Page 62 of The Stone Curse
Iwas on my knees, surrounded by my friends and their jeering laughter. The world beyond them was a dark expanse of nothingness. I wanted to dart between them, to run away, but they circled like vultures, blocking my escape again and again as they rained down insults like heavy hailstones.
“Pathetic,” Shar said. “I can’t believe I was friends with you.”
“I should have known better,” Touron added. “You’re weak.”
“More like selfish,” Curi said. “Taking what you need at the expense of others.”
“It’s your fault that Serath was taken,” Palia said. “He was so focused on protecting you that he failed to watch his back.”
They continued to chip away. To make digs at me. Their words more painful than any blade or barb.
No. Not true.Derek’s voice filled my head.My Cameron, you can’t believe this.
But I did; there was a part of me that felt all these things, that held on to them every fucking day. These were my wounds come to haunt me, and as much as I wanted to fight back, to tell them to fuck off, the words refused to come because everything they said felt too real, too true, teasing the doubts and fears inside me.
Their voices grew louder, and I felt smaller and smaller until the buzz of Levi’s alarm jolted me back to the training room.
I stared at the mat, tracing the nicks and cracks in the fabric as I waited for my pulse to stop racing and the awfulness that had bloomed in my chest to dissipate. I couldn’t look at the others right now. I needed a moment to remind myself that none of what had just happened was real.
Derek put his hand on my shoulder. “It’s not true. None of it is true.”
I exhaled and nodded, because of course I knew this. But…but itfelttrue. Deep inside me, it fucking felt true.
Derek put his arm around me and pulled me into a sideways hug, resting his cheek on my head. “It’s all right now, my Cameron. It’s all right.”
I glanced at Shar, staring at the exit as if she wanted nothing more than to bolt.
I nudged Derek and whispered, “I think Shar could do with a hug too.”
He kissed the top of my head, then misted away only to materialize next to Shar and pull her into a hug.
She let out a soft squeak before relaxing against him and closing her eyes.
Curi watched them with an expression I couldn’t read. His gaze shifted to me then bounced quickly to Levi.
“How come you’re not training?” he asked Levi.
“I defeated my demons a long time ago,” Levi said.
“Is that what we’re doing?” Sharniza asked. “Defeating our demons?”
“In a manner of speaking.”
Curi pulled himself to his feet and rolled his shoulders. “Then we best go again,afterI get a latte.”
“I’ll come with you.” I made to stand, but he waved me off. “I’ll bring you one back.”
He didn’t look at me when he spoke, and my heart sank as he left without another word.
I caught Levi watching me. I didn’t want to see the pity on his face.
“Take thirty,” Levi said. “Get some air.”
I followed Derek and Shar to the door.
“Cam?” Levi called. “Can I have a minute?”
Great. I wasn’t in the mood for a pep talk or a lecture, or maybe both, but I had too much respect for what he was trying to do with us to tell him that. Besides, right now, I was sucking hard at this mind walk stuff, and if I didn’t master my demons soon, then I wouldn’t make it out of the elite trial. So I hung back while Shar and Derek left and waited for whatever pearls of wisdom Levi wanted to hurl at me.
