They Came In Hoodies

Chapter 30: Paper Thin

Look out for the <>!

Gray POV

I couldn't tell Stella that our healing methods didn't work for humans. I couldn't say that she was going to die just because of this simple scratch. self-hatred kicked in as I knew I should have never taken her into the woods. I should have just showed her the grounds. But there hadn't been a Darking sighting in days. I thought it would be safe. I should have known better, I knew what Darklings could do to humans. But I risked it just to show her a few more things. I was ridiculous.

"Gray, can you please tell me what is going on?" Stella asked as I lead her through the castle halls to get to Else's living quarters. I knew that maybe she would have answers, she would know what to do in this mess.

"I'll explain things in a moment but you will have to wait out here," I explained as I knocked on the door of Else's apartment, hoping she was already back from her meetings that she told me she had. I couldn't allow Stella to hear the questions I would ask Else. I didn't need her to know her fate yet. That was why she would wait in the hall for the time being. I just wanted to sort out some answers before I came up with something to tell her.

Else opened the door a second later with a frown on her face. "What?" she snapped at me as if I just messed up something incredibly important.

But what she didn't know is that my issue was more important than anything she could have currently been dealing with. Without saying anything, I pushed her back into her place and left Stella outside. I closed the door, shutting Stella from the conversation and turned to face Else. "Are you sure there is no cure for darkling poison in humans?"

She frowned as she realized what I was asking. Silently, she paced the floor, thinking about the predicament. Finally, she stopped as she gave a tired sigh and shook her head. "There is no cure."

I swore loudly, unable to control my anger. I knew this fact; they taught me this fact, but yet I thought everything would be fine. We were only in the woods for 30 minutes. But there had to be more than this simple statement. There was so much I didn't know about Churchwell and I was trusting Else for answers.

"The best we can do is make her comfortable until the poison stops her heart."

Until her heart stops, that was what the poison eventually did for everyone, magical or non-magical, but that couldn't be it. I wouldn't take that as an answer. I shook my head as I looked at her. I couldn't let that happen. Stella was my everything. Even if I could never be with her, someone else deserved her just as much. "It was only a scratch," I stated as I ran my bloodied hand through my hair, not caring if it got messy.

Else put her hand on my shoulder in a failed attempt to comfort me. "You know it only takes a scratch," she sighed as she looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

I shook my head again as my world started to crumble. "Don't give me that damn sentence."

"Gray, there is nothing I can do, you know this as well as I do."

My hands went flying in frustration as I tried to come to terms with what she was telling me. All my life I was told that Darklings could kill humans, and I believed them. I had seen it happen with my own eyes. But now that Stella was scratched, I couldn't accept that statement. Darkling poison would not be her fate. There had to be something to stop it, to cure her, to save me from his torment.

<>

"Where is she?"

Silently, I pointed towards the door.

"Let's get her in here. She can have my bed until..." her voice trailed off, but I knew what she wanted to say.

With a deep breath, I opened the door to see Stella looking back at me with wide eyes, as if she heard everything that was just said. "You can come in."