“What the fuck, V?” I swore as I stood. The water was churning around me, and I caught a glimpse of the back of Vlakas’ shirt.
I reached into the water and grabbed him, jerking him up and out. Wrapped around his arm was the largest snake I had ever seen in my life. The smallest of its gold and black scaleswere as big as my thumb, and it was easily as big around as my bicep.
The snake was wrapped partially around V’s upper body and neck and down one arm, its tail whipping back and forth like a cat. His right hand was wrapped behind the snake’s skull, and I could see the muscles in his arms straining to pull it back. I grabbed the other end of the snake to keep it from choking him and forced it to unwrap from around his neck. He pulled in great gasping breaths once freed.
“Ready?” I yelled as Vlakas pulled backward on the snake. He nodded.
“On three. One. Two. Three!”
We both pulled the snake away from Vlakas’ body and threw it against the far wall of the tunnel. I caught the creature with an Air shield to prevent it from disappearing back into the water. Vlakas gestured and a spike of earth erupted from the ground, stabbing through the body of the snake. Green blood erupted from its writhing body and quickly covered the earth spike Vlakas had manifested.
We both sank back onto the concrete platform, Vlakas breathing hard, me coughing up a bucket of sewer water.
“Shit. That fucker was huge,” I gasped, turning to look at Vlakas.
“I… think I have a problem, Kat,” Vlakas muttered, his speech slurred.
I looked over at V in alarm. His gaze was focused on his upper arm where two neat holes trickled blood and trails of something yellow.
“Vlakas!” I exclaimed, rushing forward, and grabbing him just as he collapsed backward.
My mind was racing as I tried to remember everything I could about venomous snakes. V was already struggling to breathe.
“Don’t worry,adelfos, I’ve got you,” I said, projecting a calm and assurance I didn’t feel. I had to get us out of that tunnel. Who knew how many more of those snakes there could be in there? As I turned to look up at the ladder something shiny caught my eye and I examined the snake’s body closely. Around the base of its skull was a metal ring, and from the ring hung a medallion. Fuck. This was one of the creatures the Elusians had dropped here. Assholes. When I touched the medallion, it made a clinking sound and fell off into my palm.
I longed to throw it away, but I knew we’d need those damn medallions, so I pocketed it and scrambled up the ladder, then used my Air powers to create a shield around V and essentially floated him to the surface. By the time he was out of the tunnel, his labored breathing was clearly audible, his eyes closed.
I laid him beneath one of the trees and began scanning him with my magic. I had heard stories of some of the old Mageia who were able to heal with their abilities but those were just that: stories. I stretched my senses out to try and identify the toxin in his body.
I could feel the breath moving in and out of his lungs and, distantly, minute bits of air being circulated throughout his body in his blood. I figured this was my version of V’s description of heating metal, but I couldn’t sense the toxin. Dammit, why didn’t I have Water powers? I’d have a better chance of pulling the toxin from him that way.
It was obvious the venom contained some kind of neurotoxin. V’s breathing was getting worse.
“K-kat…” he managed.
“Shut up, asshole,” I said, focusing my magic on him. “We’re going to have a serious talk about not jumping in front of freakin’ reptiles when this is over.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up, then his eyes rolled back in his head.
“Dammit! You are not getting out of this that easy, Vlakas!” I swore.
I could feel his heart was still beating, but he was no longer breathing. I used my powers to force air in and out of his lungs. I knew better than to try to suck the venom out. That only worked in vids. I remembered that most neurotoxins were relatively short lived. If I could keep him breathing until his body was able to clear the toxin from his system, he might have a chance. Of course, our supplies hadn’t included antivenom.
I threw a shield over top of us and knelt beside him, hands outspread, my power pouring through him.
“Goddammit, you are not going to die on me, Vlakas!” I muttered.
My powers continued to focus on keeping Vlakas alive. I moved air in and out of his lungs. When his heart stuttered, I did chest compressions to bring it back. I used some of the meager first aid supplies in one of the backpacks to wrap his arm, which was already bruising and turning black around the bite.
I’d heard of people losing limbs to untreated snake bites, but I couldn’t think about that right now. I’d worry about that once he was breathing on his own again.
Despite years of practice using my abilities, I was not used to using them for hours on end. The Alexandrians had focused training on huge, powerful strikes, not endurance.
The sun sank to the west and shadows lengthened, but I didn’t dare leave V’s side. I pulled the thermal blanket out and wrapped it around him, because I sure-as-shit couldn’t start a fire right now.
The fatigue was getting to me, but there was no way I could stop taking care of my brother.
To distract myself from my exhaustion, I started talking to him, keeping the deep rhythm of air moving through his lungs.
