Those With Wings

Uh-oh

Zero's POV

My eyes flitted towards Alex automatically, who's face was blank and pale. A silence ruled as everyone realized it was only a matter of time.

Luanna stepped forward, and knelt down next to her brother, petting his hair. "Come on, Alex," she whispered.

Piper's face scrunched up, and she burst out into tears. "Wake up!" she wailed.

"Shush, Piper! Your tears won't help!" Luanna snapped.

The girl was past reasoning, and she collapsed on Alex' body, her shoulders shaking with grief.

"I-isn't t-there, like, s-some kind of r-remedy?" I stuttered, "l-like w-when you s-saved me?"

"There is nothing much we can do," Luanna said coldly.

I was suprised at how cold she acted towards her dying brother, but then then I realize she was upset. But in her own, stubborn Luanna way, she wasn't going to show it. Not until the end, anyway.

"Myhirr, do you have anything with you? Special herbs, anything?" she requires stiffly.

"No," the girl whispered, glancing at Alex with a conflicted look, "he grew, Luanna."

"Now is not the time to talk about it, we need to help him!" Luanna snapped.

Myhirr sat down next to me. "I've never seen you before," she remarked sharply.

I ignored her. Luanna was right. Now was not the time.

Luanna pushed Piper off of Alex and muttered things under her breath while making signs. I wondered what she was doing, but decided not to ask.

Suddenly, her head shot up. "Where is the cootie stick?!"

I threw it her way, and she got up, sharing a glance with Piper. "Hold him down."

The girl obeyed, and Myhirr jumped up. "Luanna! That's dangerous, are you sure-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Luanna swung the cootie stick in the air and brought it down on Alex with a force that seemed bone-breaking.

He gasped, and shot up, despite Piper's tight hold on him. A dark light swirled around in his eyes, and then he flopped back to the ground.

"Damn," Luanna breathed, "this is even worse than I thought."

"Damn what?" I inquired.

Myhirr gave me a look. "Do you have amnesia? It's obvious."

"What is obvious?!" I asked, exasperated.

Piper spoke up, her voice high and panicked. "The demon fled inside him, but it's too wounded. And when the demon dies..." she faltered.

"Alex will too," Myhirr whispered.