"

"No, you understand what we're trying to say," Tucker corrects.

Cody jumps in. "Being upset doesn't defeat Reil—"

"Didn't you say to take my anger out on Reil?"

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" I find myself shouting. I move my over my ears, but the boys are already quiet. I huff a breath to calm myself down. Don't get so angry you say something stupid and make everybody hate you again. "Go to sleep," I preach angrily. "If you keep arguing like this, everybody is going to know where we are."

Tucker starts to say something, but I interrupt. "I said go to sleep." I spin on my heel which hurts more than I thought it would and march off.

"Christina—" Cody starts.

"Sleep. Now." I snap, glaring at them over my shoulder. I plop down and hug my knees to my chest. My hands shake from the sudden rush of anger and I almost feel bad for losing my temper so easily, but I'm so sick of them arguing. I can't take it anymore.