Page 16 of Rebirth Of Order
“If only this pillow was cooler,” I whisper, flipping it over. Warmth flushes my neck, but my head touches the opposite side, and chills shudder down my spine with relief escaping my lips. The internal ache lessens, and I feel myself dozing off.
A knock wakesme from my slumber, and I scan the room in a panic, noticing things that weren’t present during my initial glance. A discrete fragrance of freshly crushed leaves and warm mahogany lingers.Was someone here?With there being no windows, I can’t ascertain the time nor how long I’ve been out.
The door opens, and a whiff of seafood hits me, releasing a loud grumble within my stomach.
“Are you hungry, Kyra?” a raspy voice reaches out. I sit up straight with what little energy remains and lean back against the headboard, grunting with each movement.
“More like starving.” Placing a hand over my stomach, I watch as Angie saunters in, wearing a smile bright enough to light the room. She didn’t perish, and that keeps my list at five people I couldn’t save. A weight lifts from my shoulders, and I grin.You didn’t get to take her, Bitch.She gives me a once-over, stopping shy of the bed. “You never disclosed why you risked your life for mine.”
Placing the tray on the stand, Angie takes a seat beside my bed, eyeing me cautiously. “Well, after the park explosion, I was ordered to retrieve you and bring you here.”
“Ordered by who? And, if there truly was an explosion, how am Istill alive?” My brows crinkle with confusion, and another growl reverberates.
“Before I answer, will you try something for me?” she asks, following my line of sight towards the dish.
“If it involves getting up, that’s not happening anytime soon. I can hardly move,” I say, chuckling. Angie releases a laugh, then waves a dismissive hand before relinquishing the plate.
“Not yet,” she says as I remove the lid. There is a variety of sushi rolls ranging in color and size, and damn it’s enticing. Hunger and agony enter a battle within my abdomen, and I groan at both.
“Why?” I whine. “It looks even better than it smells.”
“I’d like to attempt something first. Granted, we shouldn’t be doing this, at least not now, but the end justifies the means.” She scoots her chair a little closer. “Last night continues to plague me. Your body shouldn’t be in one piece after such devastation, but here you are,” Angie reflects.
“That’s an understatement. Being stabbed so many times hurts like a bitch. I’m still feeling it.” Piecing the memories together my mind still holds after being knocked off the bench, I think even further back to the haunted fields with Rosie.
“Well, it’s settled. A harmless secret between us girls. If word gets out about this, glooms will be the least of our problems.” Seriousness gleams against her sparkling blue irises, reflecting the truth of her words.
“Deal. Now tell me, because this fight with sushi is a losing battle.”
“Okay–Okay. Focus on your stomach. Concentrate deeply on that absent feeling,” she insists.
“Easy, I’m pretty damn hungry.”
“Uh–huh, whatever that means,” Angie murmurs. Before I can address her input, she continues, “Now repeat after me. Vade Retro.”
“Vade what?” Because what the hell does that even mean?
“Retro.”
“Uh okay, Very Retro,” I project confidently, “is something supposed to happen…because I’m still hungry. Or am I missing something?”
Angie sighs, “You misspoke, so no, you won’t feel anything. How about we attempt a lesser version. Something easier for you.” Annoyance rears up at her condescending tone, but I oblige, nonetheless. “Holding focus over your midsection, say Absentis,” she orders, sternly.
“Absentis? What is–” But before finishing my statement, the desire to eat vanishes. I’m no longer hungry. Despite knowing I want this delicious sushi, the urge no longer exists. Which scares the shit out of me. “What happened, and why am I no longer hungry?” Tingles flutter around my core, and I frown in utter shock.
She gleefully voices, “So, it worked then?”
“What worked? What is happening?”
“Shh. Keep it down.” Angie waves an objecting hand towards my tone. “Remember, our secret.” She sweeps the room as if preparing for a tactical team to breach the door and arrest her for…whatever the hell we’ve done.
The door quietly opens, and Elizabeth peeks her head inside. “Kyra, are you awake?” Neither of us noticed her approach, which is odd since she is wearing heels.
“Shit.” Angie places a discrete finger over her lips, and I nod. This little secret is ours, or at least until more light is shed upon what transpired.
“Hey, Elizabeth. You can come in.” The door pushes open, and my room brightens with the overhead lights as she flicks them on. I cower behind my eyelids, flinching, and groaning from the sudden bright invasion.
“Oh, Angie, you’re here too. What a pleasant surprise,” she offers, and it takes a second for me to pry my eyes open.
