Lost {Ongoing:In Editing}

No Hope

Chapter XXII

JOEY FROZE AND HER chest tightened. She didn't want to agree, afraid of what Lucinda would do to her after seeing what she was capable of, but glancing down at David's shallow breathing, she knew she couldn't deny the request. Not after they had come this far. Her eyes met Michelle's and she nodded in agreement.

Lucinda's smile returned, and she smacked Michelle's arrow aside as she rolled herself up. She took Ella's seat next to David and straightened her position lifting herself to her knees. She pulled her curly, red hair back into a low ponytail, and bent forward; her hair fell over her shoulder and dangled inches above David's chest. She raised her hands to hip level and circled them over his chest until her hands glowed that same magenta they had when healing Evangeline. "What poisoned him?"

Someone snorted from behind, and Joey's head flung upwards to see Nathan's dirty look. "You are such a hypocrite." His hands were balled into fists.

"Nathan, what are you doing?" Michelle asked, lowly.

"Oh, come on, Michelle! Surely, you can see it!" His eyes drilled holes into the back of Lucinda's head. "Now she wants to help us? Just because? After she just let Timothy die? Where was his help?" He shook his head. "No, she wants something. And it isn't just a talk."

Lucinda shrugged as she sat back on her heels. "Well, I suppose I could just let him die—"

"No!" Ella cried. She crawled towards Lucinda, her arms shaking. Licking her cracked lips, she explained, "It was a Nokida." She pointed a trembling thumb behind her, gesturing towards her back. "It got off some slices on his back."

Lucinda straightened her back once again and lifted her chin. "At least there's one smart person in the group. Come on. Help me roll him over." Together, Joey, Ella, and Lucinda flipped David onto his stomach.

Joey gritted her teeth and averted her gaze at the sight of the bandages around his wound soaked in blood and tints of green, but she couldn't help eye Lucinda from the corner of her eye. Lucinda carefully pealed back the nonstick pads from each wound, and Joey's gaze slowly drifted to his back. She did her best not to puke at the gashes and discoloration.

Hovering a hand over David's back, Lucinda said, "A Nokida's poison is strong. It may take some time. I've never worked with it before."

Nathan shouted as he lunged forward, but Michelle and Brianna gripped his arms holding him back, or rather, Nathan ceased when they gripped him, knowing he could easily toss them across the room.

"He doesn't have any time left!" Alex spoke up from the back.

Lucinda rolled her eyes and let out a puff of air. "Then I will need complete silence to focus."

"What are you suggesting?" Brianna asked, skeptically. "You can't be telling us to wait outside?"

"What?" Kathleen interrupted with a shout. "With those brain-eating monsters? You seriously want to throw us out there with them?"

"For pity's sake!" Lucinda grunted before springing to her feet. "I've placed a protection spell on my lovely home—"

"Spell?" Chase interrupted.

Lucinda held up a hand, ignoring his comment. "If you give me the chance ... I'll extend it a few feet. At least then, you all can wait outside without being killed."

Joey eyed Michelle, and the two locked eyes. Joey didn't have to say anything to realize that Michelle understood. "Come on, guys." Michelle gently pushed people towards the door. "Let's give Lucinda what she needs. Then we can get David back on his feet and figure out where to go from there."