Page 125 of A Dose of Agony
53
Mind on Fire
I wake, screaming. Burning pain rages through my whole body. My mind is on fire.
“Jarron?” I call as the pain drops to a simmer.
The image of fire in darkness drops over my eyes. What’s happening?
There is distant screaming somewhere in the back of my mind. Shouts of panic.
This is not a dream.
Jarron! I call through our link.
I’m okay,he responds finally.
What happened? It felt like you were on fire or something.My chest tightens.
I heal quickly.
My stomach drops to my feet. Blood icy cold.What happened?
They’re attacking. We’ll push them back quickly, though. I need to shut down the link for now. Okay? I’ll check back soon.
Then, that spot inside of me where Jarron’s comforting essence has resided for the last several days is empty.
Cold.
Oh, fuck no.
Anger pools in my chest, followed by bitter certainty.
I’m not doing this anymore. I’m not a lost lamb. I’m not a child to be protected.
He shuts me out, deciding to fight these battles on his own. And I understand that I’m a vulnerability out there in that world. But here… here, I have power.
And I’m done sitting around, waiting for my moment.
I rush out of bed in the middle of the night. I have a death potion to finish.
54
I Will Fight For Him, Even If He Doesn’t Approve
Lola and Janet arrive in the morning before classes, chirping and giggling about something, but I don’t have the capacity to figure out what they’re on about.
Janet stops still, her smile falling with one look at me. “Whoa.”
“What’s happening?” Lola asks, her voice a squeak.
“Jarron is at war,” I say. “And I’m about to be too.”
“What?” Janet screeches. “What are you talking about? What happened at the tribunal? What’s going on?”
I stop mid-stir and take a deep breath, eyes closed. I feel like I’m barely me right now, running on panic and rage and desperation. I explain what happened at the tribunal. “We had it. I figured out the way to convince them, but then I also figured out what would happen if we did.”
They listen raptly to my explanation of how the council would kill my sister and that now, because the tribunal didn’t result in an answer, the war is continuing and the rebels are attacking.
