This is a short chapter, but more will be coming soon. Please comment if you have the time; I'd love to hear what you think about this story so far! :) Thanks so much!
Chapter Three
Hell. He was in hell.
Drake gasped, the air singing his raw throat and lungs. A muscle spasm raced up his spine, quivering his flesh and only stopping when it twisted under his shoulder blades. His back arched in agony, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
That didn’t help much. It just forced him to concentrate on the incessant flames that licked and burned at his wounded neck. He knew they weren’t actual flames; it was worse than that. Persequor venom. When Silas had lunged, he’d had enough time to throw the girl out of the way. But not enough time to do the same with himself and escape those silver fangs.
He opened his eyes. The girl just stared down at him, a slender hand covering her mouth, like she thought it’d be impolite to let him see that her jaw had dropped with shock. He wanted to tell her to forget the politeness, because he’d just be worried about her if she wasn’t shocked. But he didn’t. Because he needed to keep his jaw clenched to keep from screaming. He didn’t want to scream in front of her.
“Holy fuck.”
He eyed her, unsure which one of them had said it. Yeah, his jaw was clenched, and he shouldn’t be able to talk. But that really sounded like the kind of language he had always gotten punched for, and it certainly didn’t sound like something she should be saying, being all elegant, and graceful, and… hot.
Damn, when had she gotten hot? Last he’d seen her, she’d still been in that awkward, gangly teenage stage. Now she’d filled out in all the right places, and her face was sharper and more feminine, and her hair had gotten wavy. She’d even grown an inch or two, so she was now cute-short and not midget-short.
Allai.
Her name came to him, crashing into him with regret that hurt even more than the venom. He remembered the first time he’d heard her name. It’d been three years ago, when he’d overheard a conversation at Headquarters that offhandedly mentioned it. The rest of that day he’d spent in his room, staring at the ceiling in a daze and rolling the name around on his tongue. But he’d never get to say her name to her, not with the way things had turned out after that night.
Allai’s silver eyes locked with his. He wanted to just blurt out her name, just so he could actually say it out-loud. But he didn’t. Because she looked terrified, her eyes wide and her entire body tensed. Terrified of him.
He opened his mouth to tell her it was okay, that he wasn’t going to hurt her. But his jaw muscles only twitched. He groaned between gritted teeth. The Persequor must have given him a full dose of venom. He’d be paralyzed for a day, maybe two? It was impossible to know for certain. But he did know that every day would just be twenty-four hours of tortuous, fiery pain.
Then the girl crept toward him, one hesitant step after another bringing her closer. She stared down at him like he was some kind of mine, ready to explode in her face at any moment.
“Is it really you?” she blurted out.
Hearing her speak… It was bizarre. He’d nearly fallen flat on his face when she’d spoken to him as he’d dragged her off the path. And now it was just as weird. Words just didn’t fit her. Silence had always been her thing.
And, now, it was also his. He couldn’t respond, not with the venom paralyzing him. And that made a surge of rage course through him, because he couldn’t say what he’d already planned out: I didn’t do it. I swear I’m not the monster you think I am.
She reached out to touch his cheek. Her hand shook, but her touch was still gentle. Then she pulled back and stepped away, her eyes widening as if she’d just realized how close she’d been to him.
Numbness crept into Drake’s hands. But only into the flesh, and not the veins that were on fire. Tendrils of black crept into his vision, overtaking the trees, the sky. The girl. He’d be unable to see anything within a few seconds, if this time proved to be anything like the past.
He could feel Allai’s presence beside him. She hadn’t left. What was she thinking? Probably the quickest way to kill him.
Blackness overtook his vision. And pain was all that was left.
YOU ARE READING
Frost Fire
Avventura“Magic is just like love, Allai. It won’t wait for permission before it destroys you.” Like sand in an hourglass, Allai’s future is dwindling away. She’s spent her entire life training to fight the Mages who threaten humanity, and dreams of someday...
