Page 27 of The Mist of Stars
Where the hell is Aislin?
“Help,” I try to shout, but my voice is a hoarse whisper.
I think I’m going to die.
That’s the last thought I have before my eyelids begin to lower, my body giving in to the frostbite?—
Arms slip under me, and I’m lifted to my feet as Laylen appears in front of me with a sword in hand. He plunges it into the death walker, and while it won’t kill it, it injures it enough that it cries out and glides away, back out the window.
He breathes heavily, his chest rising and crashing as he turns to look at me. “Are you okay?”
I bob my head up and down, confused as to who’s holding me up. They have their strong arms wrapped around my midsection, and their solid chest is pressed against my back. It takes a few seconds for the buzzing to surface through the frigid chill possessing my body, but when it does, I know who’s holding me.
I attempt to move away, but my body is too numb. In fact, I have to put all my weight against Alex in order to remain upright.
He rotates me around to face him, his green eyes assessing my face. His lips are set in a frown. “You’re bleeding,” he says, keeping one arm wrapped around me while he uses his free hand to lightly touch my forehead.
“It’s from when the window shattered,” I manage to get out through the constant chattering. “Why was a death walker in my kitchen? Those things aren’t supposed to exist anymore.”
“It just appeared out of nowhere, too.” Aislin appears in the doorway, wide-eyed, and her skin is tinted blue, probably from the death walker’s chill of death.
“You should sit down,” Laylen tells her with worry written all over his face. “Until the chill wears off.”
She obeys, crossing the kitchen and sinking into a chair at the table.
The ice is starting to melt and leaving puddles in their wake. Plus, the window is broken and letting rain pour in, making a mess. I need to clean it up. Wait … Why am I worrying about this?
“Hey.” Alex captures my attention by placing his hand against my cheek. “Did you hit your head on anything?”
I attempt to remember, but I’ll admit, my mind feels a bit hazy. And buzzy. “I don’t know,” I mutter. “You’re making my brain all buzzy.”
He smashes his lips together with so much force the edges turn white. “I think you might have a concussion.”
“I think you might be right.” I lean into him. “I feel fuzzy, like I’m underwater.”
Worry fills Alex’s pupils. “Okay, let’s go sit you down.” Looping one arm around my back, he guides me out of the kitchen and into the living room. The ice never made it there, so the space is dry, and the air isn’t as damp and chilly.
Once Alex helps me sit on a sofa, he crouches in front of me. His gaze roves over my face. Then, with his teeth sunk into his bottom lip, he gently touches my forehead again. “I’m going to go get some stuff to clean this up. Don’t get up while I’m gone. You’ll have to take it easy for a few days.”
“No, I can’t,” I whine, slumping back on the sofa. “I need to figure out who that creepy blond guy was, why I went into another vision, and why I keep dreaming about you and stars …Whoa …” I press my hand to my head. “I think I’m seeing stars right now.”
“Don’t move,” Alex instructs in a firm tone as he straightens.
I give him a thumbs-up then move to lie down. My vision is spotting, and my head is beginning to pound. “I think I’m going to take a nap.”
“Gemma,” he says in a panic.
But I’m already giving in to the sleepiness begging me to come to it.
9ALEX
I’ve always wondered if the end of the world would come in the form of light. I’ve had dreams about it, of being in nothing but light. They felt so real that when I woke up, I was confused. The dream has occurred enough times that I started to believe I was seeing the future.
But now Gemma is.
None of this makes sense, including why Gemma won’t wake up.
“What’s wrong with her?” Aislin asks as she stares down at Gemma passed out on the sofa. My sister’s eyes are wide, her voice high-pitched, and she has leftover icicles in her dark hair, like glass fragments.