Blue Flames

Chapter 31

"The poison has stopped spreading for now."

"We have to cut off the contaminated area, otherwise-"

"Do it. Now."

Hands holding me down. Then pain. Excruciating pain. And I was back again in that underground hot cell with sharp teeth tearing through my flesh.

Blissful oblivion took me under after a moment.

I opened my eyes to a painting of half clad men and women, harps, cherubs and angels. The ceiling was high and domed, vivaciously colorful and heavily gilded, it was visible to my blurry vision.

"Is he still out there?"

"Yes, but he won't be held back much longer." Amanda's voice, I groggily realized. 

The pain in my side was a dull throb. My throat was parched and my body felt as if it had been run over by a train.

"He will wait," Arthur's dark, deep voice replied, "until she wakes up."

I assumed I was the "she" they were talking about. Memories came crashing down. Of elliptical stairs, robed men, injured humans and birds and blood.

I shifted my head on the soft pillow. The room I was in was large and impersonal, a guest room, lit only by the fireplace's flames and the soft gray light of predawn coming through the window.

Arthur and Amanda sat on blue gilded armchairs next to my bed. Arthur's dark gaze was already on me.

Amanda looked from Arthur to me. Her eyes brightened as she jumped to her feet, "oh, dear! you're up!" she hovered over me, her hands not knowing quite what to do, "how do you feel? Does your side still hurt?"

"Fine," I croaked out, then cleared my throat, "I'm fine. What happened? Where are we?"

"Still in Venus' place." Amanda stabbed a straw in the water tumbler she picked up from the bedside table. "Here, drink."

The water soothed my throat. "Who's out there?" I asked, though I had a very good inclination.

"Your father." Arthur replied darkly. Amanda pursed her lips and shot Arthur a long look. He finally broke our eye contact to shake his head at her. "Give us a moment."

After pressing her soft hand to my forehead for a second, Amanda left the room. The door closed with a quiet snick.

Our staring contest resumed in silence once more. Ridiculous as it seemed under the circumstances, I remembered our last interaction before I ventured into the woods and he went back to the party with a flash of anger. It was not the time or the place, but I simply couldn't help myself. And that made me even angrier.

"How in the world," he finally broke the silence, his voice vibrating with his own anger, "do you always get yourself in these situations? Why couldn't you just stay put and wait for help to arrive?"

Wow. I'd never seen him so worked up before.

"There wasn't enough time," I replied, "did the humans survive? The birds?"

"Why didn't you use the damn gun, at least?"

I blinked. It took me a moment to realize what he was talking about. I had, to my embarrassment, completely forgotten about the gun. "I forgot."

He blinked, "you forgot?" he asked slowly.

Feeling heat rise to my cheeks, I pursed my lips. How in the world had I forgotten about that stupid gun? In my defense, I was not used to having guns on me, to fighting with them. Still. It was a horrible mistake that could've cost me so much. A beginner's mistake. Uncle Robert would have made me run until I fainted as punishement.