Seventy-two

We emerge in a white room filled with all sorts of equipment that, frankly, I know nothing about but judging by the grin on Laira's face, to her this is the equivalent of nerd heaven. 

David, in spite of having to hobble through, seems chirpier than when we left. We all have our happy place, I guess this is theirs.

While everyone spreads around, Mason tugs me to the side.

Dragging my eyes off Laira fiddling with something over a table, I turn to look at him. We haven't had a chance to speak to each other in private thus far.

He regards me with a slight pinch in his brow, that quickly deepens, his face scrunches up in a grimace that sits somewhere between discomfort and pain.

" Mase what's wrong?" I grab his shoulders to steady him while he lowers himself to the floor, wincing and breathing sharply between clenched teeth.

" Just breathe through it," Eric's voice cuts through the panic.

" What's wrong with him?" I lift his shirt to check the wounds. It's far too soon for any of them to have become infected. The wounds have only been inflicted less than twelve hours ago.

" It's the Whiteheart," Eric hums calmly, almost disinterested," It is healing him. The first few times can be painful," He tacks on as I raise my hand to touch Mason's forehead. He is burning up, like a furnace. Drops of sweat bead on his forehead and his upper lip, he is sweating profusely from every pore.

I throw a glance over my shoulder to Eric who is checking something that appears to be a metallic square plate.

Mason's groan drags my eyes to him, hooded eyes peer back at me, his cheeks bright red and I know that can't be a good sign.

" He will be alright…if he survives the healing process, that is" Fan-freaking-tastic.

" What do you mean if he survives?" As I rise to my feet, our gazes clash, raging fury burns in mine. I'm pretty sure thunderclouds are hovering over my head.

Shrugging, Eric turns his attention back to the plate in his hand," Not many do," He spins on his heels and leaves me gawping at him like a total idiot.

A soft thud sobers me up from my rage-induced glaring, and I lower myself back to tend to Mason. The blade slips out of his hand, and his body begins to grow taut and quake.

Grabbing his hand, I bring it to my chest in the hope that my presence will help, even just a little bit. My gaze roams around the room, trying to find anything that could be used to bring his temperature down just a notch before it fries his brain and turns it into mush.

In the corner, lining the wall, I find a sink, and hopefully plenty of cold water.

" Do not interfere with the healing process. It will only make it worse," Eric says the moment I rise to my feet. That gives me pause, and I look down at Mason who is a breath away from seizing. It won't be long before his body starts convulsing while the healing process takes place.

" It's poison. Usually, nothing else triggers this type of reaction," Eric adds, while I helplessly stare at Mason fighting for his life.

There is nothing I can do to help. I hate being helpless. And I hate even more seeing him hurt. I don't know why, but his pain feels like my own. 

With a deep breath, I reign in my racing thoughts. I can't allow myself to wallow, so I drop to the floor and do the only thing I can do while he heals. Any doubts I had about Zareen, have dissipated at the sight of Mason suspended between life and death.

Pulling him into my arms, I wrap my arms around his waist just as the convulsions begin to violently shake his body. It takes an enormous amount of strength to hold him still, as his body bows off the floor, his eyes roll at the back of his head, and I do what I can and pray that he survives.

Eric and the others don't even bother to intervene, while Laira does come rushing when Mason lets out a strangled cry, but Eric pushes her back. She backs away slowly with her eyes on me. I shake my head, and Laira takes a step forward. 

" Get to work," Eric hisses, the command is cold and firm enough to have Laira give him a fearful look. Everyone's nerves are strung up tight, and I understand that everyone is on edge, considering what is at risk.

After what it feels like forever the convulsions subside, his body relaxes, and melts into the floor listless. I put my ear over his mouth to check if he is breathing because his chest is not moving. When I hear nothing, I move to his heart and listen carefully until I hear the low thrum of his heart. It barely beats, but he is alive. And that is worth more than anything.

Relieved, I fold myself next to him and try to catch some much-needed shut-eye.

It won't be restful, but I'll take whatever I can get.

Slowly, I drift off to sleep on the haze of a million troubling thoughts, and agonising worry about what tomorrow will bring.

I wake up to the feel of lips pressing gingerly on my eyebrow and a deep heartfelt sigh. I don't have to open my eyes to know that is him, but I take a moment to enjoy the strong hum of his heart, the feel of his arms wrapped around me. The Warmth seeps from his body into mine, contrasting the cold floor we both lie on.

" The calm before the storm," Mason hums groggily, while I tilt my head back to look at him. His eyes are still closed, and his skin holds a healthier glow, but I can see the shadows under his eyes. His sunken cheeks, the sheen of dried sweat covering his skin, making it a touch clammy.

We need to wash, change clothes and have some food.

Someone groans from the other side of the room, and I look around to see that everyone is sleeping on the floor, including Eric. That's a first. Sadly, I don't have a camera with me to immortalise that moment. Of a very derelict Eric, with his hair flying in every direction like it's an antenna trying to contact another civilisation.

There is a certain humoristic side to this shitty situation, and I cling to it for dear life. Because I need something to take my mind off what is awaiting us at the other end of this journey.

Aaron is next, followed by Laira, David and Jacqueline. A memory from a distant past comes to the forefront of my mind, of a tear-drop room filled with members of the order. Now, there are only three left, four if you count Mason.

" A few more minutes," Mason grumbles in my ear and pulls me to lie back down while Eric approaches to check on us.

" I see you survived," Eric taunts, and gives Mason a smirk," I just can't rid myself of you, no matter how much I try," He tacks on and heaves a sigh, as he looks around the room.

" Sod off," Mason grumbles feebly in my ear, making Eric chuckle.

" I'll fetch us some food, and see how it looks out there. All students have been sent home. For now, the coast is clear. Any stragglers are considered an enemy, and should be terminated on sight," I push up and Mason loosens his grip on me. Laira is rubbing her eyes, and David is already tinkering over a table. Jacqueline is stretching her bones while Aaron is checking his weapons.

" Aaron will be coming with me. The grounds should be clear but we will do a perimeter check before leaving. Stay together no matter what. Do not leave the nerds to fend for themselves," He says as he turns on his heels to leave.

" As always, leaving us to do the dirty work while you're off gallivanting through Morston," Mason grumbles while I turn my head to glare at him.

Eric pauses mid-step and turns back, wearing a grave expression," If you were capable of doing it, I'd send you. But since you can barely keep your eyes open, I guess I'll be the errand boy for now. If I'd known I'd require a degree to fetch food, I'd have done something more meaningful with my life," This feels like a bit of a jab, but I press my lips together and keep quiet.

We are all in this, whether we like it or not. We've been swept into a conflict that we had no hand in creating, but we have a responsibility to end it. It's not much of a choice. Is either that or Bartholomew hunting us down like wild animals?

Groaning, Mason pushes himself to sit up, he props his elbow on his bent knees and heaves a sigh," Eric, get the food and stop feeling sorry for yourself because daddy loved a building more than he loved you," In a nimble move, Mason stands," I can walk just fine to get the food, but I'd like to see for once how you manage without being waited on hand and foot. So, you'll have to forgive me that I have no sympathy for your little struggle. Try being in my fucking shoes for once before you winge about your spoiled childhood. Try not having anyone, and when you do find someone, only to find out that you've been nothing but a pawn in a scheme put together by the people who kidnapped your mother, only to have you, and did god knows what else to her, and me before I even saw the light of day. So, take your whining elsewhere because I don't want to fucking hear it. I'd like a steak if that's alright with you," He looks over his shoulder at me and I rise to my feet, feeling a bit like a third wheel.

" Chicken, please. Anything really, and coffee…lots of it. A few gallons would be great" I shrug because this is awkward as hell, and I don't want to be involved in any way. This is a personal feud, I just happen to get caught in the middle.

" You'll have whatever I bring you," Eric turns on his heels and storms out of the room. Mason deflates, his bravado has taken every ounce of strength that he had regained overnight. 

I settle on a chair, and Mason drops into the one next to me. Silence settles over us, as he leans against the metal table behind us, and tilts his head back to look at the ceiling.

Everyone is busy doing something, and we are probably too tired to get any of it right. We need a safe space where we can have some rest without the threat of being snatched in our sleep by Shay.

Patting Mason's knee to get his attention," I'll be right back. I just need to speak to Laira," He hums but doesn't take his eyes off the ceiling and I set off to do at least one thing useful.

 David is chatting to Jacqueline showing her some electrical equipment on the side while Laira is still fiddling over the metal table where I last saw her the day before.

" Hey," She gives a feeble smile when she catches sight of me approaching.

" How are you holding up?" I ask before she bombards me with the need to know things about a new gizmo she's been working on.

" In desperate need of coffee and a few hours of decent sleep. You? " She drops what looks like a modified version of her precious decahedron.

" Same," I sigh," Is there any chance to make a place like a bunker we've just been into but less suffocating," I change my luck, as Laira turns the decahedron in her hand.

" No. It would take too much work. We need something made of metal so I can turn into a cage, like the one we just made," Her shoulders drop as she looks around the room.

" What about the barracks in the Quarter? Would that work?" She turns to me wide-eyed and nods.

" Yes, it would. They're all made from different metals; we just need to find the right ones. I'll get everything ready and once Eric is back we can go," She is buzzing and I'm having a hard time believing that Eric would sleep with the dogs. Not after his recent head-on with Mason. The man has been fed with a silver spoon, and the Quarter couldn't be any further from that.

Rising from the chair," I'll let Mason know. We all need some rest, and sleeping on the floor in the physics lab, won't get us very far. Grab anything of value and be ready," I pull her into my arms," Thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am for everything you have done for me, for us," She shrugs in the embrace, and I take a deep breath because my eyes are burning and I don't want to cry.

" That's what friends are for. If you can't rely on your friends to make sure your shitty family stays dead and buried, then you're screwed," We both chuckle, as she rolls the decahedron in her hand.

" True. Let me know if you have any relatives that you need to get rid of," We both laugh, drawing the attention of the others.

Laira tips her chin in David's direction and he smiles at her thinking she is saying hello," Him, but I'm doing it myself. More satisfying," She shrugs just as David begins to make his way towards us. Thankfully the physics lab is huge, and it takes him a while to get to where we are standing.

" You know what to do when you decide," I lean to whisper, and Laira hums.

" First let's get rid of your shitty brother, then we can decide who gets to chop off his dick," She smiles coldly at David as he joins us. Note to self, never cross Laira, in any way.

" Good morning girls," David says gleefully and tucks his hands in the front pockets of his trousers.

" It was good until you showed up," Laira quips and David's smile fades in the same instant.

" We are doing this again, are we?" David says glumly.

" Doing is something you're extremely proficient at; for example: doing my friend after you've just done me" She lifts a finger and carries on without missing a beat," Trying to do Lily, but that didn't work out very well for you did it. Smart girl, by the way," Oof, I'd hate to be in David's shoes," Moving on, doing quite literally every single girl in the academy stupid enough to open her legs for you. What happened to you, David?" She finishes and David just looks at her downtrodden. I'm pretty sure that there have been a lot of back-and-forths in the past because he doesn't say anything.

" I should go," I point over my shoulder with my thumb, and slowly back away from what it is guaranteed to go boom. Laira is a big girl, she can handle herself, and I can barely recognise the timid girl who hid in David's shadow, a couple of years ago. 

The little squabble has caught Mason's attention, and by the time I reach him, he has already prepared the question.

" Same again?" He asks, slightly amused at the lover's quarrel happening on the other side of the lab.

I hum in response, as I take a seat next to him and watch the two bicker fervently. They do that a lot these days.

" I think we may have found a solution to get some rest," I lift my top and take a whiff," And possibly a shower or something along those lines," Mason slowly turns in his chair to look at me," The barracks in the Quarter are made of metal. Laira thinks that they can be rigged to act as a Faraday cage. We need rest, and food, " We all do. It has been a trying few days, let's not forget my little adventure in the Dead Man's Valley 

" Agreed," Mason hums just as Eric and Aaron stride in laden with food and coffee," I know it before I see it. Its aroma wafts to my nose and I can't help but turn giddy at the thought of tasting coffee.

Eric is in no better mood than he was when he left, but he brought food so analysing his sour mood takes a back seat.

" Coffee and food," Eric says as he drops the bag on the table next to Mason and struts away like a storm. 

Shaking his head, Mason unties the bag and pulls out a few pastries, and a few rachitic sandwiches. They aren't big enough to fill a roach belly, let alone a fully grown man or woman. And to top it all off, they are just lettuce and tomato.

There is a good chance that we will starve to death before my brother gets to us.

A grumbling Mason, hands me the coffee, with an interesting choice of colourful words addressed to a very indifferent Eric.

Silence falls on the lab as everyone digs into their meagre meal.