Count to ten, Briar. Breathe.
One.
Two.
Three.
I stumble forward, gripping the porcelain sink as tight as my knuckles allow.
Regret fills my veins from my outburst, but not my words. Silas needed to hear that. He’s been distant and quiet since he arrived. Before I can forgive him, he has a lot of explaining to do, and I need to calm down before that can happen. I splash some water on my face and gaze back into the mirror. My autumn eyes are gone, now black. Veins darken on my cheeks, and with each passing second—the closer they get to my throat—the more I fear Kalix will claw her way out.
I stumble backward, slamming my eyes closed.
A familiar, haunting voice whispers in my mind,“Who is here to protect you now, Briar?”
I swallow down the anxiety—my shadows pounding in my mind—desperate to choke her down.
“Fuck off,” I scream into the mirror. “Leave me alone.”
A feeling of hopelessness washes over me, and I collapse to the ground. A numbness takes over my body, and I struggle to take in a deep breath.
“Briar?” A knock on the door sounds. “Are you alright?”
Maines cracks the door.
“Don’t come in,” I beg, feeling the haunting shift still staining my eyes. “Do not look at me.”
Maines sees my state and rushes into the room anyway, crashing to the floor next to me. Nothing about the darkness surrounding me scares her. All she sees is her friend in desperate need of help.
She’s holding new clothes and rapidly wraps what she can around my body. “What’s going on?”
“It’s too much.” I don’t look at her. “I can’t do this, Maines. I screamed at Silas.” I lower my head into my hands. “I’m furious with him. And I’m so fucking mad at myself for not being stronger.”
She strokes the back of my head. “You are strong.”
I collapse into her hold and weep.
“We aren’t leaving, and we aren’t giving up. And to be honest, you have every right to be mad at Silas. He’s been completely absent since we got to this island.” Maines brushes the hair from my face. “Maybe a good verbal lashing will snap him out of his own head.”
I take a deep breath before I lift my head, afraid to show her my eyes, but all Maines does is smile. Our eyes meet, and I find a softness behind her ice-blue eyes.
“Beautiful and perfectly hazel,” she whispers, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear.
She turns to give me a moment of privacy while I get dressed. I pull on some snug black pants paired with a flowing grey top. A calmness settles over me, and I take another breath.
“Thank you.”
She turns and grins.
“We all need to be on the same page and understand what’s happening here,” I say. “If we’re going to win them over, it will take all of us."
She nods. “You are right, but we have a problem.”
“What?” I caution, as I tie my boots in place.
“Silas is gone.” She winces.
“What do you mean, gone?”
