Chapter 27 is dedicated to birdybox12 and MochaBerryy and VitoniAchumi
Thank you for your support ❤
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Malekh drew closer to us with slow, deliberate strides. He was confident that we were could pose no real threat to him. Perhaps his surety stemmed from Cyrena's ability to see the future.
If it came down to a physical fight, there wouldn't be much I could do. I didn't have the ability to conjure up sharp nails and teeth like they could. Were we even allowed to harm Malekh? He was the king of the Spade Kingdom, and unlike his father, he had the full support of his people. A war would be unavoidable.
CaVaughn glanced at me, perhaps estimating how fast I'd be able to run. He sighed. Apparently not fast enough. He kept me safely behind him and focused his attention on the biggest obstacle in front of us.
Malekh stopped a feet away from us, fixing his dark gaze on CaVaughn. "I see you're still unable to shift."
"I didn't realize."
"And you're still annoyingly sarcastic. I was hoping you would come," he murmured, taking another step closer to us.
CaVaughn's eyes narrowed at that. "Me?"
"Yes. It would have been a waste if you weren't here."
We both froze, as his words registered. Jun's hunch was right- Malekh had been looking for someone. And if Jun had known that Cyrena could actually predict the future, it would have made things a lot clearer for him. Our plan had already failed. Jackson had been right in front of us and yet we had lost him.
Despair was already starting to creep into my heart. We had come this far and we still couldn't get to him. But now wasn't the time to think about that. We had to figure out how to get away from Malekh. Maybe I could distract him until Jun got here.
I began to step out from behind CaVaughn, but he firmly pushed me back, not breaking eye contact with Malekh, and shook his head.
"I can make you stronger," Malekh continued. His voice was light, but eyes held an obscure gleam. "It's possible that you'll be able to shift too... but we'll have to wait and see. In about a week, if you survive it."
CaVaughn took a cautionary step back, as Malekh's eyes danced with intrigue. In a flash, he was over to us. I gasped as he reached behind CaVaughn for me, but CaVaughn quickly countered by pushing me away and sliding himself in the space between Malekh and where I had been standing.
Malekh smiled and I felt as if something extremely bad was about to happen.
"Let me enlighten you, old friend," he said, throwing a hand around CaVaughn's shoulder. He whispered something into his ear that I was too low for me to hear and CaVaughn's eyes widened in dire disbelief.
Before I even had the chance to process what was happening next, CaVaughn let out a loud pain filled shout. He tried to push Malekh away from him, but Malekh's power was on a different level and he didn't budge an inch.
I rushed to his side, but he pushed me away from him. "R-Run!" he grunted, barely able to speak.
Malekh's head was buried in his neck. My heart pounded in my chest and I was too frozen to move as drops of blood fell onto the ground. Malekh raised his head and our eyes connected, but before I could blink, he was gone. CaVaughn collapsed onto the floor and I rushed to his side.
He was lying on the ground, groaning. His eyes were disoriented and wouldn't focus on me. His body was heating up pretty rapidly too.
He clutched his neck which was stained with blood. I gently pulled his hand away and there were two puncture marks at the base of his neck. The bleeding had already stopped. I didn't know how. Maybe it was his enhanced healing? But it had only been a few seconds. Was his body that quick?
It seemed that Malekh had partially shifted and bit CaVaughn. But why? What would he accomplish by doing something like that?
I glanced down at CaVaughn whose body was now shaking with convulsions.
"What's wrong with him?!" Jun asked, racing to my side.
"I don't know," I said, struggling to keep CaVaughn steady. "Malekh bit him."
"Malekh? You ran into Malekh alone?"
"Yes, eventually. We saw Jackson too, but it's a long story."
"He bit him?" Jun asked confused. He observed the bite marks on his neck. "An Origen's bite should not have this effect on him."
"He said something about a legend."
Jun closed his eyes briefly and his expression became one of confusion then realization, then back to confusion. He hastily picked up CaVaughn as carefully as he could. His body was so hot to touch. If he was a human it would have been fatal.
CaVaughn wheezed as he struggled to breathe. Jun sprinted out of the house and placed him on the backseat of the Jeep.
"Can you dri... no you can't," he said, grabbing the car keys from my shaking hand. He thrust them at a man passing by.
"I'm regrouping with my squad," he protested.
"New orders. Drive this."
"But-"
"I'm not asking you."
He frowned, taking the keys.
"What the hell happened?" Ashton yelled, running over to us. When he saw the state that CaVaughn was in, his body shook with anger.
"We have to take him to the nearest hospital!" Kevin yelled, coming up beside us.
"It has to be an allied kingdom," Jun grunted. "He's the prince. Not just anyone can find out about this."
"I'll kill Malekh!" Ashton growled, storming off in the direction of the house, his whole body was quivering in anger. Kevin pressed his hands on his shoulders, holding him back.
"The mission's failed, Ashton," Jun sighed.
"We need to get CaVaughn out of here ASAP," Kevin reasoned.
Ashton snarled furiously, bringing his fist down on the side of the Jeep. The large dent there proved the strength of his anger. He glared in the direction of the house, but Kevin was firm. "Come on. This isn't the end."
"I can't leave like this!" Ashton yelled. "Not after what they did to my brother!"
Jun glanced at the Jeep worriedly. I checked on CaVaughn's temperature and tried to calm my shock before I turned to them.
"We need to get him to a professional immediately. His temperature is definitely over forty degrees and it's getting higher. If it continues like this..."
Ashton ran a hand through his midnight hair and ripped his eyes from the house with a disheartened growl.
"I'll drive," he said, grabbing the keys from the man.
The guy shot a worried glance in CaVaughn's direction and nodded hesitantly. He quickly ran off to join his squad.
"Can you drive?" I asked, taking in his dark demeanor. Would he even be able to focus on the road with his mind still on Malekh?
"Yes."
I narrowed my eyes at him, unconvinced, but he strode off and got into the driver's seat.
Jun was talking to Harlow and Zayne in an urgent voice. Harlow was obviously upset and she spoke with wide eyes and outstretched arms.
"We've come this far! I'm not leaving until we finish this mission."
"Don't you get it?!" Jun yelled. His voice was pained. "We can't beat them. CaVaughn wasn't our only casualty."
"So we're giving up? Running off with our tails between our legs?" she scowled.
Jun growled. "Leave it alone, Harlow."
Zayne placed a hand on her shoulder but she shook it off. "Our prince could die!"
"Exactly," Jun growled. "And he was hurt by something that is not known to us. I won't order you to charge in blindly. Gather your squads. We're leaving."
She huffed and Zayne nodded in acceptance. Jun turned around slowly, his hair shielded his face but his teeth and fists were clenched tightly. No doubt he wanted to go in and get revenge but he knew that the odds were stacked against us.
An older man got into the back of the Jeep where CaVaughn was. He was one of the squad doctors. He closed the door grimly. I got into the passenger seat and buckled in as Ashton took off, leaving the house behind in the dust.
In the rear view mirror, I could see the vehicle that Kevin and Jun were in right behind us.
I glanced back at the doctor who was taking CaVaughn's temperature.
"Forty-four degrees Celsius," he murmured.
"F-forty four?" I stuttered.
He nodded. "For an Origen, it is not that dangerous." His brows creased. "The problem is that his temperature keeps increasing and nothing I use is having any effect."
"Do everything you can," Ashton growled. His knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead.
"Of course I will, your highness." The doctor nodded. "But this... this is strange. You say he was bitten?" His liquid brown eyes found mine. I nodded.
"Origen bites do not have such an effect," he frowned. "His body is fighting back against whatever was introduced into him."
"How high can his fever get?" I asked tentatively.
"A little over forty-eight... maybe fifty degrees Celsius max. At that point..." he trailed off. "Anyways, he's fortunate that he's an Alpha."
I shivered at the thought of anything bad happening to CaVaughn. Ashton glanced over at me worriedly.
"I'm fine," I reassured him.
After three hours of driving, my nerves were on edge. CaVaughn was hanging on to a thin thread of consciousness under the watchful gaze of the doctor. His skin was torrid and pale and his breathing came out in rapid, shallow bursts.
"How much farther until we get to the nearest hospital?" I asked, anxiously glancing through the window. I had no more nails left to chew on.
"We're not going to another hospital," he growled. "The king ordered us to take him back to Crysauralia."
"What?!" the doctor and I yelled in unison.
He adjusted the glasses that had fallen down his nose at the outburst. "I don't mean to question His Majesty's authority, but the journey to our kingdom should be at least two more days. I don't know if he will hold out until then."
"He has to!" Ashton seethed. "Do everything you can!"
"I can only do so much," the doctor protested wearily. "I'm not god."
"Obviously not," he sighed. "He doesn't want this taken care of by a foreign country. A helicopter will meet us at the halfway point to transport him back."
"But that's at least another couple hours," the doctor pointed out anxiously. "This is no time for pride. We have many alliances with other kingdoms; it's not unreasonable that we go there. We are closer to at least two other kingdoms than we are to Crysauralia right now."
"I agree," I added. "He has hyperpyrexia and his temperature's at forty-five now. If it gets higher, it won't be good for him."
"I know," Ashton said through gritted teeth. "But with the state he's in, he's vulnerable to anything right now. Alliance or not, they might take advantage of that."
He glanced back at his brother. "He's strong. He'll pull through this."
The doctor didn't look too certain, but kept his opinions to himself.
"Ash, sometimes willpower alone isn't enough. He needs treatment too."
"That's why I'm going the fastest I can. It's tempting thinking about going to another place but the king will just make it harder for everyone else if I go against his orders."
"But his son is in serious condition! There's a chance they'd be able to help him!" I looked to the doctor for support but solemn resignation was etched on his face.
"I am a royal doctor," he sighed. "I have to follow the king above everything else."
I crossed my arms with an agitated sigh. All because of his dumb pride and trust issues, the king would have CaVaughn endure a longer journey than necessary!
After a few more hours, CaVaughn's temperature that had been constant at forty-six climbed to forty-seven. He was fully unconscious now. Completely silent and motionless. We drove on in grave silence. The first rays of light were finally starting to peek through the clouds when we made it to the halfway point.
There, the helicopter was waiting with a medical team to transfer CaVaughn back to the Royal Hospital in Crysauralia. He was carefully moved onto a gurney and I sighed in relief as the doctors gathered around him and the helicopter lifted off.
I turned to Ashton who looked disheartened. "They'll do everything they can to save him." I wrapped him in a small hug.
"I know," he sighed after the helicopter became a small dot among the clouds. "I just hope I made the right choice taking him all the way here."
"Let me drive," I suggested. "You could use some rest."
"I don't nee-"
"Yes, you do," I insisted, getting into the driver's seat.
He sighed again, but complied. I followed the line of cars in front of us and after a few minutes of complaining about my driving, he finally fell asleep.
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After a few hours, Ashton's battery was recharged. I glanced over as he agitatedly tapped the window.
"Cav's still unconscious. They're almost at the hospital," he informed hoarsely.
"I hope he wakes up soon. I wonder what Malekh did to him."
Ashton growled at the sound of Makekh's name.
"Ashton."
I turned around in shock, to see Jun sitting in the backseat. "Jun... how did you-?"
I hurriedly refocused on the road. Ashton didn't seem surprised at his abrupt entrance.
"The door wasn't locked." He shrugged.
"That's not the point," I protested at his nonchalant answer. "We're on the freeway!"
"So?"
"We're going over seventy miles per hour!"
"Yeah, so I just got out of the car I was in, ran up to this one and got in," he explained, as if it was the most normal thing ever.
"Sometimes I forget what you guys are capable of," I sighed.
"What did you want, Jun?" Ashton asked.
"I wanna go over some of what happened at Malekh's base. I have to give the king a report."
"He won't be happy that we failed the mission."
"I know. But I don't regret prioritizing your brother's life. We were outmatched."
Ashton and I both gave our accounts of what happened in our squads. After that, Jun left as quickly and soundlessly as he had entered.
"Do you really think the king will be upset about the mission? I mean everyone did their job but we didn't expect them to be so prepared."
"Oh, he's absolutely livid," Ashton sighed.
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Hey lovelies! Thanks for reading!
The mission to bring Jackson back did not go as expected! And to top it off, CaVaughn was seriously injured!
What did Malekh do to him? Will he make it back to Crysauralia in time?
Leave a comment and a vote❤
See you in the next chapter!