Dreamscape: Saving Alex

Chapter Thirteen

We hobbled out of the statue room and slid against the stone walls in a darkened corner of the hallway. Guards ran past us, their armor echoing through the corridor as we shrank further into the shadows. I pulled the cloak over us, grateful for the invisibility of the unlit hall. In our condition, we weren't prepared to fight any of them.

I leaned over Arrow and glanced down the connecting hallway. Every second we lingered put us in jeopardy. His breath sounded in my ear, shallow and strained. When I leaned back, I noticed his arms protectively cradling his ribs. I held back my instinct to hold him, to try to make him feel better. In all the scenarios I had run through my mind, Arrow getting hurt had never occurred to me. The consequence of my actions, or lack thereof, moaned at my side.

"Did you break something?" I asked, dreading his answer.

"I'm fine," he said, wincing as he adjusted his position against the wall.

"That didn't answer my question. Do you have any more vines?"

"There's a few more, but I'm saving them, just in case."

"In case of what?" I demanded. Too loud. I forced my voice to be quieter. "You're hurt. You need them."

"No, not yet. I'll be fine." He pulled his bag to his chest, wheezing with effort. "We should save them." He raised an eyebrow and managed a small smile. The vines were for me.

I gave him a hard look. "There's no point in saving them if it costs you your life. This mission is for you. Not me. I don't need the papers to do my part."

He kept his bag closed.

"Look, I'm not playing around here. You're hurt, and my wounds are fine. The bleeding in my leg has already stopped and I can walk, but I'm not strong enough to carry you. So if you want these papers, you need to heal yourself. Otherwise, I'm walking right out that window. I'm not going to get killed because of your stubbornness. I'll find another way."

He avoided my gaze for a long time.

"Let me see your dagger," he said, pulling out a tangled heap of vines from inside his bag. I handed it over, surprised at the emptiness I felt with it out of my hand, even for a moment.

"Thanks," he said, slicing through the vines.

A scent of melon hit me. I hadn't noticed it in the forest, but in these stuffy halls, the crispness was overwhelming. I was about to say something, but the words stuck on the tip of my tongue as he undid his vest and lifted his shirt to wrap his bare stomach. Strong muscles hugged his body where his fingers tied the vines together. I couldn't look away, I couldn't stop my heart from beating, and I couldn't find the words I had planned to say. I froze, my cheeks flushed.

He caught me looking before he leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and sighed. "You were right." A content smile reached across his face. "I'm sorry I was so stubborn about it."

I mumbled incoherently, still tongue-tied. He opened his eyes and gave me a crooked smile.

"What?"

I still couldn't remember what I'd wanted to say. Even worse, his playfulness told me he had an idea why.

"If you're better, it's time to get going again. Every second we stay here is an extra chance to be caught," I blurted out.

"I live to follow your orders, Goldy," he said, winking. "Give me a couple more minutes for the vines to soak in." He leaned back and closed his eyes again. "Thanks for saving me by the way. I guess that makes us even."