Of Moons and Blood

09.

I'm not sure when or how I lost consciousness, but I begin to stir when a warm sensation envelopes my ankle. It doesn't hurt, but I'm not sure what is touching me, so I scramble away from the unknown immediately. My surroundings are completely dark. But it's not like the darkness you see under the moonlight. This kind of darkness isn't natural. I don't hear rain, wind, or any sounds that could indicate nearby life. I'm engulfed in an endless, black void.

Warmth pulls at my injured leg again, startling me. It feels like someone or something's hands are holding me, but they're really hot. Not enough to burn me, but they're still more intense than the average body temperature. The feeling is actually quite soothing for my throbbing ankle, but I know that whatever is grabbing me isn't ordinary. I use my uninjured limb to kick at the unwelcome presence. I hear cursing from a familiar accent when my foot connects with something hard.

"It's me!" Maddox hisses through gritted teeth.

I reach out in front of me in an attempt to find him. My hand meets what feels like his face, but there is something wet on it. I jump back in disgust. "Ew, what are you doing?" I nearly shout, wiping my hand against the cold ground beneath me. I'm caught off guard when I realize the ground below is stone, not grass.

"I think you broke my nose," he says nasally. He sighs in relief after a few moments and then his hand is on my leg again. I instinctively swat at him. "I'm trying to help you! I can heal you!" he insists irritably. 

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"How do you think I'm alive right now?"

My next words die in my throat. How is he alive right now? When I don't respond, he grabs onto my lower leg again. I jump at the touch, but I don't move away this time. His other hand curls around my ankle, sending a warm tingle up my leg. It feels like a warm compress is being used to soothe my pain, but it's just his hands. He's using magic. The soreness in my ankle subsides quickly. When he releases me, I twist my foot around in circles to test it. It's as if I never had an injury to begin with. Before I can start interrogating him on how he is using magic, I feel a hand against the side of my face. The bruise Cyrus left on my temple becomes a nonexistent pain as well.

"You were dying. Dolion stabbed you, and you were bleeding out—"

"Yes, and I would've died if Juniper hadn't used her magic. I healed myself just like I did for you," he murmurs quietly, dropping his hand from my face.

We can't see each other, but I mindlessly shake my head anyway. "But how? You said you lost your magic. Why did you lie to me?" I demand. Before he can answer me, my sister's absence hits me. "Juniper! Where is she?" I ask frantically, scrambling to push myself up from the ground. Maddox pulls me back down immediately. I'm about to yank my arm out of his grasp but stop when he places my hand against Juniper's soft, mud-ridden locks. He releases me, and I wrap my arms around my sister protectively.

"She's unconscious, but she's okay. And I didn't lie to you, Callie. Once your sister gives up her power and we return to our own dimension on the island, my magic will be gone again as well."

I turn in the direction of his voice, but it's so dark that you can't even make out any shadows or shapes. "Wait, so is this where Orion went? Juniper said he went to a place filled with sand and monsters."

"Yes and no. We likely won't have the same experience as Orion, but we are in a different dimension, just as he was."

I run a hand through my hair in frustration as I try to wrap my head around his words. Why would the dimensions be different? Are they random? And why didn't Juniper get pulled over here with Orion when he used his magic? She said that she was wandering around trying to find Orion on the island for hours after he disappeared. How did Maddox and I cross over with her? My eyes widen in realization after a few seconds. It's like a teleportation spell! You have to be touching the person you want to transport with you. We were pulled over to this dimension with Juniper because we were all holding onto each other. That's what Maddox was trying to tell me.