The Survival of Four

Chapter 60

Carson and I were then alone, other than Harper and two other medics who stood around us. I sobbed again, not able to control it. "He might be dead, Carson," I cried. "Kyle might be dead."

He pulled me closer and I felt his shallow breath on the back of my neck. "He might not be," he reminded me.

"I saw the arrow go into his chest."

He nodded, looking around at the frantic demigods running around the haven. "It's going to be okay." He rubbed a comforting hand on my arm. I winced at the point of contact. He pulled away from me and laid me on the ground, his eyes raking my body for my injuries.

I closed my eyes and tried calming my breathing as the medics mirrored Carson's actions. I tried convincing myself Kyle wasn't dead. Maybe I was hallucinating. Maybe I was dreaming. "Where is all of this blood coming from?" Harper's words brought me out of my thoughts.

I opened my eyes and had to squint my eyes to focus on her face. My head was pounding like never before. She adjusted through my clothing, trying to find a source of bleeding. I shook my head which sent a sharp pain through my skull. I whimpered. "Most of it is Avrey's," I informed her, struggling to get out the words through my gritted teeth.

My brother's eyes shifted to my arms and exposed skin around my ankles. "What about the burns?" His brows were furrowed and his jaw was stiff with worry.

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the agony all over my body. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. "She hit me with lightning."

A medic standing behind the kneeling Carson and Harper gasp and stared at me in shock. "How are you still alive?" The medic asked.

I tried to shrug, but failed and cried out in pain. "I ran a mile to get here. It hurts. So much," I complained. "I need nectar right now."

Harper removed a drawstring bag from her back and opened it up, digging around inside. She pulled out a vial and handed it to me. I faced the painful movement and grabbed the vial. I took a large swig and handed it back to her, mumbling a "thanks". "I don't know how you ran a mile in this condition," she admitted. "You are lucky your body didn't give out on you."

"Oh, it did," I assured her. "Many times."

She and the two others observed my injuries more closely. "It's hard to see with all of this blood," she said. "We should go to the head house's guest room. I can clean you up and keep an eye on you there."

"No," I said immediately. Kyle stayed there when he was hurt. I couldn't be in there without constantly thinking about him. "Take me to my room. You can look after me there. We have a guest room. You can stay there, too, if you think it is necessary."

The four of them stared at me as if I was crazy. "Riley, you look awful. They can take better care of you in the head house," Carson urged.

"I'm not going to the head house," I snapped. "Kyle is gone, Carson." I shook my head with tears chasing down my cheeks like runaways. "I can't go in there without thinking about him."

They nodded, understanding my placement on the argument. "Alright," Harper gave in. "We can take you to your house. Although, I'm going to have to stay there with you for a few days in case your condition worsens." I nodded, agreeing.

Carson reached down and placed an arm under my legs and back. He picked me up. I cried as my muscles tensed, shooting pain through my body. They looked at me with sympathy, which I hated. I hated being looked down upon as if I needed help. Although I did, I hated knowing it.

Carson carried me through the field and to our house with Harper walking close behind. The other two Apollo descendants remained behind to help search for Kyle. As he was the keeper of Safe Haven, he was the top priority. Harper opened the front door for us and my brother carried me in. The three of us made our way up the stairs and into my clean bedroom. Carson laid me on the bed and I whimpered at the movement. He mumbled an apology before moving out of Harper's way.

Harper examined my injuries once more. She lifted my shirt and looked at the condition of my stomach, which was scattered with odd burns like my arms. She started digging through her bag and pulled out a tube of cream. "First, you need to rest because your body is at its lowest in energy. After you wake up, I need you to shower so I can get a better look at the wounds without them being covered in blood," she explained. "After you dry off the best you can, rub this cream on the burns—it will help them heal faster."

I nodded the best I could, without causing too much pain. "How bad are the burns?"

She glanced at my arms once more. "Not too bad, actually. They are bad enough to give you a lot of pain of course, but I don't think you will be left with many scars."

"That's good," Carson jumped in, trying to point at the bright side.

"Can I sleep now? I'm really tired," I explained.

Harper nodded instantly and tossed her bag back over her shoulder. "I'll be downstairs if you need me," she informed me. I watched her as she walked out of the room and I listened to her footsteps travel down the hall.

"Find him, Carson," I said once she was gone. "I need him to come back."

He nodded, knowing exactly who I was talking about. His big brown eyes stared at me with a worried, but loving expression. "I will."

I sighed. "Thank you." He nodded and turned to leave. He slipped me a sad smile before he closed the bedroom door behind him.

Avrey was dead. Kyle was missing. Dylan was breaking down. Carson was taking charge. I was in bad condition. I wanted to find Kyle. I needed to. I wanted to help. I was going to. As soon as I was back on my feet, I was going to be looking for him. I wasn't going to stop. Not until I found him dead or alive. Surely he hadn't died in vain. If he was dead.