Unable to think clearly, Jaycee panicked. He was alone, vulnerable, and had no way of protecting himself from an enemy onslaught. The throbbing behind his eyes was excruciating. Using all of his strength, he rolled onto his stomach and tried to crawl his way forward. His weapon. Where did he put it?
The room began spinning, and he was struggling to tell up from down. His fingertips were no longer able to dig deep enough into the dirt to haul his heavy body. There was no doubt in his mind that this cave would be his final resting place.
Eventually, his body had no more energy left to fight, and he sunk back into a deep sleep.
The next time he had awoken, the world around him was nothing but black. Images flashed through his mind, ones of him as a child, happy and carefree, before reality sunk its sharp fangs into him. A roaring fire burst forth from the village and smoke filled the sky, blocking out any promise of light.
He flailed his hands above him, trying to grab onto something. Anything. Yet, he found nothing. A scream left his throat. It sounded distant. He almost thought it came from someone else.
Then, cool hands gripped his own, and he finally stopped thrashing. Soft whispered words tickled his ears, but he couldn’t decipher them as he drifted away.
When his eyes opened again, his thoughts were clear and he could see again.
The firelight was the only thing illuminating the dark room. The dancing flames and the shadows on the wall were in perfect harmony. If this was his deathbed, he wouldn't protest it. It produced a strangely comforting feeling.
“Your fever has passed.” Alec’s face peered over him, a small smile on his lips. "You should be past death’s door by now.”
Jaycee vaguely remembered someone by his side. “Was I out long?”
“Not more than a day, I’d say. It’s hard to tell.”
With Alec's help, he was able to prop himself up against the wall. Jaycee wanted to ask if he said anything while he had been feverish. The vivid dreams he had were still strumming his heart strings, anxiety sky high.
Instead, he kept those intrusive thoughts to himself. Foremost, they had to escape or the mine would be their tomb. “Did you find a way out?”
“Yes, but it’s quite a hike. I'm sure we weren't meant to live through that blast. The exit isn’t blocked off or guarded by anyone.” Alec hummed. “I can take a guess at who is working with Zeke. It wasn’t a coincidence that he knew where to find us.”
“Do you really think—”
“I’m positive,” said Alec. “We weren’t friends by any means. It was a mutual, beneficiary partnership. She picked what she thought was the winning side. Tia did like to gamble. Too bad she picked wrong.”
The simmering heat behind those words told Jaycee how mad Alec was at the prospect of Tia betraying him. If he didn’t know better, he assumed Alec was plotting her demise as they spoke. Whatever weapon he had wanted from her was a no-go at this point.
“I wonder if Leon and Kyla are okay?” Jaycee wondered how much more Leon could handle before his mental capabilities exploded. Humans, as fragile as they are, could only handle so much trauma until they shattered. Jaycee knew all too well, as he once used that weakness to exploit his enemies. You either become numb to it, or drive yourself mad.
A grim expression crossed Alec’s features. “I expect they won’t be waiting for our return.”
All Jaycee managed in reply was a painful sigh.
Alec held his hand out, offering to help Jaycee stand. “Are you ready to fulfill your debt to me?”
Jaycee’s heart thumped. “Are we going there?”
Alec squeezed it tight and pulled him up. His overwhelming strength almost sent him straight into the man’s arms.
Now face-to-face with Alec, he saw the determination lighting up his face. Yet, instead of the tension encapsulating him, Jaycee felt calm. Being in Alec’s presence didn’t affect him like it used to. Maybe it was a false comfort.
“Mors Villa. Where everything began, and where it will all end.”
