Page 103 of The Stone Secret
The wraith flew at me.
“No.” Derek threw himself over me and gathered me to his chest. “No one hurt my Cameron.”
His frame shuddered under the attack of the wraith, his grunts and gasps of pain tearing at my soul.
They were hurting him.
Killing him.
No. No! Please, stop. Please leave him. Derek, get off me. Please get off me and run. My eyes burned with the need to communicate, impotent rage clawing at my insides, hot tears spilling down the side of my face.
Derek…
“My Cameron…”
The world went silent and dark.
Like nothingness.
Like death.
Long seconds passed, then a spear of light cut across my vision, the darkness rushed away, and the world bloomed back to life.
Hawke swung a golden sword back and forth, slicing through the wraiths while, beside me, Levi was creating a domed shield over Derek and me.
The wraiths screamed as the light incinerated them.
Blood rushed through my limbs, bringing them slowly back to life. “Derek…” I reached up to hug him to me. He was smaller now, curled against my body. Still and silent.
“No, Derek, please.” My voice was a hoarse whisper. “Wake up. Say something, please.”
“Cameron, shit…” Shar fell to a crouch beside me. “Derek…Is he…” Her voice cracked.
“No.” I held him tighter. “He’ll be fine. He just…He needs to recharge.”
“Move out of the way,” Levi ordered.
Shar’s jaw hardened, and she slowly turned her head to look up at him. “What the fuck was that?”
“We’ll talk when we get back to the academy,” Levi snapped. “It’s no longer safe here.”
Sharniza moved back reluctantly, and Curi and Touron moved closer, but Levi blocked them, scooping me and Derek into his arms.
“I’ve got you, Cam,” he said. “You can pass out now.”
So I did just that.
CHAPTER43
“Cameron, hey, can you hear me?” Levi asked.
Why was it so dark? Where was I?
“Open your eyes, Cam.”
I cracked open my eyelids to find Chlobe hovering over me. The omega medic had a pinched look about her as she studied me for several seconds while I struggled to fully wake up.
“Hello, sleepyhead.” Her warm smile held an edge of relief. “Good to have you back with us.”
