Fate's Demand (Twisted Fate, Book 3)

Chapter Fifty-Six

Every few hours over the next few days Marcus brought more willing participants to my dorm. I didn't use the washroom and my food was served on a tray in bed because I was too weak to go to the cafeteria. When I wasn't helping, I was sleeping.

Groups of four became three, and then only two.

Now, I could barely help one without passing out from the effort.

"Enough, Marcus," Deryk said, and his voice carried through the open doorway of my room.

I couldn't see them, but their voices were close.

I closed my eyes in case they checked on me, though Marcus had no compunction about waking me when it served what he wanted to get done. Helping the Dark Souls wasn't something I wanted to deny, but how could I keep going? For the past two visits, I had pretended to be sleeping, too tired to use the effort it took to open my eyes. Inwardly, I hoped it would help me recuperate, gain strength. But nothing did. I was too drained.

Every movement was like I was floating in someone else's dream—mine were too real to be that surreal.

"There's only twenty willing souls left, Deryk," Marcus said. His excitement suggested he'd fight to continue, coming to very literal blows in order to succeed. "We can't stop."

"Alyssa can't help anyone else until she's reunited with her body. She needs rest."

"Oh, Deryk, all she does is rest," Marcus said. "She can finish."

"Leave her alone."

"Or what?"

"Or I will get more potion from Renalda and send her back myself," Deryk said. "Don't think I won't. You may be in charge here, but at some point, Alyssa was my friend. And we all need her."

I didn't get to hear Marcus's response, but I was happy with Deryk's stance.

Deryk's reasons for protecting me weren't obvious. Was it for me? Because they needed me? Or was it about what he felt for Suzie? I was her friend and he loved her. So, either this was about making sure she didn't feel pain if I was lost or guilt because he'd already caused her pain with what he'd done when Darkness had been a part of him.

Did it matter why?

All I cared about was getting back to Glory Academy, and Deryk was helping to facilitate that when I obviously couldn't do it for myself. I needed that potion from Renalda. At this point, I didn't know if I had the energy to bring a drop of it to my mouth. At what point would returning be too much for me to handle, and what would happen if I reached it?

Before Marcus could come in and see that I was alert, I rolled over, turning my back to the door, and closed my eyes.

Sleep was a relief, an escape from the sluggishness that tortured my waking state.

*****

Marcus woke me again with two more students in tow a couple of hours later, insisting I could help. Theoretically, I could, but right now reality was dim. Literally. The students, both girls who seemed like newbies to Hell's Fire if their excited chatter was any indication, were pasty white.

Everything else—even their eyes—varied in shades of black, white, and gray as the surroundings swayed in my vision.

Slouched in the bed with the covers reaching my chin, I felt small, like my head on the pillow was a speck on a microscope slide and the rest of the bed was a net I was stuck in the center of. I clasped my hands over my chest and looked up, trying not to appear as weak as I felt. "Marcus, I can't—"

"Of course, you can, Aly," he said, cutting me off with a quick tongue and easy smile. The tone, however, was too sweet to be kind.

"No."