Dead by Dawn

Chapter 6

Wyatt winced as Royce's leather boots dug into his side and he put his hand over it, hoping to numb the pain. Like everything else he tried, it didn't work.

Royce walked around the room, pacing. He reached for the switchblade on the floor that Wyatt had dropped. Royce ran his finger delicately over the blade. He put it under Wyatt's neck.

Wyatt could feel Royce's breath in his ear as Royce harshly whispered, "Never, EVER, come in here again, or I will kill you instead, do you understand?"

Wyatt felt the blade start to dig into his throat and nodded, whimpering, "Yes."

Royce laughed sadistically and let go, walking away. "Final warning, Wyatt Clark. I'd stay still, by the way. Don't want that poison traveling through your bloodstream." He left with a clang of the door slamming shut.

Wyatt shakily stood up, and he was suddenly hit with a wave of nausea.

"This isn't good, Wyatt." Thane murmured. "I can feel the flow of poison traveling through your veins."

Yet Thane's voice was starting to get farther and farther away. Soon, it was no more than a faint buzz in his ear.

He walked around stumbling over everything and pushed the door open. The sight in his good eye was diminishing as he put his hand on the wall and struggled to walk forward. "Get to Cassie. Get to Cassie," he whispered, before falling down and onto his knees. "I have to get to Cassie." He stood up and relied on the wall to get him there.

When Wyatt finally reached the door, he pounded on it. No answer. Wyatt coughed blood and stood up once more, leaning against the wall. "She has to be with Royce."

Wyatt collapsed and he heard the panic in Thane's voice.

"Wyatt? Can you hear me? You might die. There's no way you can get to Royce's room alone anymore. Let me help. I'll take my human form and carry you there. Give me your consent."

Wyatt was panting heavily. "Help, Thane."

There was a sudden disappearance of something. He felt like someone had just taken a piece of him away, like a jigsaw puzzle. His eyesight could only make out a pair of haunting eyes on a dark, human shaped shadow as Thane slung him over his shoulder and walked into a wall. There was a dark, ominous feel and Thane emerged out on a different side, right next to Royce's office. He knocked on the door, and, just as Chase opened the door, Thane disappeared, once more living in Wyatt's conscience.

Wyatt looked up at Chase's surprised face and managed a weak grin.

"Surprise, bro."

Then everything went black.

******

Some hours later...

He woke up groggily and sat up slowly. The infirmary was absolutely empty, except for a feminine shape sitting at his bed. Slowly, his good eye adjusted. There was a twinge in his side and he groaned. "Damn it."