Page 6 of Fallen Star

No problemo.

Question is, how do I give it my blood? The water is already red with my dwindling life force. That's not making any magic shit happen. So now what?

I dive back under and feel about the wall for something… anything that could potentially suck out my blood.

See how fun my job is?

Aren't you super jelly?

There's one spot different from the rest. It's a circular groove that looks as if it could move, with the right motivation.

I'm running out of air, so I let my power flow, and it directs me to the right, where another smaller stone is wedged into the wall. Like a button.

Couldn't be that easy, could it?

I press the stone button, and the first groove caves inward, revealing a dark hole.

Blood and bone.

Blood and bone.

Oh shit.

Okay, kids, close your eyes. What comes next isn't pretty.

Because I have a feeling I know how it's going to get my blood, and it's going to hurt like a mother fu—

Well, you get the idea.

I stick my arm into the dark hole.

And then something inside drills down into my flesh and bone.

Nope, not exaggerating. The wall is literally getting the blood from my gods be damned bone.

I bite back a scream, because I'm underwater and don't want to drown.

But there's only so much pain even I can handle.

As something sucks out my blood and bone and bone marrow, I feel the walls around me shift. The water begins to move in a new direction.

But I don't stay conscious long enough to notice.

* * *

My consciousness is fleeting,but somewhere deep down I have a sense of time passing. Of heat blazing against my pale skin, burning it. Of clothes turning from wet and cold to dry and brittle. Of sand against my flesh and bugs exploring what they must think is a new carcass.

They might be right.

I can't hold onto my thoughts for long, or my consciousness, but I know enough to realize I'm dying. Well and truly dying.

The dagger to the gut didn't kill me.

Drowning didn't kill me.

But now…

I'm done for.