Beyond the Border | ✔

43 | rule 88

RULE 88: CONSPIRE WITH THOSE ON THE OUTSIDE AND MEET A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH.

✷ C H A P T E R F O U R T Y - T H R E E ✷

"Sage," someone lifted my limp body. Water flooded my airway as my eyes sprung open. "Welcome back to the land of the living. It's been thirteen hours."

    Choking on the water pooled in my lungs, I hunched over, coughing with a fierce intensity. My body shook and rattled from the frigid water, every inch of my skin drenched. Once I expelled all the water from my lungs, I looked at my wrinkled fingers, which were vibrating in swift movements back and forth. My stomach let out a low wine, a pang of hunger cramping through my lower abdomen.

    A plush towel was placed on my back as someone rubbed my shoulders gently. My vision blurred, things coming in and out of view, like a film of the murky water solidified over my eyes; the world began to spin. The shakes that overtook my body continued, but I no longer shook from the cold. Instead, the gravity of the past days began to wear my body ragged– it had been two days since my last meal (if you could even call it a meal).

    Theo helped me stand, his tall frame supporting most of my weight.

    "We need to act fast," Vanessa came into my blurry line of sight.

    "Van," Theo said, his tone protective as he pulled me closer.

    "I know she looks... worse for wear —"

    "—worse for wear. Worse for wear?" Theo started to heat up.

    "Okay, that's putting it lightly — even I can admit that. But, as I said, we need to act fast. Sage's mom will have felt the block being severed. If she puts it back up, we'll have to repeat this process —"

    Theo growled, and I shrunk into his side, burying my head under the crook of his shoulder. I began to fervently shake my head no into his side. I could not go back there – I could not go back to the Midlands. While my body may have been able to endure another visit, I knew the process of looking for Ma would gnaw my mind to pieces.

    "We need to act fast. Sage, give me your hand," Vanessa spoke, as I tensed my hands up, my cast cracking under the pressure.

    "No," my voice cracked, my instincts guiding me.

    I knew I should have dived into the next step to find Ma without a second of hesitation, but I already endured so much the past couple of days. I needed a moment to catch my breath – I needed a moment to eat.

    "She's in no state to travel." Theo retorted, his fingers tightening around my arm.

    "Vanessa," I heard Mina speak. "She's human. Her body is not built like ours."

    "Such weak creatures," Vanessa mused, as the sound of her foot tapping the floor filled the room. "Fine. We can stop to get some food, but the more time we take, the more time Sage's mom has to put a block back up."

    I could feel Theo nod as his grip on me loosened. I slowly unraveled myself from the crook of his shoulder, my eyesight still distorted. Theo kept a steady hand on me like he knew I could blow over at any moment.

    "Then, we'll just have to get fast food, Van," Heath said, a little too cockily. While I could not see Heath, I envisioned him smiling smugly at Vanessa, hands crossed over his chest. "Don't worry."

    "Heath, I could neuter you with one spell," Heath let out a squeak while Vanessa chuckled.

    "Okay, everyone grab hold of me," Vanessa stated. Theo helped guide my hand to Vanessa's arm. "Okay, on the count of three."