Ash and Cinder

26| Motion Sick

Sky finds me first, mere moments after I crumple into the crater. He races in, fists up, expecting a fight, but that changes when he sees Elle in my arms. He circles the crater in the blink of an eye, shakes his head, circles the crater again. Then he's gone, leaving nothing but a puff of dust to mark that he was there to begin with.

After him, there is nobody. The room is devoid of all life except the persistent beating of my own heart. I remain, stuck in the same, curled up, defeated position for so long that I am convinced all of my muscles have turned to stone. My arms are locked around Elle, my forehead is welded to hers, I'm incapable of moving.

Until the first rays of sunlight squeeze their way through the blinds, and I force my eyelids shut. The dark behind my eyes is the perfect background for scenes of violence to play out in full screen. Duels, riots, the snap of a guard's gun firing, the feeling of blood on my hands. It's all better than what's happening in the present world, I'd rather see this than her.

"Trick." It's Delilah, her voice is soft and I'm afraid of what her presence means. "I'm sorry, but we need to go. Sky took off hours ago and hasn't come back, it's not safe here."

I turn my head and rest my cheek on Elle's curls. Warm tears run down my face for what must be the hundredth time today. I don't have the ability or the will to stand up. I open my eyes and stare at Delilah, she's crouched in front of me. Sharp lines of exhaustion are drawn on her face, they make her look a hundred years old.

"Leave me," I croak.

"Can't, mate, too many people want to kill you."

Delilah starts at Sky's remark, relief smoothing out the lines for a brief second.

"You're back."

"Yeah." He sounds exhausted, his voice is raspy like he's been running all night. Delilah stands, and they both leave the room.

A while later they return, and this time it's Sky who crouches in front of me. His eyes are red, and his hair is blown back from his face. He doesn't say anything, only reaches out and takes Elle from me. I close my eyes and let him.

"Look at me," Delilah instructs. "Trick, look at me."

I open my eyes.

Sky is by Elle's bed, pulling the sheet up. Delilah holds two pills in front of my face. "Eat these, and then we have to go," she says.

I take the pills. They stick to the sides of my throat on the way down.

"Can you stand?"

No.

They hook their hands under my arms, one on each side, and lift me up. I manage to sort of get my feet under me, enough that I can shuffle, and we turn towards the door. This lasts all of three seconds, and as we cross the threshold my knees turn to water and a new sob crushes me down. If not for Delilah and Sky by my side, I would collapse on the floor and never get back up.

We make it out of the hospital this way. With Delilah and Sky supporting me on either side and me staggering, barely able to see through the tears. A mass of people wait outside the glass sliding doors, lights flash and a hundred voices all smush together, rising as we step out of the safety of the hospital.

Sky and Delilah elbow and shove past the mob. Delilah shouts at a few of the people. At one point a lightbulb explodes right in front of my face, leaving me dazed and blinking away stars. We break free of the mob and Delilah all but shoves me into the backseat of a car and shuts the door.

Removed of the support of Delilah and Sky, I fold over in my spot. My knees press into my chest and my head squishes against the back of the seat in front of me. Sky enters from the other side of the car and pats my back.