The Rise of Isaac, Books 1-3, page 83
"The Merrymoon, it's near the centre."
"Oh I know it actually," he said.
She smiled gratefully and got on the back of the bike, wrapping her arms around him and resting her cheek against his shoulder. She couldn't ignore the crisp, fragrant smell of washing powder on his clothes.
All too soon for May's liking, they turned down the road where the hotel was and slowed to a gentle trundle.
"That was great," May breathed.
She prayed Rogan hadn't told the others about her running off. If Oliver knew, she was going to be in for a lecture.
With an agonising wrench of her gut she spotted Rogan exiting the hotel. She inhaled sharply and Jak glanced back at her.
"That the guy?" he muttered.
She nodded her chin against his shoulder. "That's Rogan."
"Wanna show him what he's missing?" Jak asked cockily, dropping a hand onto her thigh.
May prodded him in the back and Jak laughed, speeding up the road. He released her leg and span the bike so it came to a halt in front of Rogan at an angle.
Rogan gaped at them, his eyes scouring Jak then landing on May. "What in Vale are you doing?"
May jumped off of the bike and all the anger and shame came crashing back over her like a tsunami. She breathed angrily through her nose as she gazed at him. Abruptly, she turned and pressed her lips against Jak's, knocking his forehead with her helmet. Jak unclipped it, pulled it over her head and ran a hand through her hair. She melted into his kiss, momentarily forgetting about Rogan watching.
She stepped away, dizzy.
"Maybe see you around?" Jak asked, his navy-blue eyes burning into her own.
She nodded, turned and walked straight past Rogan into the hotel. The bike whirred as it disappeared down the road.
"MAY?" Rogan called loudly from behind.
She didn't stop but started running upstairs to the next floor, darting into her room. She sighed as she shut it behind her and leant her head back against the door.
Unexpectedly, she burst out laughing then tears started to flow and she threw herself onto the bed. She was grateful that Anna wasn't there.
Someone banged on the door. "May, open up," Rogan demanded.
She scrambled off the bed and ran to the mirror, hurriedly wiping her face. She sniffed and grabbed a tissue from a box, wiping under her eyes. She practised a pout in the mirror that was worthy of Quinn and went to the door, composing herself.
"May," Rogan said through gritted teeth.
She slowly opened the door half an inch. "What?"
She could tell he was taken aback by her expression. She folded her arms, trying to keep her stubborn demeanour in place and gritted her teeth so hard that her gums ached.
"I have Quinn for a fiancé, I can break down this attitude with you in one move, May," Rogan said, placing his hand on the doorframe.
She turned her head away. "Did you tell Oliver?" she asked airily.
"No, course not," he said. "And I told Larkin you went to bed when he asked."
May breathed loudly through her nose, giving away her fury.
Rogan stepped closer and lowered his voice. "May, you're my best friend's sister and you're-"
"Don't-say-like-a-sister," she said in a splutter of words.
"I wasn't going to," Rogan said, glancing down the corridor towards Oliver's room.
She gazed at his face then turned away.
"I was going to say you're off limits even if I wasn't engaged," he said, turning back to face her.
May felt a twisting, writhing demon in the pit of her belly that was threatening to make her vomit. All the blood in her body seemed to be rising to her face. She held her breath which only made the situation worse. She slowly released it, trying to keep a hold on herself.
Rogan gave her a lop-sided smile and her demeanour broke like a thousand balloons bursting inside of her.
"Can we just pretend this night never happened?" she whispered.
He frowned then nodded. "I have your shoes." He held them up and she took them, his fingers grazing hers.
She nodded stiffly. "Good night then." She shut the door, not giving him time to say another word.
She stood still, listening for the sound of him moving outside. A moment later she heard the distinctive click of a door as he returned to his room. She realised she was biting her lip so hard that she had almost broken the skin. She chucked her sandals to the floor and moved to her bed, collapsing onto it with a heavy sigh.
***
May clutched her chest as pain exploded out from her heart. She screwed up her face to suppress a scream and slid off of the bed to the floor, hugging her knees. A rush of panic swept over her as the pain intensified.
It stopped abruptly and she traced her fingers over the mark. The skin wasn't raised or hot or in any way unusual beneath her fingertips. In fact, if she shut her eyes, she wouldn't know it was there at all. Not until the sharp and cold stab of pain set in again beneath the skin, beneath the bone and tissue, right into her heart like a shard of ice was being pushed into it. Every time it hurt she didn't know if that was it. If the magic protecting her from the link had finally worn off and death was coming for her.
It wasn't the pain she was scared of, it was death. She had always feared death. It was the end. A black, nothingness awaited her beyond this life and things would continue as if she had never existed.
Anna entered the room and May stood, hurriedly wiping her damp cheeks with the back of her hand.
Anna frowned as she spotted her. May moved across the room in three swift strides and wrapped her arms around Anna.
"What's the matter?" Anna gasped, embracing her.
"Oh, Anna. I've made such a mess of things." She choked on a sob and Anna released her, her brow furrowing as she took in May's face.
"What are you talking about? Everything's alright. Wallace is working on the link, it's only a matter of time."
"It's not just that." May shook her head, drawing away and dropping down onto her bed.
Anna approached, pulling a chair closer and sitting in front of her. "Tell me what's happened."
May shook her head, her face heating up. "I'm so embarrassed."
"It can't be that bad." Anna gave her an encouraging smile.
May swallowed. "You can't tell Oliver."
Anna frowned with concern. "Okay. You can trust me."
May took a shaky breath. "I told Rogan I love him."
Anna's brows lifted. "You did? How did he react?"
May shook her head. "I ran away before he could answer." She buried her head in her hands to hide her pinking cheeks. "I'm such an idiot."
"You're not," Anna said placatingly. "I didn't know you felt that strongly about him."
"I didn't either, it just sort of- came out." May let out a shamed laugh and Anna joined in.
"It's not that bad."
May raised her eyebrows. "It is exactly that bad."
"Okay, maybe it is." She smiled and May sighed.
"What am I gonna do? How am I ever gonna look him in the eye again?"
Anna frowned thoughtfully then stood. "Well, for one, you'll have to look twice as good as usual."
May laughed, the weight in her chest easing a little. She shook her head. "I didn't say it so he'd look at me differently."
"Why did you say it?" Anna asked curiously as she started rummaging through her bag.
May looked down at her hands, wringing them together. "I've never been in love before...this might be the only time I ever get to tell someone."
Anna rounded on her. "What? May! Don't say that."
May swallowed, a lump forming in her throat. "Anna, I'm scared. This link could kill me any day. It's trying to, I can feel it." She clawed at her chest. "Rimori wants me dead. What chance do I have against someone like him?"
"Oliver will make sure you're saved. We all will."
"Oliver thinks he can save me. But what if he can't? How will he ever accept that?"
Anna shook her head, walking back toward her. "Don't give up."
"I'm not. I'll do anything I can. But if I'm going to die I want to have said everything I need to say. And telling Rogan...that was just one of those things."
Anna breathed out slowly through her nose. "I understand."
"You do?" May blinked several times, looking up at her.
Anna nodded. "I just hate to even consider that you might-"
"I know," May cut in. She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I still have to face Rogan though. I mean, he's engaged Anna. Apart from being completely out of my league anyway, he's engaged! Why couldn't I have fallen for someone else?"
Anna smiled. "You can't help who you fall for."
May nodded, not feeling any better about it.
Anna moved back to her bag, continuing to search through it. "You shouldn't put yourself down. You don't see yourself right. Rogan might be some famous, good-looking mage but he's still just a guy."
"He's not." May frowned. Rogan was too good for her and she knew it.
Anna extracted a lemon dress from the depths of her bag. It was folded neatly and had minimal creases as she shook it out. "Here. Wear this tomorrow."
May frowned. "Why?"
"You might not get to be with Rogan but you can still show him what he's missing." She grinned, waving the dress at her.
May rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"
"Yes." Anna dropped the dress into May's lap. "At the very least it'll make you feel better about facing him if you look hot."
May smiled, standing and hanging the dress on the back of the door. She drew Anna into another hug. "Thank you."
Anna nodded against her shoulder. "That's okay."
"I think I'm gonna have a shower and get an early night," May said. "You can go back to Olly's room if you want." She stepped away, heading toward the bathroom.
"I don't wanna leave you on your own." Anna frowned.
May smiled. "Honestly, I just wanna go to bed and forget about this day."
Anna squeezed her arm. "Okay. I'll see you in the morning then."
"Goodnight," May said as she slipped into the bathroom.
28
The Changing Wind
Hector had left Quinn's hands untied, instead tethering her waist to his so she walked beside him.
He led the way off of the beach into a shaded patch of woodland. They wound through it all morning and Quinn welcomed the cooler path than the day before.
By noon they entered a large meadow full of wild flowers and long grass that tickled Quinn's knees as she moved. A warm breeze blew across the rolling grassland, making fluttering trails as the blades bended to its will.
Hector made a beeline for a cluster of grey rocks at the heart of the meadow, climbing up onto one of the higher boulders as they arrived. Quinn walked to the end of her tether and dropped down into the grass, picking a couple of pink and blue flowers.
"Here," Hector said and she glanced back just as he threw her half of a large fruit.
It was red on the outside and yellow and juicy in the middle. She ate it down to the rind and licked her lips. She could have easily eaten more but didn't bother to ask.
As she reached her hands back into the grass her fingers grazed against something soft. Turning, she spotted a large green lizard with a red stripe down its back. A bright blue tongue flickered in and out of its mouth as if tasting the air. Quinn drew her hand away and it lunged forward, clamping its teeth down on her wrist.
Its fangs sank in deep and she screamed. Fire coursed up her arm and she lurched away, yanking on the rope that was tied to Hector.
The lizard fled as she collapsed into the grass, venom scorching her veins.
Within seconds, her insides writhed and darkness curtained her eyes. She felt Hector's hands on her but couldn't see anything but pitch black.
The venom burned like acid, making her scream in agony. She'd never been in so much pain. Her heart beat so fast she felt it might burst.
She was going to die, she was certain. There was no way she could survive.
Hector's mouth encased the bite marks on her wrist and she felt him sucking hard on the wound. She screamed again, writhing and flattening the long grass as she flailed.
Her vision swam back into focus but was blurred by tears. Hector spat on the ground then continued to suck on the wound.
She didn't want to die. She kept saying it again and again in her mind.
The pain receded until she became able to bear the fiery sensation in her veins. She groaned in exhaustion, her fingers twitching as Hector sucked the last of the venom from her blood.
He swigged from a bottle of water, washing it around his mouth before spitting into the grass with a grimace.
He leant over her, sliding a hand beneath her head and observing her face. "You'll be alright. The venom's gone."
She nodded mutely then reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. He tentatively pulled her against him and she remained there until her body stopped trembling.
"It's okay," he said softly.
"I thought I was gonna die," she breathed.
"I know." He ran a hand over her hair.
Her throat went dry as her panic ebbed away. Her heart rate lowered but she was left feeling exhausted. She moved away, feeling stupid for hugging him.
He reached into the grass, retrieving the crescent-shaped key to her mage gauntlets and tucking it into his pocket.
She raised her eyebrows at him. "Would you have taken my gloves off?"
He looked away from her. "I'd hardly let you die."
"You wouldn't?" she asked hopefully, trying to read his taut expression.
He didn't answer, just hauled her to her feet. A creature scurried through the grass, shifting the blades close by. Quinn flinched, knocking into Hector.
His brow furrowed. "We need to get out of this meadow, it's not safe."
She nodded and he started walking forward. Quinn followed and her weak legs instantly gave way. She crashed into the grass and panic fled through her as she looked left and right for any sign of more lizards.
Hector pulled her up by the elbow. "Let me carry you."
She was surprised that he actually asked for once and nodded, wanting to be above the grass. He scooped her into his arms and she held onto his neck, gazing down into the field around them as he walked. Hector quickened his pace as a loud croaking noise sounded from a patch of white flowers.
The wound on Quinn's wrist burned as it pressed against Hector's neck but it was nothing in comparison to the venom.
"Thank you," she said quietly, not meeting his eye.
He grunted and she chanced a look up at him. His mouth twitched at one side and a tremor ran through her.
They finally exited the meadow into a copse and Hector laid her gently on the ground, propping her up against a tree.
He set to work making camp and she frowned. "Are we stopping here?"
"You need to rest," he said, gathering pieces of firewood and dropping them nearby.
She nodded, knowing he was right. Her hands were still shaking. Her stomach swirled and she suddenly regurgitated the fruit she'd eaten for lunch. Hector rubbed her back then lifted her and moved her away from the vomit.
"You look pale..." he said, eyeing her face. "There's probably a small amount of the venom left in your body. It might be a while before you feel better."
She nodded, her temperature beginning to increase. He unrolled his mat, placed her on it then passed her a bottle of water.
She drank it gratefully then brought her knees to her chest as her stomach writhed again. She'd never been ill in her life and the experience wasn't one she ever wanted to have.
Her eyes slid closed and sleep seemed like the perfect way to escape. She focused on drifting off and soon fell unconscious.
***
When Quinn awoke, it was dark. A fire was crackling nearby and Hector was holding her wrist, tending to the wound. She felt miles better and her temperature had reduced at last. Hector had placed a cool cloth on her forehead which felt fresh against her warm skin.
There were four deep puncture wounds on her arm, two on top and two below. The skin was red and enflamed. Hector was gently wiping away the dried blood that was caked around each bite mark.
Quinn watched quietly, not letting him know she was awake. For once he didn't look troubled as he focused on cleaning the wound. He took a bottle of clear liquid from his pack and poured it over the area. Quinn hissed in pain and snatched her arm away, the alcohol stinging sharply.
"You're awake," he said with a smile.
She nodded, pushing herself up into a sitting position. She held her wrist back out to him and he took it.
"How are you feeling?" he asked.
Quinn was almost back to normal but her stomach felt desperately empty. "Starving."
"Good," he said, gesturing to the fire where something was cooking in a pot above it. "Dinner will be ready soon."
Quinn's stomach growled as she eyed the pot hungrily.
Hector took a bandage from his bag and began wrapping it around her wrist. He tied it off then released her arm, getting to his feet.
Quinn watched him as he stirred the pot then took two tins from his bag and ladled food into each one. He brought them over and sat back down, passing her a tin. She took it gratefully and wolfed down the food. The broth was tangy and full of flavour. She scraped her tin clean with her spoon then he took it and refilled it, clearly trying to hide a grin.
She didn't care. After everything, she was finally past feeling self conscious in front of Hector. With a jolt, she realised he was probably the first person she had ever acted completely care free with.
It hadn't been until now that she realised what a burden she'd been carrying on her shoulders. It was ironic to think that being kidnapped had actually freed her from something.
"What are you thinking about?" Hector asked, breaking the silence.
Quinn was stabbing the remainder of her stew absentmindedly. "Oh...nothing."
He raised his eyebrows and she felt no reason to lie to someone who was never going to tell anyone anyway. "I was just thinking about how it's nice to get a break from being a celebrity."
He frowned in confusion. "You're being held hostage, you're cut off from your friends and today you could've died and you're...happy about that?"
