Ollie MacQuoid and the Journey To Rubius

Chapter Fourteen

Outside, it had begun to snow.

Ollie's fingertips hurt; he'd burnt them. He tried to ignore it. There was a faint, pungent odour in the air — singed hair. The back of Bax's head was smouldering. "I feel sick," Ollie announced. He pushed himself up and staggered off the blackened wood, only to collapse again and curl onto his side, pulling at his hair.

"Ollie?" A gentle hand touched his shoulder and sent a jolt of ice up his spine. Ollie slapped it away harshly, seized by another bout of panic as his hand hit Alaudidae's chest and set the material of his jacket aflame. Alaudidae shrunk back, pressing his hand to the small embers, then reached for him again. "Ollie, it's —"

"Don't touch me!" Ollie shrieked, pushing himself backwards as quickly as he could with his hands tucked into his chest. The arm he'd broken throbbed painfully. "Get away! Nobody come near me!"

His heart beat furiously; he could feel it leaping into his throat, choking him with every breath. His hands were numb from how hard they'd been shaking. A fresh wave of terror filled him from head to toe and sent a mouthful of bile rushing up into his throat. From the corner of his eye, he saw Yuniferix bending over Bax's body, nudging his side with the tip of his nose. When Bax didn't move, Yuniferix tried again — and again — and again.

"He's dead, you stupid dragon!" Ollie spat. "I killed him! He's gone! He's not coming back!"

I killed him. The words felt like poison on his tongue. I killed him and it brought her back. How? He felt like puking again.

Yuniferix didn't seem to understand. He continued to bump his nose against Bax, hoping to rouse him. Ollie's stomach clenched and he pressed his face into his scraped, bleeding knees, weeping steadily. He was too far gone to realize how woefully pitiful he must have looked — all burnt and bruised and bloody from head to toe, surrounded by rubble and debris, sobbing into the material of his pants while the body of the brother he killed laid only yards away. I didn't want this; Ollie thought mournfully, I just wanted to be safe.

Ollie felt a wet patch grow at the base of his shirt and realized his fingertips had started dribbling water. He pressed his good hand into a fist, though that did almost nothing. "Stop it!" He begged. "Make it stop! Make it stop!"

He and Calladin made eye contact. One of the cuts on Calladin's face had opened and started to bleed again, though he didn't seem to notice it. Elora sat limply in his lap, having passed out again. Calladin held her tightly. With his other hand, he seemed to be motioning very slowly, as to not let Ollie notice, for Alaudidae to come closer. Alaudidae looked reluctant to follow Calladin's orders and remained crouched on his knees a few feet away, keeping his hand outstretched.

"It's okay," Alaudidae said comfortingly, "Take my hand, Ollie. It's going to be alright."

"No!" Ollie threaded his good hand through his hair. Yuniferix was still over in the corner, bumping Bax with his nose. "Stop it!" Ollie screamed. "Stop touching him! Get away! Get away!"

Another tremor ran through him and Alaudidae's soft comforts faded into nothing. Ollie felt his head hit the floor. When his vision came swimming back, Alaudidae was leaning over him, stroking the blood from his hair.

Ollie felt a ripple of panic. "Get off of me!" He shrieked, smacking Alaudidae across the face. Alaudidae gasped and bent sideways, holding a hand to a bleeding gash in his cheek. Ollie looked down and saw small spires of ice growing from the flesh on his hand. One of them was stained pink.

"No!" Ollie slammed his fist on the ground and watched the layer of ice on his skin shatter into pieces. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

He threw himself onto Alaudidae and hugged tightly, only to let go a moment later when he realized he was touching him. Starled, Alaudidae reached to hug him back. "I'm sorry, Alaudidae!" Ollie screamed, grabbing the front of his shirt. Tears rolled down his face. He so desperately needed comfort but his brain screamed at him to get off you're touching him you'll kill him you're dangerous get off GET OFF —