Thirty Minutes to Heartbreak

Chapters 21 - 24

Chapter 21: Let’s Go Home

Groaning, Pax tried to move her fingers. They were caked with dried blood and glued to the open gashes along her abdomen. She winced as she pulled her hand away from the wounds, causing them to begin bleeding again. She placed her hand beside her, and felt the most welcome texture she had ever felt in her life; it was the moisture of morning dewdrops on grass.

Pax released a laugh as she rolled over, pressing both of her hands into the grass, along with her face. The grass was sweet-smelling and it felt like home. Sitting up quickly, she looked around and saw that Amara and the boys were lying unconscious just a few feet away. She must have been able to reflexively initiate one final teleport just as the nuclear explosion had tossed her against her friends. Because their bodies had been in contact, they had come with her. She laughed at this amazing luck and turned her face skyward. The first rays of dawn were just beginning to break the horizons, and it was the perfect sight to welcome her home.

Why does it always have to be just in the nick of time? she wondered to herself. I would experience much less of the heart-stopping stress that causes me to lose five years of my life if I could save my friends, say, with a few minutes of time to spare. Her moment of happiness had segued directly into cynicism and she pulled herself to her feet. Looking down at the claw marks and wounds all over her body, she knew that her friends would need immediate medical attention.

Turning to Thornton and Asher, Pax saw that the boys had separated. This meant that she had probably been unconscious for longer than thirty minutes. She smiled and nudged Asher with her foot.

“Hey. Uncle Asshole.”

Asher groaned as the prodding foot roused him from his sleep. He rubbed his aching head. “Paxie. What gives?”

“Thanks for helping to save Mara.”

“You kind of clued me in at the last minute there, cupcake. Next time someone I love is in mortal danger, can you include me as part of the initial rescue party?”

She hesitated, surprised at his casual use of the word. “I wasn’t sure whether you cared.”

“Are you kidding me?” Asher asked, rising to his feet angrily. He swayed for a moment, slightly dizzy. “This is serious stuff, Pax! You better be careful before you go practicing dangerous techniques and get us all involved in…”

“I know about mom,” Pax said softly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”   

“What about Bridget?” Asher asked, rubbing his head again and grunting.

“That it was the Asura who killed her? That it wasn’t an accident because she was trying to practice?”

Asher’s face froze. “It was?” He sighed and reached out to hug his niece gently. “I swear, kiddo, I didn’t know.”

Pax hugged back, feeling forgiveness creep into her skull. It seemed her uncle was innocent—in this at least.

“Hey,” Thornton said, pulling his head off the ground. “Are we alive?”

Smiling, Pax ripped herself away from her uncle and moved to the ground to hug Thornton. She hugged him a bit too fiercely, causing many of their wounds to be rammed together, and they instantly recoiled.

“Ow,” Pax whimpered, clutching her stomach.

Thornton groaned, running his fingers over the claw marks in his chest. “Yep. That pain means I’m alive.”

“Do you think Suja is dead?” Pax asked as she pressed her hand down on the deep gashes to stop the bleeding. “That was a pretty big explosion.”