The Curse ✔️

Chapter 8: Losing your mind

The smell of medicinal alcohol woke me up. I wrinkled my nose, which fought against the scent, and opened my eyes. Brightness immediately made me close them again. I was lying on a bed, rough sheets beneath my hands and weakness in my body.

"Jade?" Amma's voice made me open my eyes again, adjusting to the neon lights. "Morta, she's awfully pale."

"That's because of this goddess forsaken neon lightning." Morta's regularly uninterested voice made me chuckle and I finally opened my eyes fully.

"You're awake!" Amma squeaked happily.

"Can you get me some water?" I asked. My throat was so dry that it hurt to breathe. I was in a hospital bed, in a separate room. Amma jumped off the chair immediately and ran away.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked naively and turned to Morta. Her face was completely white and her silver eyes were red, her eyeliner smeared all over her face.

"We're okay, but a lot of students aren't." She looked down, the expression on her face completely beaten. "That black thing was contagious."

Amma returned with my water and I greedily gulped down the entire glass, feeling the water revive me. I wasn't technically hurt, but I felt weak all over. Understandable, considering I have never used a spell as strong as the protection spell, I cast.

"It was awful, Jade, everyone went wild!" Amma rubbed her swollen eyes as another tear escaped from them.

"It was basically Hunger Games." Morta murmured, but Amma didn't appreciate the humour.

"How many people died?" I asked as the lump formed in my throat. My heart squeezed inside my chest and I felt the upcoming tears in the back of my eyes. But I had way too much work to do to cry now.

"Fifteen students. They managed to save the most. But the white magic wasn't working." Amma shook her head and took a breath, stopping her own voice from quivering.

"So, Thar singlehandedly saved the school." I murmured, throwing my head back onto the rough pillow.

"Well, he had help." Amma smiled at me.

"How did you get the glass out of his eyes?" Morta asked.

"I created tweezers from carbon in the air. It's a nifty trick I used in high school every time I realised my eyebrows weren't perfect." I shrugged.

"That's kind of genius." Morta murmured, which was a real compliment coming from her.

"And you used that notebook to form a protection field." Amma hummed proudly.

"Yeah, well, I didn't have time to draw actual symbols, but I guess it worked." I lifted my head and looked around. At least they gave me a separate room. Medical supplies and white furniture decorate the room, creating that typical hospital atmosphere.

"Jade, why didn't white magic work?" Amma asked like I had all the answers in the world.

"I don't know. How's Thar?" I remembered this must have taken its toll on him, too. He may be powerful, but he still singlehandedly repelled the entire black ooze. Once it came back into my mind, I shivered all over, still feeling that awful stench in my nostrils.

"Probably better than you." Morta gave me a once over and I frowned, pushing the sheets off me.

"I have to find him."

"Woah, settle down, lover girl, you're in no shape to run through the school." Morta grabbed my shoulders and pushed me back onto the pillow.

"Let me go, Morta! I have to talk to him." I struggled against her hands and won. I looked over my white hospital gown and frowned. "Clothes!" I demanded and Amma immediately ran away.