Luminescent (Inheritance Cycle and Beyond)

Chapter Thirteen: Luminescent

As my senses slowly came back, I could no longer feel the searing pain in my right shoulder, that's a plus. I also felt a warm hand holding onto one of my hands, almost in a death grip. I fluttered my eyelids open, I was in a brightly lit room and was laying on a soft mattress, that felt so much better than the rock floor.

"I think you like for me to think you're dying." I looked to my right to see a tired and worn out Murtagh.

"I didn't do that on purpose, Eragon needed help."

"You tried to go up against a Shade Mal, a Shade." Using my left hand, I pushed myself up into a sitting position, wincing at how stiff my body felt.

"I went up against a Shade, that lost might I add, Murtagh." Murtagh scowled at me before sighing. "Eragon?"

"He's fine. He's still out from his wound, Angela healed his back, so it's just a scar now." I sighed in relief before looking down at my shoulder there was a thick bandage over it, it must have been terrible. I ran a finger over the bumpy ridges of the cloth.

"Next time don't go running after someone that'll kill you." I dropped my hand and looked at Murtagh's tired face.

"He wasn't trying to kill me, Murtagh." Murtagh sighed at me. He thought I was out of my mind.

"That's is not what it looked like, Mal."

"He was pinning me down." Murtagh went utterly still at my words. "He was going to take me back to the Empire, Murtagh. He was going to take me to Galbatorix." I dropped my head into my left hand at how close I had been to being toted back to Uru Baen.

Murtagh's arms wrapped around my body, I let myself lean into him.

"He came so close. He came so damn close." I muttered into his shirt, listening to the rhythmic thumping of Murtagh's heart. "I need to get up." I started to get up when Murtagh abruptly pushed me back down.

"You're not going anywhere." I glared at the dark-haired boy.

"And why not? I'm fine." Murtagh crossed his arms.

"You're hurt."

"I said I'm fine. I'm not bleeding anymore." Murtagh shook his head in refusal. I narrowed my eyes at him before thinking of a plan of escape. I quickly slipped out of bed and made a mad dash for the exit. Murtagh ran after me, yelling about how much of an idiot I was being. I have to admit, running did irritate my shoulder and slowed my speed down. I almost reached the end of the hall when hands wrapped around my waist and hoisted me in the air. "Dammit!"

"I can't believe you just did that!" Murtagh growled in my ear before swinging me up into his arms.

"You should know by now that I don't listen to anyone Murtagh!" I retorted with a glare. "I am not going to lay in a bed wondering how my best friend and little brother is doing."

"Fine, but you're not walking," Murtagh said before he started walking again, this time in a different direction. I let out a grumble and hooked an arm around his neck so my right arm wouldn't be squished in a weird angle. I continued to glare at Murtagh as we entered another hallway. "Stop glaring at me, princess."

My glare turned into a scowl.

"Don't tell me that they've got you saying that as well," Murtagh smirked at before heading into a room with several other people.

"Mal?" I stopped glaring at Murtagh to see Eragon standing next to a woman I have never met.

"Eragon," I said brightly before turning back to Murtagh. "Put me down." Murtagh sat me down on the edge of the bed, and Eragon quickly ran up to me. I waved Eragon's hands away with my left hand. "I'm fine, Eragon."