𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞²

86. back to sanctum

A shelf crashed next to me as I pulled it to the ground, desperate to find where the stone was hidden. 

Emori's condition was rapidly deteriorating, and while we had managed to get her bandaged up and on the gurney, she didn't have long unless we got her to Sanctum. 

Jackson, Raven and Murphy scrambled around the room similarly to myself. Each of us ripped apart every square inch of the space, trying to find any secret passage. 

Suddenly, the room feel quiet as we ran out of things to tear apart. I stepped back, wiping the sheen layer of sweat that had gathered above my brow. 

"The piano." Raven whispered, her eyes locked on the instrument. "Jackson, Murphy move it out of the way."

Murphy didn't need to be told twice, before Jackson had barely even reacted he was already attempting to shove the piano across the floor. It moved rather easily, and once it had cleared the area rug below it, Raven and I were ripping the rug away. 

As we cleared the space, a symbol was now visible on the ground. It was a handprint embedded into the symbol, a spiral in the centre. 

"Why is the Azgeda sign in the bunker?" Murphy wondered as the four of us dropped into a kneel.

Raven shook her head. "Don't know. Don't care. What I do know, is that 'X' marks the spot."

"John, something's wrong." Emori's voice came out choked and pained, causing all of us to turn to her instantly. 

She laid back on the gurney, gasping for breath as blood rapidly trickled from the wound and puddled on the floor beneath her. 

Jackson, Murphy and I were instantly on our feet and rushing over to her, Raven declaring that she was going to get the gear that would allow us to break through the floor to find the stone. 

"Stay with us. Stay with us, alright?" Murphy ordered as we reached Emori. Upon closer proximity, I could see that her face had rapidly paled, a layer of cold sweat covering it. 

She looked up at us through tired eyes. "Echo's Azgeda, you should be worried about her too."

Jackson and I examined the wound while the two of them talked, and I knew what we were seeing wasn't good. 

"I am." Murphy asserted. "Look, everyone else can take care of themselves for a while. You are more important than any other person in this universe."

Jackson looked up. "I need to repack this." He announced, pulling at the bloody bandaged. 

"Hey, Thor!" Raven called, marching back into the room with three sledge hammers. "Let's go!"

Murphy gave Emori a teary-eyed smile. "Don't go anywhere."

"Avery," Jackson said as I passed him a pile of bandages. "Go help them. I've got this covered. The best thing you can do right now is get us to Sanctum."

I let out a shaky sigh as I looked down at Emori. She glanced up at me, giving me a lopsided smile. "Go." She nodded. "I'll be okay."

Reluctantly, I tore away from her, quickly making my way toward where Raven and Murphy were readying their hits. "Here." Raven declared, shoving a hammer into my hands. 

"I hate to say this," We all turned to see Jackson who had taken a few steps away from Emori, his voice low as if he didn't want her to hear. "If we don't get her to Sanctum soon, she's not going to make it."

That was all it took, Raven, Murphy and I shared a quick, panicked look before we started hammering. 

It felt like each hit jarred my bones, my arms screaming in protest only minutes in...but I wasn't going to stop. I couldn't. Because if we didn't find this stone, Emori was going to die.