I leaned over to one side and clutched my stomach to try and keep myself from throwing up. It didn’t help. It tasted like acid, but what was worse was the fact that my stomach had been all but out of use over the past three weeks, and there was almost literally nothing for me to get out. I was left with the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.
I felt myself get ready to heave again, but I just held my moth and waited till the moment past. Then I felt it. What I had expected. Every inch of my being began to split apart. Every little scar on my skin split at once. Blood splashed onto the ground. Red sickening blood. And it continued…..spattering. Blood splashed like water…..I heard it. And then the pain ran through. I tried not to scream……..
-*-
I woke up with the Leader standing over me. I couldn’t move….so I didn’t.
“You’re lucky,” the Leader said coldly. “That you didn’t fade in your own blood…….You lost more than half your blood.”
I tried to breathe in, but the pain stopped me.
“I’m surprised I didn’t finish you,” the Leader said turning away. “But. I am not so merciful that I would do that. No. You must hold you end of the pact until the Cypher is done. “
I tried another breath in. “You couldn’t,” I laughed a bit. A new stream of blood was running down the side of my mouth. “As part of the pact…..if I die before it’s done…..you will too….”
“On the contrary Triskix,” the Leader answered. “I have made twenty five new pacts. Twenty-five pacts that will ensure my life. Even if I decide to kill you now, I won’t die.”
I breathed in again. The caustic shock in my lungs was the least of my worries.
“If you ever try to end me again,” the Leader said harshly. “I will end you first. Now….”
I felt a portal open under me. It slowly sucked me down inside. I closed my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again….I was in the infirmary. Xemmsur was looking at me terrified.
“What happened???” she asked. “
“Hu……….” I managed to get out.
“Triskix!” Xemmsur said again. “What happened???”
I closed my eyes again and let my mind wander…….
