noted. “You are fine, right?”
“Yes, just still a little tired,” she said.
“Emma?” Jeremy said, entering behind us yawning.
“Hey, Jeremy!” I said, heading up to him.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. You both just completely knocked out.”
“How in the heck could we both fall asleep, at the exact same time?” Jeremy questioned.
“Were you up late?”
“Well, we didn’t sleep. We stayed up all night eating candy and drinking soda,” Lia said.
“Then that’s it,” Caleb jumped in. “You both had a sugar crash. It happens if you eat too much sugar. But combine it with lack of sleep and… bam! You’re out cold.”
“I guess that’s possible,” Jeremy agreed, with another yawn.
Phew. Maybe the fifth degree would end soon.
Caleb and Courtney really hit it off with Jeremy and Lia, so much in fact, I felt like – and was – a fifth wheel.
Lia and Caleb flirted with each other all night, and Jeremy and Courtney even hit it off. They weren’t flirting, but Courtney kept him busy with her many questions about LA. Jeremy was more than happy to give his detailed answers.
It was great to have help, and I started to believe we could actually pull this off. I really wanted them to have fun. Courtney and Caleb were my lifesavers.
It was nearly 2am when everyone said goodnight, and walked back to their rooms. I turned off my light and snuggled into bed, exhausted. It had been a long day, full of stress.
Exhaling loud and long, I closed my eyes, hoping to fall into darkness.
I awoke suddenly in a cold, dark room. A spotlight landed on a figure standing about a hundred feet in front of me. It was a boy with his back to me, and he was shirtless. His arms were listless and dropped to his sides. His head was facing downward.
“Hello?” I called softly. There was no answer. He didn’t even move.
As I walked closer, I noticed his hands were balled into tight fists, and his back was badly scarred and covered in blood.
My heart began to race, and I could hear the sound of my breath quicken.
I stepped even closer to the figure, and quickly covered my mouth to try and keep down the rising vomit.
Two gaping holes oozed slowly, but heavily, from either side of his shoulder blades. I could see bone peeking from beneath the open flesh. White feathers, stained with crimson, were strewn about the floor. Some were caught within the thick blood.
It looked as if he once had wings, but they had been ripped from his back.
“Can I help you?” I breathed, reaching out to his arm. When I touched it, his head whipped sideways.
No!
“Kade! What the hell happened?” I cried frantically. I reached out to grab his arm, and as soon as I touched him, his skin felt ice cold and he was unresponsive. His eyes glazed over, looking bewildered.
“How did you get here? Kade, we need to get out of here!” I yelled, tugging his arm. “Kade!”
Why would he be in this dark place? And why did he have gaping holes in his back? He was a Guardian, and Guardians didn’t have wings.
His body suddenly fell limp into my arms, and I dropped under his weight. I used every bit of strength I had to turn him on his side, and then carefully rested his head in my lap. I brushed dampened hair from his forehead.
“Kade. Please answer me. What happened? Why are you here? Where are we?” There was still no response, and his eyes remained closed. “Please, baby. Open your eyes. I need you,” I sobbed, pleading. I felt completely lost. Holding him in my arms, there was nothing I could do to help him.
Kade’s eyes flickered and slowly opened. The once hazel eyes I’d become familiar with had been tainted. Bright red veins snaked throughout them, making him look almost alien.
“For you,” he whispered. “I did it for you.”
“What? What did you do for me?”
His arm lifted and his weak fingers traced the side of my face, and then dropped, limp. His eyes went blank, and the corners started to
“Yes, just still a little tired,” she said.
“Emma?” Jeremy said, entering behind us yawning.
“Hey, Jeremy!” I said, heading up to him.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know. You both just completely knocked out.”
“How in the heck could we both fall asleep, at the exact same time?” Jeremy questioned.
“Were you up late?”
“Well, we didn’t sleep. We stayed up all night eating candy and drinking soda,” Lia said.
“Then that’s it,” Caleb jumped in. “You both had a sugar crash. It happens if you eat too much sugar. But combine it with lack of sleep and… bam! You’re out cold.”
“I guess that’s possible,” Jeremy agreed, with another yawn.
Phew. Maybe the fifth degree would end soon.
Caleb and Courtney really hit it off with Jeremy and Lia, so much in fact, I felt like – and was – a fifth wheel.
Lia and Caleb flirted with each other all night, and Jeremy and Courtney even hit it off. They weren’t flirting, but Courtney kept him busy with her many questions about LA. Jeremy was more than happy to give his detailed answers.
It was great to have help, and I started to believe we could actually pull this off. I really wanted them to have fun. Courtney and Caleb were my lifesavers.
It was nearly 2am when everyone said goodnight, and walked back to their rooms. I turned off my light and snuggled into bed, exhausted. It had been a long day, full of stress.
Exhaling loud and long, I closed my eyes, hoping to fall into darkness.
I awoke suddenly in a cold, dark room. A spotlight landed on a figure standing about a hundred feet in front of me. It was a boy with his back to me, and he was shirtless. His arms were listless and dropped to his sides. His head was facing downward.
“Hello?” I called softly. There was no answer. He didn’t even move.
As I walked closer, I noticed his hands were balled into tight fists, and his back was badly scarred and covered in blood.
My heart began to race, and I could hear the sound of my breath quicken.
I stepped even closer to the figure, and quickly covered my mouth to try and keep down the rising vomit.
Two gaping holes oozed slowly, but heavily, from either side of his shoulder blades. I could see bone peeking from beneath the open flesh. White feathers, stained with crimson, were strewn about the floor. Some were caught within the thick blood.
It looked as if he once had wings, but they had been ripped from his back.
“Can I help you?” I breathed, reaching out to his arm. When I touched it, his head whipped sideways.
No!
“Kade! What the hell happened?” I cried frantically. I reached out to grab his arm, and as soon as I touched him, his skin felt ice cold and he was unresponsive. His eyes glazed over, looking bewildered.
“How did you get here? Kade, we need to get out of here!” I yelled, tugging his arm. “Kade!”
Why would he be in this dark place? And why did he have gaping holes in his back? He was a Guardian, and Guardians didn’t have wings.
His body suddenly fell limp into my arms, and I dropped under his weight. I used every bit of strength I had to turn him on his side, and then carefully rested his head in my lap. I brushed dampened hair from his forehead.
“Kade. Please answer me. What happened? Why are you here? Where are we?” There was still no response, and his eyes remained closed. “Please, baby. Open your eyes. I need you,” I sobbed, pleading. I felt completely lost. Holding him in my arms, there was nothing I could do to help him.
Kade’s eyes flickered and slowly opened. The once hazel eyes I’d become familiar with had been tainted. Bright red veins snaked throughout them, making him look almost alien.
“For you,” he whispered. “I did it for you.”
“What? What did you do for me?”
His arm lifted and his weak fingers traced the side of my face, and then dropped, limp. His eyes went blank, and the corners started to
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