**OLD DRAFT**Protectors: Book 1 of Protectors **OLD DRAFT**

Chapter 11

         Jade pressed her back against the nearest tent and breathed hard. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs from the rush of adrenaline and her vision went blotchy with red spots. Breathe. Jade gulped a lungful of air and snuck a look around the corner. Jade couldn’t make out the Protectors face, just his black hair cut short, and his pure white Guardian. As Jade snuck the look the Guardian, as if sensing Jade, turn its head and his eyes locked with hers. Jade sprinted, and Phantom followed easily behind her, allowing Jade to maneuverer through the crowd for him.

Jade didn’t stop until she was back at their campsite; the men were still passed out from the night before, so no one stirred when she dove into her tent. Jade collapsed on her bed roll and Phantom poked his head through the flaps while Jade caught her breath. He whined softly, as if asking if she was alright. Jade sat up and when she looked at Phantom and sharp knife stabbed her intestines and twisted. Instantly Jade clutched her hand to her abdomen and hunched over. Shit, no no no. Pain rolled through her body in waves, causing Jade’s eyes to burn, she fumbled blindly through her saddlebag with her spare hand and  found the spare cloth she had used to day before to keep dust from her lungs. She stuffed a corner of it in her mouth and tried to ride the attack out as quietly as possible.

When it dissipated Jade was left exhausted and curled in a ball, shaking on her bedroll. Phantom had is stomach to the ground and his ears were against his head, he lay near her, whining slow and soft so it was barely audible. His butt was still sticking out of the tent. Jade pulled the cloth away from her mouth and stared at the fabric balled in her hand. It was covered in blood. She hoped no one had heard her coughing, or the sounds of pain that had escaped past her lips. No one could discover her secret, the only reason she was surviving this world was because she was able to work and pass as a fighter. If people thought she was a detriment, that would all change and she would starve.

“It’s never held me back in a fight, it’s never gotten in my way,” she whispered quietly to Phantom and he listened intently to every sound. “I am not a burden.” Jade fell asleep at some point; Phantom crawled further into the tent to lay his body next to her. She only woke when Yates came and woke her up.

“Jade?” Jade jerked awake, the sunlight bore against her tent making it uncharacteristically stuffy inside. He mouth was dry and her eyes watered when she opened them, it took her a moment to remember where she was. The bloodied cloth was still balled in her fist and she hastily stuffed it into her saddlebag and sat up.

“Yeah,” she responded and looked around for her water skin to relieve her throat.

“Ah, you are in there. Thought you might have gone off already and gotten breakfast.

I wanted to.  “No I’m here, just decided to catch up on my rest.” Phantom yawned next to her, and her stomach growled.

“Well we’re all going to get some breakfast, do you want to come?” he asked.

Jade opened her mouth to say she’d be right out, but the thought of the Protector flooded her vision. “No, I’m not very hungry, I’ll stay here and watch the camp and horses.”

There was a moment of silence. “Are you feeling alright?”

“Fine, I think I probably slept too much, really you guys go on without me.” She heard Yates walk away and her tent, followed closely by angry whispers. A few seconds later Reed stood outside her tent.

“Get your ass out here Jade; we’re all going to get breakfast together as a group.” It wasn’t a questions and Jade swallowed the mouthfull of water quickly.