Potential for Darkness (Peter Pan)//(Robbie Kay)

28 ~ Deadline

<<<Day 46>>>

Adelina peeled her eyes open to see that she was back in her own bed, in her own room. Her body was sore and aching all over, as if she'd over-exerted herself the past days. Yet she noticed, as her hand pressed against her forehead, that at least the fever that had tormented her mind and body had broken.

"You know, you really have to be more careful with yourself," Gabriel told her with a small, hesitant smile from the chair he was curled in at the foot of her bed. "I'm tired of having to worry for your life every three days."

"Nice to see you too," she grumbled as she got to her feet, wincing as her muscles protested. Grabbing the cup of water that stood on her nightstand, she downed it in three slow gulps, relishing in the feeling of coolness it provided. Setting the cup back down, she grimaced at the pain in her head. "Why do I feel so shitty?"

"Adelina, Ryan poisoned you," Gabriel reminded her quietly. "You almost died."

She frowned. "I did? At least it definitely feels like it."

The boy shook his head, his eyes becoming sad. "I'm sorry I let him put the poison in your food."

Alarmed at his tone, she looked over to him to find him crying. "No, no, honey, don't cry," she tried to soothe him as she stood up and went over to him, yet his breakdown only worsened. "It's not your fault, you couldn't have known."

"But you almost died!" He hiccuped, his tears not showing any signs of stopping anytime soon. "I should've realized that Ryan was acting weird, that he'd want to hurt you!"

"It's okay, really. I'm fine," she reassured the small child in her arms, rubbing his back.

He shook his head stubbornly. "No! You were unconscious for so long, we- we all thought you were going to die! Even Pan said so!"

An unsettling thought wormed into her mind. "Gabriel, how long was I out?"

Something in her voice made him stop crying as he looked up at her, fresh tears still glistening on his cheeks. "A couple of days, why?"

She clenched her jaw, panic suddenly fluttering her heart. "How long exactly? I need to know," she pressed.

"Uhh... I don't know? Three days?"

Adelina stood up abruptly. "Fuck!"

"What? What's wrong?" Gabriel asked quickly, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"This is the end of my month! I have to have completed all my disciplines by tonight!" she exclaimed, pacing restlessly.

"But you're in no shape to fight anybody," he remarked.

"I know that!" she growled, tugging at her hair. "But I can't give up now, I have to try!"

Vehemently cursing Ryan under her breath as she left her room, she had to pause for a moment at the top of the ladder to catch her breath, for the small trip had winded her. No, she really wasn't in any shape to fight anybody, she noted, much less beat them. But she had worked so hard to become a lost girl, she couldn't give up now. Not after all that she had done to prepare herself.