Salvation : Book 3

CHAPTER 1 : Glass Heart

Abigail Thompson 

My body was sore as I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry at first but soon it came into focus as I scanned the room I was in. A curtain was pulled, separately my side of the infirmary and the rest of it. I was laid on a bed, covered by a pale blue blanket. I groaned as I shifted in the bed. I tried to sit up, but my body protested the action. A sharp pain shot up through my entire body, originating from my torso. I slumped back onto the bed with a huff. 

   "Hun, you really shouldn't move," my mom chided, as she rushed to my side. She looked down at me with concern filling her chocolate brown eyes. Her auburn hair was tied into a messy ponytail. She pinched her lips together as she settled on the edge of the bed beside me. 

    "M-m-mom..." I croaked out, my throat dry and painful.

     She gave me a small sad smile, "You shouldn't speak," she warned, "you're still recovering. I'm so happy you're up. You had me scared for a little while." She stroked my face with the back of her hand. 

    I tried to focus my mind on what had happened. The last thing I remembered was trying to rescue Marcus' father. I recalled teleporting to West Chapel, to Marcus' house. We'd come up with a plan—a terrible one. After Marcus had headed inside, we snuck in through the back entrance and made it all the way upstairs. 

     We managed to get Harrod, Marcus' butler, and three other people out of the house before we got caught. Those three didn't include Marcus' father but he wasn't with the rest of them. The demons that grabbed us came out from nowhere and they teleported us downstairs where all hell broke loose. Marcus was in the dining room with a russet haired demon, he had menacing red eyes and from the look of it he was a higher demon. 

     He seemed terrifying but Marcus stood his ground and even challenged him. He was actually able to fend the demon off, proving that he was more than the kid I'd met months ago. He was stronger, more powerful and more sure of himself. 

     When the demons that had Paige, Jack and I pinned to the ground went after Marcus, it gave us the opportunity to assist our friend. We fought off the demons to the best of our abilities and we might have won if the higher demon had not risen. He grabbed Marcus, I tried to reach for him, but there was a wall of demons between us. When I finally did break through it I was struck right in the gut. 

     It felt like I was being electrocuted. Every atom in my body being burnt. I had crumbled to the ground almost instantly. But Marcus was at my side in the next second. He knelt beside me. And though he spoke I couldn't hear a single word. The pain was too much. 

    He placed his hands over the wound and I could feel him healing me. It burned hot and I screamed in agony. Then everything went black. 

    What had happened after I blacked out? Did they save Marcus' father. Not knowing was making me uneasy. I didn't want to imagine the worse but the fact that Mark wasn't here worried me. 

    "Where's Marcus?" I asked as I pushed past the pain to sit up. My mom frowned as she rose from the bed and moved from me.

      "We can talk about that once you're feeling better. You still need to rest," she said derailing from my question. My stomach twisted up in knots. 

      "Mom," I swallowed, my throat still very dry. She moved over to the small table beside the hospital bed, handing me a glass of water. I took it, taking a sip of the cool liquid. It eased the burn that had been tormenting my throat. 

      "What happened, mom? I need to know," I asked and she stared at me with a sympathetic look. She took a heavy breath before turning away from me.