CursEd

Book 2 - Kaybot

“Put that out” Kaylee called. She was lying on her back in a sleeping bag a little ways away from the little camp they’d made. Markus was closer to the fire he’d made, warming his hands against the flames.

“We’ll freeze without a fire” Markus said, glaring at the girl. He’d almost reached boiling point this afternoon when she’d pinned him to a tree courtesy of Enras and Tiras because he’d asked her about her disappearance again.

“We’ll be discovered with a fire” Kaylee said calmly back. “Now put it out.”

“Don’t tell me what to do, Kaylee” Markus sighed, rubbing his fingers into his forehead.

“Don’t do stupid things and expect me not to correct you” she snapped.

“Building a fire is not stupid” Markus said, the anger starting to seep into his voice.

“It is when we’re in the middle of the woods, two powerful demigods” Kaylee said, her voice still void of all emotion. This was what was bothering Markus most of all, not only was he getting less and less patient for her quips, but his own comebacks didn’t seem to faze her at all.  

“Are you not cold?” he demanded, shivering as smoke rose from the extinguished flames. Her shoulders merely rose and fell in response, her eyes glued to the dark sky. Markus was losing hope, his heart couldn’t take much more of this torture. Watching Annabeth go through all she’d done with Percy flashed through his mind and he wondered if demigods just weren’t supposed to be together.

“Kaylee?” he whispered.

“What?” she demanded. He waited a moment but her face didn’t change. She wasn’t mad, sad, happy, angry. Nothing. And it was killing him.

“Look at me” he said even quieter. Her eyes shot to his as she complied with his whispered wish, their depths empty. A frown formed between his brow as he observed her in the darkness, watching the grey swirl in her gaze, the only movement on her smooth face. It was like looking into the river Styx, the depths swirling in a tantalizingly consistent stream towards nothing.

“Look at me” he repeated. He could see her questioning his sanity in the way her eyes narrowed in confusion.

“I am” she said slowly, pronouncing each word with intensified distinction.

“No” he said, scooting closer to her to get a better look. “Really look at me.”

“Is this some sort of Twit trick?” she asked, rolling back to face the stars.

“No” he pulled her back, both hands on her shoulders as his eyes pierced into hers.

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked. Markus’ eyes scanned all over her face, unable to focus on anything because there wasn’t anything to focus on. It was literally like she wasn’t there. She was fading away, even more so than when she had first arrived. It was getting worse.

“Are you?” he countered, wondering for the millionth time if his Kaylee was still in there somewhere.

“I would be fine if I didn’t think that our roles of babysitter and sat were reversed” she muttered. “You’re going to be dead weight, aren’t you, just dragging me around all the time.”

Markus sighed. Even with condescending words there was no hint of the teasing or aloofness that should have been present.

“Get your rest” she pushed him off and rolled over so that she was facing away from him. “You’ll need it to keep up with my pace, twit.”

The distraught boy fell back into the dirt and ground his teeth together. One of the things he had always liked was that Kaylee had never referred to him as a twit. Annabeth, sure; but not him. The new name added ‘pissed off’ to the mass of emotions that were building up in his chest. Pretty soon he would be able to make a city of insanity with the bricks of his feelings in which he could cower in until everything overwhelmed him. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that.