Too Young (The Jewel Project #1)

Chapter 26.2 - Lost and Found

Kyle moved as fast as his throbbing head allowed. His vision was hazy and his legs felt like lead, but he couldn't abandon the search. The only thing what could stop him was his head literally exploding.

He reached out his hands, trying to prevent bumping into anything. The trees swayed in front of him, making it hard to appreciate distances correctly.

The pressure on his temples made him wince, and with each step, the surroundings became murkier. It's just the clouds. It's about to rain. Denial was the strongest weapon he had. If he'd give in to the trance now, he'd never reach Kay in time to save her. She was like a beacon, helping him move forward. And through the darkness in his mind, she was the only thing he could see.

"Help me," she whispered.

The surrounding blackness echoed his heartbeat and his heavy breathing. He tried to talk, assure her that he was coming, he wasn't going to give up on her, but he couldn't. It was as if the words froze in his throat. And as he realized that, he became aware that he wasn't moving anymore.

His body floated in nothingness with only the echoing sound of dripping water for company. Cold chilled him to the bone and he wondered if he was in a cave of some sort. This was the weirdest trance ever. He couldn't remember ever being conscious through one before.

The freezing sensation intensified, bringing with it a sense of panic. He would have flinched if he could move. He couldn't hear his breathing or the beating of his heart anymore.

I'm dying. The emptiness smothered his thoughts. No! Kay. He couldn't die, leave her now when she needed him. He wouldn't go down without a fight. Something hot filled his veins.

"No!" he screamed, bolting up. It was a relief to hear himself panting. That was the freakiest dream ever.

"Hmmm, what do you know? You live."

Kyle flinched and turned in the direction of the low, snide voice. It was dark outside, but he could make out the outline of a tall, broad man wearing a cloak which irradiated weakly, as if it were glow-in-the-dark. He stood with his back to him, in front of a makeshift table, meddling with what sounded like glass flasks. Kyle looked down at the palm tree leafs made into some sort of bed. His head was still hazy.

"Yes, apparently this works," the man muttered. "The effects should be permanent. I only hope it was worth it."

"What happened? Who are you?" Kyle asked, wanting to stand, but a huge pang in his head brought him back to sitting position.

"Special as you may be, you still need some time to pull yourself together." The man sneered.

Kyle rubbed his temples. One of his arms hurt too. He looked at it and noticed a small red spot on the inside of his elbow. A needle point mark, no doubt about it. "What did you do to me?"

"Aaah, a much more interesting question." The man turned around, but the hood of his cloak was pulled so deep over his face, it was impossible to tell what he looked like. "I saved your life. You were about to die."

The cold in his trance suddenly caught new meaning. Kyle stared at the man. "Why?"

The stranger chuckled. "You're a good conversation partner. You ask the right questions." He searched the table and raised a flask containing a greenish substance. "This runs through your veins. Courtesy of your father. Whether he was trying to kill you or save your life, I'm not sure. It's what makes you unusually strong. And what should make you crazy. But you seem immune to that precise side effect."

"How do you know all that? And if that's in me..." Kyle pointed to the flask. "How'd you get it out?"

"Fun, fun, fun." The man rubbed his hands. "I know loads more about you than you think. But I'm not sharing the hows and the whys. I didn't get this out of you." He shook the flask, making the potion whirl around inside. "This is my own sample."