It wasn’t even painful anymore. Had my nerves been burned away already?
“Over here!” Reed called, and the sound reminded me that I still had ears.
That’s good, right?
Smoke poured from my mouth, and my lungs squeezed, shriveled, as I began to choke. Alex ran for me, and I wanted to shake my head, wanted to scream at her to stay back.
Stay away.
My shoulders hit the ground next, and my head rested on asphalt. She didn’t stop, didn’t even slow down until she got close enough to feel the heat.
“Make it stop!” she screeched.
I wasn’t sure if she was talking to me or Reed.
I can’t.
“Damnit, Reed!Now!”
Her voice was fading, and I wanted to let go. But we weren’t sure what would happen if I did—the VIA couldn’t decide if my burnout would snuff out the flames, or create a supernova. She was too close to gamble with it, and I managed to raise a hand, telling her tostay back.
Alex didn’t fucking listen, or maybe she didn’t understand, because she inched forward. Her hair shifted, the ends starting to burn away as she grimaced and her face turned red.
Stop.
“I’m here.” Her voice was strained, and it made my gut sink. “I’m right here, Leo. You can stop now—please.You’ll die.”
Something started to cool off inside me. It wasn’t the thought of death, or even the fact that she was too close, and it scared the shit out of me. Alex refused to walk away.
Why won’t you run?
Blue turned to orange, and the fire around me began to simmer, pulling back toward me.
“Good.” She crouched down and started to scoot closer. “Keep going. Don’t worry—you won’t burn me. I promise.”
I blinked, which meant my eyelids were still intact. That must have been a good sign, at least. But I couldn’t speak, couldn’t do a damn thing but lay there, with my hand still reaching out. I wasn’t telling her to stay away anymore. Alex had flipped a switch inside of me, like an emergency brake.
I won’t burn you.
The closer she got, the more my flames retreated, and that gave me hope.
“Get me a healer,now!” Reed was shouting, cursing, causing a scene.
I wanted to rest. I wanted to sleep. I wanted Alex.
She reached out, and I didn’t notice that the fire had gone out completely until she wrapped her hand around mine. Her skin was unharmed, not a mark to be seen. It seemed wrong to be holding mine—black flesh, crimson underneath, and bits of bone peeking through.
“Damnit,Leo,” she breathed, before draping herself over me. “What did you do? Why did you do that?”
I couldn’t feel her, and I think that was the worst part. My body wouldn’t move, wouldn’t react. All I could do was lie there, gasping, and staring at the street as Alex began to sob.
“Don’t you dare fucking die on me,” she choked out. “No one else is allowed to die on me.”
Shit. I made her cry.
By the time the red and blue lights lit up the street, my vision was fading, and everything turned black.
TWENTY-ONE
