WENDY
The cold liquid slips down my throat, coating my esophagus, and I feel it spread through my abdomen and lower belly instantly. A few breaths later, and the flow of blood stops. I take a breath, my eyes closed, as I wait for my bearings to return to me. When I open my eyes, the world has stopped spinning. I go to stand, but then I hesitate. Rifling through the satchel again, I search for anything that might be of help.
Inside is a vial labeledmoly. I remember John saying something about soldiers using it in moments of crisis.
I also remember him saying too much of it can be damaging to the heart, but I don’t take time to weigh my options.
While I’m sure it’s not safe to take this right after suffering a hemorrhage, while I’m sure it’s not safe to cause my heart to pound and blood to pump faster, I don’t need years. I don’t even need days.
I just need enough time to get my son away from Malia. Enough time for Nolan to find us and take him away somewhere safe.
Instead of draining the vial, I stop halfway, then toss it into the satchel before slinging the satchel around my shoulders.Instantly, my body buzzes with energy. It’s the trembling sort, and at first I fear I’ve ruined my balance. But when I jump to my feet, I find them at least steady enough to walk on. Perhaps after a few minutes, I’ll be able to run.
I pad barefoot down the cave tunnels, keeping close to the cave wall, feeling its slick, cool surface against my hand as I lean on it for support. A few curves in, the tunnel branches off into two. My heart drops. I’m already well behind Malia, healthy and able to run if she needs to. One wrong turn, and I’ll more than likely lose her and my son forever.
But I don’t give myself time to think. John’s voice is in my head, to the point where I’m not even sure if it’s him or his wraith come to talk to me in a time of desperate need.
“It’s a fifty/fifty chance,” he says. “There’s no use in reasoning. The only thing you can do is act quickly.”
I veer to the right, mostly because that’s the wall I’m already leaning against. As I sidle down it, my strength slowly returns to me, and I find my pace picking up. My breathing is labored, and I feel as if my heart might explode in my chest. But I channel the energy, allow it to prod my legs into action.
I’m not sure what I plan to do when I find Malia. But I’ll claw my child out of her arms if I have to.
It’s not much further before I hear feet pounding through the cave, though the pattern makes no sense to me…until Nolan and Charlie round the corner, Maddox not far behind.
“Darling,” says Nolan, glancing at me in horror. It takes him a single second to take me in—my lack of pants, the drying blood between my legs—and his face snaps into that I’ve only ever seen in a predator.
“Where’s our son?” he asks.
“Malia ran off with him,” I say, shocked at the vigor with which the words tremble as they leave my mouth. “She’s going to give him to the Sister.”
“We didn’t see her on the way in,” Charlie says, a satchel swaying at her hip as she glances behind her.
“There’s a fork in the cave.” Since I run out of breath, I point behind me. Nolan and Charlie exchange a glance. Then Nolan looks at Maddox.
“Take care of her,” he says to his first mate, as he sweeps down and places the gentlest of kisses on my forehead, a single tear passing from his cheek to my skin. That’s the last I see of my husband before he races down the hall.
It occurs to me that might be the last time I ever see him.
“We need to get you out of here,” says Maddox, ducking himself underneath my armpit to support me.
“No,” I say. “I have to make sure he’s okay.”
“Nolan will come back with news,” he explains. “You’ve lost a lot of blood. I need to get you to a healer.”
I shake my head. “No. Malia left her satchel. It’s got everything I need. I’ve already stopped the hemorrhaging.”
Maddox glances down to verify, as if he thinks my words are those of a delusional woman. But when he finds no fresh bleeding, his face flushes red, and he quickly glances away.
“It’s not safe for us to go after them,” he explains.
“Please,” I say. “I just have to see him one more time. You can drag me away, even if I put up a fight. What’m I going to do, Maddox?” I glance at the large man hopelessly. “You can drag me away now, or you can drag me away later. Either way, I can’t do anything to help. I can’t do anything to fight back—not in this condition. And probably not regardless.”
“I don’t know,” says Maddox. “I’ve seen you handle a dagger.”
“Well, good thing I don’t have a dagger then.”
Maddox examines me cautiously, then glances inside the satchel. When he finds no weapons stored inside, he sighs.
