Euriv's Children

Chapter 15

Ali's POV

I made my climb out from below deck and went up to meet everyone else. Jess and Cathan were looking ahead, and he looked better than ever, as if he hadn't have been sick only half an hour ago. They were obviously arguing, Jess' hands were on her hips and Cathan was making wild gestures. Finally, Jess stormed off, and left Cathan standing there, leaning over the railing. I took a seat in the inner compartment, away from the wind, and hid my face in shame.

"Stop doing this."

"Stop doing what?" I couldn't even look at him. His annoyance was like a fly I wanted to swat away.

"Stop shutting down like this! Do you really think Owen or Eric or Celia would want you to?" He said angrily. "This is a time for you to keep your cool, not lose it."

"This was my fault." I said softly

"It wasn't your fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"What do you mean? It was my idea!" I yelled, "I wanted to come here and get payback like some freaking avenger. In the end, I didn't protect my friends. Now for all I know, that bitch Raina could be waiting for us on the shore with a hoard of demons and everyone could be in danger! Eric is hurt, everyone is bruised. I don't have anyone to turn to anymore since my mother won't pick up her phone." I didn't realize I was crying until I felt the tears flow down my face. I gripped the chair as though it could hold my sanity together. As though the tears wold magically disappear back into my eyes.

"This was not your fault. You really think this would happen just because of you? Do you really think that this would be easy? Just get the amulets and save the world? Well it's not." That was the most Cathan had ever spoken, and frankly I was shocked.

"You act as though you're one of us. Like you've been raised around Salvism." I said curiously. "You act as though you know what's at stake."

"Well, maybe I've done my research." He sat down in an empty chair.

"Why would you care anyway?" I asked. "It's not as though you really have any stake in this. You don't have to stay."

"Really? I'm... your brother aren't I? We are blood. That makes me Salvist I would think. In case you haven't noticed, I was chosen by Cynthus." He showed me the shield, embossed on his forearm. "It makes more sense now."

"I know how that is, to have doubts. Can you believe I've spent my whole childhood daydreaming about having a twin brother. I even wrote a story about finding him and having a grand adventure. I didn't think it would actually happen though. How silly of me." I tried to look anywhere but at him.

"That's not as silly as you think. To be honest I always wanted a sister, mom, dad, the whole deal. I just thought it wasn't in the cards for me." He reached over, and gripped mine in his gloved hand. He was shaking. "I thought I would be daydreaming all my life."

"I'm sorry it won't all be there, but I'm not leaving." I squeezed his hand, and wiped away my tears.

"Let's get through this." He said determined. "Ali, look." He took of the amulet that was still around his neck. "I was looking at this earlier and I noticed something. On one side is Eurtiv's seal. On the other side though, look. William Benjamin Wright."

"I wonder who that is." I traced the name.

"Ali, Cathan, we need you." Owen called from below deck. "It's Eric."

We lept out of our seats and started running down the stairs. Eric was laying on the floor panting and groaning in pain, blood pooling on his shirt.

"Eric, why did you tell us you were okay?" I gingerly lifted his shirt, and stared in shock. Someone had stabbed him, and it wasn't an ordinary cut either. The wound itself was black and the veins were too.

"He's been poisoned." Owen whispered. "What did this?"

"I'm so sorry. It's my fault that this happened." I stroked his hair soothingly.

"Ali, it's not your fault." Eric grunted softly.

"That's what I have been trying to tell her." Cathan said, crouching down beside him.

"Oh." Eric's eyes flicked to him in surprise. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Would be better if a certain someone would listen to me." He glared at me. "I'm more worried about you."

"Good luck with that. She doesn't listen to anyone." Eric tried to smile through the obvious grimace of pain.

"Can you do anything?" I asked Cathan.

"Not for poison. I would have to know the kind they used and then have the right stuff to make an antidote. It's complicated. The only thing I can do for right now is try to clean it" He took out his first aid kit and started dabbing liquid onto the wound.

Eric let out a blood curdling scream and started thrashing, his face turned an ashy grey. I gripped his hips and his shoulder, holding him down, willing for it to stop. Owen was keeping his head still as the sounds of his screams echoed around us.

"Don't die. Come on Eric, fight it." I begged, leaning over him, putting all of my weight on him. I just wanted to heal him. I would give anything, even my own life.

As if someone had answered my thoughts, I felt something in between my eyes, flood down and out through my hands. It was an energy I had never felt before. Warm and almost white hot, but there was no pain. Eric's back bowed, and he let out one last scream before relaxing. His breathing evened out, and his eyes closed. The wound was gone.

"Ali, what did you just do?" Owen asked.

Before I could answer the world started spinning, and I felt myself keel over, and then everything went black.