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“Correction. Yes,” Ada said.
Skye chuckled. “Sorry. I wouldn’t have brought you in here except I need you close to the tree so I can identify the tip of your thread?—”
Her words cut off as my head hit the floor.
Loud. Or at least it sounded loud in my head.
And it wasn’t until my temple crunched onto the floor that I realized I was no longer upright.
Fuck.
This wasn’t just dizziness. This was my veins on fire, sending flame-breathing cockroaches to scurry about in my skull. My limbs started to shake, my whole body going into a full spasm.
“Hell, Skye, what’s wrong with him?” Ada’s voice echoed oddly into my ears, the words slowing like the slow-motion of an old-school home film flopping through a projector.
Ada’s hands went onto my head, pushing off my hat, her face glowing oddly in the rainbow of shades from the tree as it bobbed in and out of view. “He’s shaking—shaking—his veins are popping out—what’s going on?”
Skye above me, her hand on my forehead, looking into my eyes. “Shit—it’s the tree—some people can’t be around it.” She jumped to her feet and ran toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”
Fighting to stay in my body, to stay conscious, seconds ticked by. Agonizing seconds where my body trembled, pain deep in my veins, and I had to battle to find Ada after every time my eyes rolled back in my head.
Hell. I was frothing. Convulsing. Out of control.
“Fucking hell. The tree—she said it was the tree. I’ve got to get you out of here.” Ada went above my head and dug her hands under my armpits, dragging me toward the doorway. “Shit, you weigh brick ton.”
The door flew open and Skye raced in, her husband at her heels. “Here. Aiden, get him out of here. Now.”
“Where in the hell should I hide him?”
“I don’t know—Triaten’s apartment? The elders can’t know he’s here.”
“No shit.” Aiden nudged Ada aside, reaching down and picking me up like I was a three-year-old child and he slung me over his shoulder.
Skye ran to the door, opening it to the intermediate chamber that stayed dark. “Ada, stay here—I’ll be right back in.”
Ada’s hands clamped around my head bumping along Aiden’s back, following us. “No. I’m staying with him.”
“No, you’re not,” Skye ordered in a frantic whisper. “You shouldn’t be in here anyway—much less him. If you want answers then we have to do this quick because we need to get the both of you out of here before anyone realizes you’re here.”
Ada’s hands fell away from my head.
Excruciating. Like losing a limb.
I drifted into the darkness and I wasn’t sure if my eyes were closing or we’d entered the dark vestibule.
Complete blackness overwhelmed me. Overwhelmed my mind.
Darkness until I opened my eyes, gasping at breath as light hit my pupils like the blazing sun.
Hands landed on my shoulders, holding me down onto the floor.
Hands I fought, my fingers weakly slapping at the arms. “Where—where in the hell is Ada?”
“Calm down.” Triaten’s face appeared above me, blocking the light searing into my eyeballs. “Hell, man, your veins look like they’re about to explode out of your skin. Don’t move. I’m going to get Charlotte.”
“No. Not Charlotte. I’ll be fi—” I stopped, flipping onto my side, heaving, vomiting, my body trying to expel my guts straight onto the floor.
Triaten got up, the light burning into me once more. “I’m getting her. She’ll know what’s going on.”
