ARCANE

023

One of them doesn't wake up.

Erik's eyes shoot open. He pulls himself off the bar, spinning around. College students are still shoving past him, trying to get out of the front door. His hand is still bleeding, and there is still glass inside it, which means that he hopefully wasn't out for long. As he moves, he walks through the bar, he pulls the chunks out of his hand so that his skin can reform.

Jamie pulls himself off of Cara. He hears her gasp as air enters her lungs, maybe for the first time in seconds. Quickly, he flips her on to her back and hangs overtop of her. "Are you okay? What the fuck just happened?"

Instead of answering, Cara shakes her head. She turns her head to Eden, who is just pulling himself off the ground. She begins to stand up, which is easier than she imagined. Her body is electric.

Now, June comes to, and she comes to sober (unfortunately). She pulls herself out of the arms of Brandon, and darts into the crowd after her friends. June hopes that Brandon takes the hint.

Eden grabs Wes's shoulder and rolls him on to his back. There is blood, so much blood. Too much blood outside for there to be enough inside. He isn't breathing. He isn't doing anything.

Cara comes up behind Eden, delicately moving over him and cradling Wesley's face. Jamie stands behind the pair, his hands covering his mouth and his eyes watering. The crowd is loud, shoving into him and tossing him left and right, but he can't move in his defence.

Wes's eyes flick open, and he immediately hides them from the light. He has a splitting headache, and he has never felt more tired in his life. All of the energy has been ripped from his body. He tastes the bitter metal of blood. Slowly, he lifts his hand up to his head.

"Holy fucking shit" Wes mutters as he feels the blood soaking his hair. "I think I should be dead."

Lee doesn't get up. She's not stupid enough to move when someone just shot at her. Instead, she lies on the ground, playing dead. After all, she can feel her head bleeding, so it's a fair game to play.

Quickly, Percy pulls herself off the dirty floor. She stumbles through the crowd, glancing around until she sees her. Hope, on the ground, unconscious. Or dead, but hopefully unconscious. Percy puts her hand to Hope's lips. They are cool to the touch. Percy tries to feel for breath, she prays that there will be breath, but it's dark and people are bumping into her, and she's got no idea exactly what constitutes breath.

"Cara!" Percy turns around, calling out. She keeps herself hanging delicately above Hope. "Cara!"

There is too much noise for Cara to hear her. Instead, she inspects Wesley's head. It's smashed, but it's healing, and it's healing rapidly. His head is cut in a jagged line, one that is slowly disappearing. There is blood trailing out of his ear, which means the wound is internal too.

"Get him out of here," Cara turns to Eden and Jamie, who are hanging over his shoulder. "He is fine and too fine for this much blood. Don't let the cops see him."

Eden nods, throwing one of Wesley's arms over his shoulder. Jamie joins in too, but he is much too small to be much help.

"What are you doing?" Eden asks. "You need to leave with us."

Cara swallows. This is why it is easier not to love him. "I'm going to get the others and get out of here. We'll reconvene tomorrow. I promise."

Before Eden can protest, she darts off into the crowd. Jamie begins to pull Wes out of the room, and though Eden's eyes trail Cara, he follows Jamie. He tries his best not to linger, but he can't help it. Eden knows he is Cara's ghost.