Just a Kiss

The Serpent's Bite

"Shiina! We've gotta help her--" I tried to push past Ms. Whitley, but the serpent was still in my way.

It snapped out again as Chance's lyoken leapt to land, growling, between us and it.

Chance held his arm in front of me, keeping me back like he was trying to protect me.

"I gotta save her," I said, shoving past him towards Shiina while the serpent was preoccupied fighting the lyoken. Now was my chance.

But of course, the serpent wasn't all we had to worry about. There was also the little matter of Ms. Whitley and the strange bubble of white light she'd trapped Shiina in.

"I'll do it! Just stay outta the way! Chance dragged me to the side just as Ms. Whitley struck out with her staff.

But in the moment I'd lunged for her, I'd caught her off guard. Something else had happened then. The energy from her staff, the bubble she'd trapped Shiina in, it flickered.

That's when I knew. We'd been aiming at the wrong target.

We needed to distract Ms. Whitley. If we could do that, she'd lose focus and Shiina could get away.

Until then, my animus was helpless, wriggling against the walls of her spherical cage.

I could have yelled to Chance. I could have shared what I'd just realized, but if I did, our element of surprise would have been lost.

Instead, I decided to do it myself. I leapt for her staff.

Maybe I should have expected a magical staff like that to be charged with the energy that pulsed through it. And maybe I also should have expected it when both Ms. Whitley and the serpent snapped their attention back to me.

But it did accomplish what I'd wanted. Ms. Whitley broke focus.

In an instant, Shiina was free.

Of course, I couldn't be too triumphant. Not when one instant the staff hurled me back with a jolt of energy, and the next, the serpent's jaws closed around my shoulder.

* * *

I woke in darkness. Painful, aching, burning darkness.

Everything felt heavy and swollen. Even my eyelids were hard to open, my eyes and throat dry and sore.

But worst yet was my left shoulder. It felt like it was on fire, the pain was that sharp.

I couldn't remember ever having felt so utterly terrible in my life.

I didn't even know if I was somewhere safe.

That is, not until I tried to roll over.

"So you're awake," came Chance's voice through the darkness as his arms wrapped tighter around me where they supported my back and knees. It was then that I felt the gentle gait of footsteps beneath us and realized I was being carried. "Try to go back to sleep. Trust me. It'll be better."

But now that I was awake, I wanted to know where I was. Slowly, I pried my eyes open.

We weren't in the city. In fact, we weren't exactly anywhere at all, far as I could see.

Shiina fluttered along beside us where we walked through the night. 

Slowly, I was able to make out the dark shapes of trees, of distant hills against the starred sky. When my vision had come back completely, I managed, "Where are you taking me?"

That's how bad it was, bad enough that I wasn't insisting that I be put down so I could walk.

Chance said, "We gotta get you somewhere to take care of the poison."

Oh, great. I shoulda known that serpent's bite would be poisonous.

No wonder it hurt so bad.

When I glanced back, "Um, any reason we're not on a road." In fact, Chance was carrying me through a forest so untamed, it appeared to be some sort of jungle. Branches and vines kept slapping at my legs as he pushed through.

All he would say was, "There's someone who can help us."

Someone who lived in the middle of the forest? Maybe this was all some crazy, fevered dream.

Except it couldn't be. The pain was far too real for that.

- - - 

Want to read a choose-your-own-adventure style spin-off of Just a Kiss where YOU decide what happens?

That's right! I'm writing an interactive fictional author's fanfic of Just a Kiss! It's called Chance for a Dance and involves--you guessed it--a school dance.

Right now it's about 7k words. It's not going to advance the main story plot, but I'm having fun writing it so hopefully you'll enjoy reading it. :)

Want to be notified when it's ready? If so, comment here and I'll give you the link when it's up!

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