Twice Burned

Quinn

When I woke up, my chest was sore. I couldn't hardly move to sit up in my bed, seeing Nathan laying next to me still asleep.

The sun barely shown through the balcony doors into my eyes, the sky a bright pink. The stars around the edges of the light were still shining through the morning clouds, making the sky look mystical and bright with color.

I couldn't handle the pain coming from my chest at that point to even notice much more detail than that. It wasn't a punishment, I knew because it didn't buzz my rib cage like it did. It was more of an agony type pain, a festering bruise that wouldn't go away. I threw the covers off of my body and went to the mirror, pulling down the collar of my pajama slip I had on just enough to see the pendant.

The sun shown through just enough to illuminate the large bruise spreading through my chest around the pendant. My immunity was trying to heal itself, but couldn't. The pendant was latched to my sternum, and wouldn't let go until Robin removed it, so the skin and flesh around it began to bruise harshly. I touched two fingertips to my skin lightly, and jumped away at the pain, wincing.

"There are easier ways of getting rid of that pain of yours." 

I flipped my head around and jumped so hard, a perfume bottle from the desk in front of the mirror knocked off the table and shattered against the floor, the rest of the items upon it rattled.

Robin sat on one of the chairs across from me, examining her painted fingernails for imperfections. Her red hair was tied back by a single black ribbon, and her clothes resembled the work of fire. It flowed around her like flames would a bonfire, and her legs sprawled over one armrest of the chair like she owned it. Black eyes stared back at me, daring me to try something.

I quickly looked over to Nathan who was still in the bed, watching as he stirred, but did not wake up. I was confused, for he was trained to sleep lightly in case there was an immediate danger, which there was, but he did not wake.

"Relax, he'll be out for a few hours now." Robin said, pulling herself up and out of the chair.

"What did you do to him? I was given five days, Robin!" I screamed, walking over to her.

"Well he's not dead!" Robin said like it was obvious. "Sleeping powder, not uncommon to come by, especially when it comes from your own body." 

I watched as she held her painted nails up to my face, a mix of crimson and emerald dust crawled around them. I looked up at her jewel, seeing it half and half made me nauseous. I turned my cheek away from her, and she pulled her hand back.

"And as well, that five day deal, I'm going to have to revise it a tad." She said.

"What do you want now, Robin?" I asked calmly, almost bored.

"I want Zoe, Quinn. I'm running out of time here." She said, going over to another chair and leaning her hands on the backrest.

"Time for what? What do you want with her?" I asked.

As soon as the words left my lips, I fell to the ground in splintering pain. I felt my body shake as stabs went through my nerves, shocking me, leaving me immobile. I put a hand to my chest, feeling the vibrations from the pendant.

"That is none of your concern, Quinn. I have my reasons, and they are mine alone."

Once the pain stopped, I looked up to Robin on my hands and knees, hair falling into my face.

"It is my concern, Robin. Zoe is my responsibility, so if I must hand over a living being, I demand to know why." I just about yelled.

It scared me more that another punishment didn't occur.