Eidolon

Chapter 26: Back at the Cabin

As they drove back to the cabin, Juliette and Cynthia both confirmed that Lucas was beginning to fade from their view. He was translucent now, the way ghosts often looked in TV shows and movies, but not invisible. His voice was quieter now too, as if distant, but even after they returned to the cabin, they could still make him out if they focused just a bit. Apparently, their brush with the spirit world had resulted in a permanent change. Alex wasn't entirely certain that was a good thing.

By the time they arrived, it was late in the afternoon, nearing sunset, and Alex felt completely depleted. Extended use of her eidolon had left her feeling faint and fatigued, and her injuries weren't helping things much. She climbed out of the car and immediately stumbled, slumping up against the side of the vehicle to avoid losing her balance.

"You alright?" Lucas asked.

Alex nodded slowly. "Yeah, just tired. All that fighting really took it out of me."

"I'll go find us something to eat," Juliette said helpfully. Lucas followed her inside while Cynthia retrieved the duffle bag from the trunk.

"How's your head?" she asked, gesturing towards the gash Alex had received when one of the wraiths had knocked her to the ground. Her hand went up to her temple reflexively. The bleeding had stopped some time ago, but they still probably needed to put something on it to keep it from getting infected. She had nearly forgotten about it.

"Not that bad," she replied. "It's my arms and my chest that really hurt."

Cynthia looked confused. "What happened to your arms and chest?"

"It was that shadow thing in the science lab," Alex explained. "When it attacked my eidolon, I felt it too. It was the first time a wraith was actually been able to harm her."

"Let me see," Cynthia sat down the duffle bag and used both hands to help Alex remove her hoodie. She winced as the fabric pulled over her battered forearms. There were dark purple bruises already forming where the creature had struck.

"Holy hell," Cynthia hissed under her breath. "Alex, this is pretty bad. Come on, let's go see if Juliette has something to treat it." Gently placing a hand on Alex's back, she guided her inside. Alex let herself slump up against Cynthia's shoulder for support, still a bit woozy.

Juliette was in the kitchen preparing snacks when they entered, chatting with Lucas. There were sodas set out on the table, and she was pouring a bag of trail mix into a large bowl. Cynthia held one of Alex's arms up for display, holding it gently at the wrist. "You guys got a first aid kit in here?"

Juliette gasped, hurriedly setting down the bag and rushing to the pantry. "Yeah, hold on. Alex, what happened?"

"The wraith in the science lab," she mumbled vaguely. "He hit my eidolon so hard I felt it. Literally."

"Can you do anything for her?" Cynthia asked. "You're studying to become a nurse, right?"

"Well, I plan to go to school for it," Juliette confirmed, bringing the first aid kit back to the table. "But that's next year. I've taken a basic first aid course, but..." she trailed off, pulling an ace bandage from the small plastic box. "Cynthia, there's a cold pack in the freezer. Can you get it for me? Alex, this doesn't look good. You could have a fracture. We should probably really take you to a hospital."

"No way," Alex said, shaking her head. "Even if we come up with a convincing story, my dad would totally freak out. He wasn't that keen on letting me come in the first place. Besides, I really don't think anything's broken."