Almost At The Top- Book Four in the United Series

Chapter Nine

Max's POV:

I can't keep it in this time.

I cry out in pain as Octavian burns my side. Octavian laughs but I can barely hear him over the ringing in my ears and my screams of pain.

Octavian lifts his burning stick off my side and I breathe heavily.

"Let's make a different deal, shall we? I'm tired of asking questions and answering yours. I will continue to burn you until you tell me to stop. But if you do, I can...well, you'll see when you give up," Octavian sneers at me. "And if you don't, then I let you go. Fair enough, right?" And without another word, he lowers his flaming stick back onto my side.

I know that I can gather water from the trees and plants around me, but I'm in so much pain I can't concentrate on anything. I don't want to know what Octavian will do to me if I give up, but I won't, even though I so badly want to.

I cry out in pain again and Octavian laughs. He enjoys hearing me scream in pain. He enjoys torturing me just because I beat him in a fight.

I can feel a tear roll down my cheek and hope Octavian didn't notice or he'll probably burn me even more.

Octavian laughs one more time before lifting his torch off my side again. I try to focus on gathering water again but Octavian then places his hand on my burned side. I wince in pain and Octavian turns me again so I'm lying on my back. He smirks then plunges his torch into the ground. It sticks there and Octavian then picks up his Imperial gold sword and starts to walk away.

"Get up and the next place you'll get burned is your neck," Octavian threatens then walks away.

But I'm not really the one for threats.

I quickly scramble to my knees and hold out my tied-up hands above the torch. It burns my wrists but I keep in a cry of pain this time.

Just as the tight rope holding my hands together is about to snap from the heat of the fire, I hear Octavian yell, "HEY!"

Octavian tackles me to the ground, trying to pin me down. I quickly react and separate my hands as much as possible. The tight rope holding my hands together finally snap apart. I quickly shake the rope off of me, then punch Octavian in the face. He reacts by punching my stomach three times, so I grab ahold of his throat and start to choke him. He tries to pry my fingers off his throat but I don't let go.

As Octavian is about fall unconscious, he comes to his senses and grabs my side, the side he burned. I gasp in pain and let go of his throat. Octavian quickly picks me up by my sides and I shout in surprise. He slams my back against a tree and pins me there by my hands. My feet are tied up so I can't kick him. I struggle against him but I can't get loose. I once again try to use my telekinesis, but that still won't work.

"Alright, Jackson. I'm done with you. I think it's time you know what happens when you mess with me," Octavian tells me, glaring at me. He forces my leather jacket off of me and picks up his torch from the ground.

When he's finally finished with me minutes later, I feel like there's not one part of my body that isn't burned.

When Octavian finally lifts the torch from my body and throws it aside, extinguishing the flame, I immediately fall limp. Octavian catches me and places me on the ground. I can barely keep myself conscious. Octavian circles me, his eyes scanning my severely burned body.

"Satisfied?" I ask Octavian, my voice hoarse, and he smirks.

"Very," Octavian replies, then picks up a purple backpack with the gold letters 'SPQR' on the back of it.

"Well, I'm not wasting anymore of my time with you," Octavian tells me, then starts to walk away. "See you later, Jackson," he finishes, then walks away, laughing and leaving me for dead.

When I'm sure Octavian is gone, I look around for at least one single drop of water, and that's when I see it.

A small green leaf on the ground near me has a few water drops on it. I crawl to the leaf, wincing, and gingerly swipe my fingers on the top of it, collecting the small water droplets. It feels amazing against my burned skin. The cool water travels throughout my body, healing the burns Octavian gave me.

But a few small water droplets can only do so much. It doesn't heal all the burns, but most of them. Thankfully, the burns that haven't healed are the ones on my stomach, back and sides, covered by my shirt and jacket.

I look down and my shirt is burned black with a few holes in it. I sigh and throw on my jacket, zipping it up all the way to my neck. Hopefully no one touches my sides, back, or stomach, or it'll burn like Hades.

I shakily get onto my feet, slightly wincing from the pain that shoots up my back and sides when I finally manage to stand straight.

I'm going to kill Octavian.

I turn towards the direction Octavian walked away to, but I know I don't have time to go scavenger hunting for him. I know I haven't been gone for long, but I know everyone will soon realize that I'm missing and get worried. Ivan is definitely worried.

I look on the ground behind me and immediately notice a glimmer shining in my eyes from the sun's glare. My Celestial bronze sword. 

I pick it up and quickly sheathe it then remember Ivan. I reach out to him telepathically.

Ivan? You there?

After a few moments of terrifying silence, Ivan finally replies.

Max! Where were you?

Nowhere. Don't worry, I'm fine. Just keep talking to me telepathically and I'll come to you.

As I'm heading towards Ivan, I realize that I finally got my legacies back. I try to lift up a large branch from next to me with telekinesis and it quickly floats to the air. I guess I was too injured to use my legacies.

But when I was injured from the explosion with Setrákus Ra, I was still able to use my legacy transfer to give Ivan flight. I was still able to use my legacies, though I was much more injured than I was a minute ago.

This is something I'll have to think about when I get back.

----------------