Don't give up on me ✓

[65] Fever

Chapter 65: Fever

His kiss had ignited a fever inside me. I was sick, and I needed my medicine.

Over the counter, under the counter, anywhere around the counter.

And up the dosage. Please.

Jesper knew my mind like no one else, but he didn't know my body. That was new to both of us. I wasn't used to touching him that way. To sleeping next to him and waking up with a kiss. It was exciting, and I felt more alive by it each day.

Actually, it was a paradoxical situation: to be burning alive in passion and, at the same time, preparing to die.

The day of the Visit, Mrs Maythorne began by giving us an educational lesson.

"Every universe needs portal keepers. We know you have the powers of a scepter, but we don't know which universe you come from. There are many universes, some more powerful than others."

I looked around at the others. Does this mean that we may all be on different Visits?  Visiting different universes.

"Where do you come from?" Brianna asked.

"A universe ravaged by war," Mrs Maythorne said, "Our specter force was slaughtered, and I am the last survivor. It has been a lonely thirty years, but now is the new Visit.  In two months, if no new specters rise, my world will have to accept another realms' specters."

"So why don't you get help from the other universes?"

"You think they would actually help? They slaughtered my unit for a reason. And that reason is power. If we take in their specters, we are accepting military rule. So, this is the last effort to rescue my realm. There are fifteen of you. I hope at least one will make it."

"Are we all from your universe?" I asked.

"No, I don't know where you are all from. The Visit will draw on the natural powers of the super moon. It is a super blood moon eclipse. We'll harness that natural power to transport you all to the realm from which you belong. I only hope that one of you will be part of mine. I cannot know for sure."

"If I don't like my realm, can I switch to yours?" I asked.

She gave me a look that said story time's over. Maybe that was a stupid question then, but at least I was starting to piece it all together now. 

This was why Mrs Maythorne actively searched for new potential specters and raised them at the Manor. She was trying to save her realm; hopeful that at least one of us would support her.

"It will be dangerous," she said, "As you have seen here on earth, our enemies are trying to kill any hope of a new generation of specters."

Our arrival would be a signal of a new generation rising. If we thought the fighting was bad before, our battles would only just be beginning.

If we survived of course.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The final lunch

I sat next to Nate at lunch and the tension was palpable. He wouldn't even look at me.

"Can you pass me the peas?" I asked him kindly.

He ignored me, eating very calmly.

Why so hormonal? First he's telling me to go with Jesper, then he's ignoring me for doing that... I don't get boys.

"The peas, please," I repeated.

I stared at his strong jaw line as he chewed, getting mesmerized by the movement. The table was loud. The boot camp group were eating with us and it was a full house – except for Jesper, who had school. The rest of us were taking off this week from school because of the... well you know.