“I’m so sorry!” A hand touched her shoulder and rolled Maya so that she was in a sitting position, or would have been if she had let go of her legs. “I had no idea, I’m so, so sorry.” Arms wrapped around her and Maya felt warmth spreading through her, easing the pain and allowing her to pay attention to her surroundings.
A familiar scent of vanilla wafted in the air around her, and Maya rapidly worked out how she knew the smell. Exploding like a bomb, she threw her arms and legs out, breaking the hold on her. The pain immediately returned in her stomach, but Maya ignored it. “Get away from me!”
She scrambled away, then rose as quickly as she dared. Placing a forearm over her stomach as she stayed hunched over in a crouched position, she glared at Apollo.
He held up his hands. “Please, Maya, I can help you. At least let me minimize the pain.”
“Don’t touch me! Don’t even come near me!” Her voice was a low primal growl.
“I didn’t realize, Maya, but I think I can understand what happened. I can help you, if you let me.”
“You don’t understand a damn thing, you condescending asshole. Now, get away from me before I really make you regret it.”
“I’m a healer, and I can’t just let you suffer because of me. Please.” The pained expression on his face almost made her listen. He approached slowly, and she watched him warily. As soon as he reached out to touch her, Maya held up a hand, sending a blast of air against him. Apollo went flying backwards, landing several feet from her.
“Don’t. Touch. Me,” she hissed as he tried to sit up. His hand slipped a few times, and he fell backwards. Realizing he was stunned, Maya stood up as tall as she could as the pain in her belly intensified.
“You … need … treatment.” Apollo’s words were breathy because the force of the blast had knocked the air out of his lungs.
Ignoring him, Maya walked toward some trees, although she had no plan for what she was going to do next. All she wanted was to be alone. Then she could think and decide what came next.
To her disbelief, Apollo began following her, although he was careful to keep a safe distance. “Maya, you need help.”
“I can handle it,” she shot back.
Still keeping his distance, Apollo hurried forward and stood in front of her, his hands held up. “You are bleeding internally, so—”
“I know,” she growled at him. “I know exactly what’s happening. I don’t need your condescending explanation for what’s happening tomybody. Now, get away from me.”
He stood still, and for a second, she considered striking him again. However, her magic was becoming too unstable because of the pain, and there was no guarantee that using it would have the desired effect. Instead, she began stepping away from Apollo, her eyes narrowed and glowing with the kind of intensity that only occurred when her emotions flared. Her abject refusal to accept his help drew an almost exasperated cry from him. “Why are you being so stubborn? I am literally trained to help people.”
Shaking her head, Maya continued to walk away from him. “It’s always the same.” Her voice changed, perfectly mimicking one of the hundreds of people who had made her empty promises. “I can help you and take away your pain. All you have to do is trust me, Maya.” She spat on the ground. “Then it’s,” her voice shifted again to something darker, “I helped you, now you have to do something for me.” Channeling the pain she felt into her words, she snarled, “I don’t trust you—or anyone—any farther than I can fly. So take your meaningless pity and shove it. I neither need nor want your help. Now or ever.”
“You are bleeding, Maya.”
“So are you, you fool.” Her words shot back at him, and he reached up and wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth.
“I’ll be fine,” he said. “Because my body is already healing itself. Yours won’t.”
“You didn’t care a few minutes ago. I would appreciate it if you would keep that cold indifference going because I don’t wantanythingyou have to offer.”
Her words seemed to break him, and Apollo dropped to his knees. “Please, I implore you. Don’t make me sit here and watch you suffer like this. I swear, I won’t ask for anything in return, Maya. Not if you don’t want to offer anything. I … I helped to save Sasha’s life. Please let me help you.”
Maya paused. “It’s not the same, and if you were worth anything as a healer, you would know that.”
“Without being able to treat you, I can’t know anything.”
“Good,” she spat out the word. “And I’ve no reason to let you learn any more about it. You want off this island so badly, just leave.” She flailed an arm up toward the sky. “All you have to do is to fly away. But for some reason you morons just keep forgetting that you can fly. If you really wanted to leave, you would have already.”
He swallowed before speaking. “I tried.”
“Don’t tell me you have issues too? Because I won’t believe you.”
“They’ve made it so that no one can leave by just flying off of the island. Believe me, I tried. It’s what I was doing when you went off to sleep. They’ve changed things, made it harder for people to leave.”
Maya watched him, wishing that she had the ability to detect if someone was lying. Anything to help her determine how much of what he said was true. “I know. They are manipulating people now.”
“What?” His expression shifted a little. “What do you mean?”
