Midnight CEO

24.

As I climbed through the portal, I could feel a slight pain in my chest. It felt more like an uncomfortable pain than a severe one, but it was there again.

"Ok, I think I can walk," Jake said, placing his feet on the ground. "Ok, don't let go. Are you still holding on?" He said to Henry as he stood up.

"Yes," he wasn't.

"Ok, I'm going to take a step. " Jake said proudly, holding up his hands. "All right, I got this. You think you can break every bone in my body and stop me. Look at me, walking around as if nothing happened." Jake happily yelled as he took tiny steps; I wouldn't even call them baby steps towards me. "You're still holding on, right?" He called to Henry behind him.

"Yes," he still wasn't.

"Ok, I think I'm good.  I got this, OH SHIT," Jake cried out as he fell face-first to the ground. "You asshole, you said you had my back," he yelled at Henry as he threw some sticks at him. "Never trust a royal to have your back," he mumbled as he got off the floor.

"I said I was holding on; you never asked what I was holding onto," Henry smiled in Jake's face.

"Typical, spoilt brat attitude. Fed through silver fangs. Doesn't give a fuck about us little people," Jake mumbled, standing up.

"Stop it, Jake." I tried not to laugh. The pain in my chest started to get a little worse with every step I took. It was becoming stronger. "Ok, this is getting worse. I just need a minute here." I took deep breaths, trying to calm the pain in my chest.

"Eb, you ok? You're nearly as pale as me," Jake said, staring at me.

"Ebony, he is right. You don't look well," Henry said, walking over to me.

"The pain is getting worse. It seems to be getting stronger the more I walk." I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. "What does this mean?"

"Carter is close, and he must be somewhere in the forest. If you can still feel him, that means he hasn't completely turned yet." Henry said calmly. "We could still have a chance here."

"It does?" I smiled with a glimmer of hope again.

"We must get back to the others and tell them. I don't know how much time we have," Henry put his arm around me and helped me to walk forward.

"I'll just crawl behind you then on my knees then, shall I?" Jake called as we started walking away from him. "No need for help. I only have broken bones, no big deal." He said sarcastically.

"Rightio then." Henry smiled back at him. "You are doing great."

"Damn royal bastard thinking he can talk shit to me like I'm a goddamn animal. Who does he think he is anyway? Thinks he's in charge of the whole damn world or something...Wait. Damn it!" Jake mumbled behind us.

The deeper we walked into the dark forest, the worse the pain got. It was pulsing through my body and taking over my every thought. "Stop, please. I need to stop," I cried out as my chest felt like it was about to explode. "It's getting worse. I need to stop."

"It's ok. We can rest for a minute. Just take big breaths," Henry held me in his arms, and as I groaned out loudly in pain.

"Does that mean boss is here?" I heard Jake say.

"He must be close. I can feel her heart beating so fast." Henry said as I let out a scream. The pain was nearly unbearable now. It was consuming me, and it was taking over.

"Make it stop. Please tell him to stop. Why is he hurting me?" I yelled as tears ran down my face. "Please, make it stop," I begged him as I screamed out again.