Chapter Thirty-Six

“WAIT!” That girl shouts, somewhere in the back of my mind I know that I should listen.

But I don’t, instead I leap outside. Breathing in the fresh air, and grinning to myself. My smile slowly fades as people all around me start to scream, dropping to the floor. I watch with wide eyes as they all die. Suddenly I am being yanked back into the mansion. The door slamming closed.

The screams fade and stop. But whether that was because everything was okay now, or because they were dead I didn’t know. The girl that I had run into was standing beside me.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, absolutely defeated. I sink to the ground, wrapping my arms around my legs. Tears stream down my face, so I bury my face into my knees.

“You’re Alexandria Drevak,” the girl whispers. “I’ve heard, so much about you.”

This didn’t comfort me, instead it made me cry harder. And I never cried. She sits down beside me, careful not to touch me. And then she wraps her arm around my shoulder. On instinct I jerk away from her, leaping up.

But just like last time she was still alive. Looking up at me with wide eyes. Her eyes were a soft purple color. Comforting and unusual.

“You didn’t die,” I whisper.

She gives me a small smile.

“But those people out there, I killed them,” I whisper, my voice breaking. “They’re dead. My curse, it’s expanding isn’t it? So if I’m not cured, then how are you alive.”

“You didn’t kill them,” she says. “I pulled you back in before that happened. But yeah, the longer you don’t kill someone the farther your curse expands.”

“How are you not dead?” I demand.

“Because, I’m the daughter of Themis,” she says.

“Themis didn’t have children,” I say automatically.

“Yeah well, neither did Thanatos,” she counters.

“So, Themis had children,” I say.

“Child,” she corrects. “Just me.”

“Themis is the goddess of life. That means that you’re the daughter of life. And I’m the daughter of death,” I say. “Does that mean you can’t die when I touch you?”

“Yeah, it does,” she says with a smile.

“But I’d still kill everyone else,” I say, my shoulder’s dropping in defeat.

“Wow,” she says.

“What?” I ask, my voice soft.

“Nothing,” she answers. “I just can’t believe you.”

“What are you talking about?” I demand.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” she says. “But everything just had to end up being wrong right? Because in the stories I’ve heard you’ve never been this pathetic. You were stronger than that. Alex Drevak, the girl that smiled in the face of battle. Defeated armies by herself. Always stood up for her friends. Who loved even though it killed her. Who defied all odds to live. Made from darkness, but carrying light. Alex Drevak, the girl made from death, with death as her fear. And despite everything one thinking that you are great, here you are, afraid to conquer her fate.”

Her words pissed me off.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IT IS LIKE?” I shout. “WALKING AROUND KNOWING THAT A SIMPLE TOUCH COULD KILL SOMEONE?”

She recoils in shock, apparently expecting a different reaction. For that reason I lower my voice, but I don’t stop.

“I wake up every single day wondering if it’s worth it,” I say. “Wondering why I should live if it means someone might end up dead. And now you’re telling me that anyone within a certain distance of me dies. I experienced this once already. Did you know that? I bet your story books didn’t tell you that. I killed my whole mortal family when I was twelve years old! I killed my mother. My brother. My best friend. They all died. And that was on me. And so you want to know what? I killed myself. Sentenced myself to Tartarus. And when I got out I thought that I was finally cured. But I wasn’t. I’m not. So excuse me for not wanting to kill someone that matters to me again.”

She stood, with wide eyes. I turn and walk away.

“I’m tired of fighting death. Death always wins in the end,’’ I whisper over my shoulder. “You should know that better than anyone.”

۝

There was a soft knock on my bedroom door. One that I ignored. I didn’t really feel like talking. Besides, I knew exactly who was there, and she was the last person I wanted to talk to at this moment.

“I know you’re in there,” she says. “You can’t exactly go anywhere else.”

My eyes narrow at her words, and I stand up and throw open the door.

“You’re right,” I say with a huge grin. “I can’t go anywhere else. But I can still do this.”

I step back and slam the door in her face, a satisfied grin spreading across my face as I hear her surprised intake of breath.

“I guess I deserved that,” she says after a moment.

“No,” I sigh, opening the door. “You didn’t.”

I punch her in the face, and then slam the door on her.

“Now that, that you deserved,” I say happily. “Now begone peasant, I have no need of you anymore.”

I wave my hand in a shooing motion, even though she couldn’t see it. It just made me feel better.

“You know I’m the only friend that you have,” she says after a second.

This time when I throw open the door I glare at her, she looks wearily at the door.

“You’re not going to slam that in my face again are you?” she asks.

I shove her into the wall, “Listen Barbie,” I snarl. “I have friends. And a lot of them. And you are not my friend.”

“Really?” she demands, raising her head to meet my glare. “Where are they? I don’t see them here, trying to help you. All you have is me.”

“And you are not worth it,” I snap, finishing her sentence, even though it wasn’t meant to be.

Someone cleared their throat behind us, in my room. The girl looks over my shoulder and her eyes widen, I turn around.

“So sorry, am I interrupting something? I could come back, though it was such a pain to find this place to start with,” Quinn says with a huge smile.

۝

“QUINN?!” I exclaim when I get over my shock.

“That’s my name,” she says with a nod. “Nice to know you still know it.”

“You, you found me,” I say.

“Which was way more work than I appreciate. Couldn’t you have just sent a postcard?” She asks. “Who are you?”

She directs this to the girl behind me.

“Daneliya daughter of Themis. How are you alive?” Daneliya asks.

“Mostly cause I haven’t died yet,” Quinn answers.

“That’s not what I meant,” Daneliya snaps.

“Then why would you ask a question that implied that answer?” Quinn asks. “Honestly people these days. Alex can you believe her?”

“Not at all,” I reply. “It’s absolute idiocy if you ask me. Truly, one would think someone of her age would be smarter than that.”

“Oh please Alex,” Quinn says, widening her eyes. “We couldn’t expect that much from her. That would be completely unfair don’t you think?”

“Completely unfair,” I repeat, gravely shaking my head.

“Hold up,” Daneliya says. “I don’t have any idea about what’s going on right now, I don’t actually want to. But you should be dead. Alexandria is radiating death right now.”

“Oh yes I heard about that,” Quinn says, turning to look at me. “Really Alexandria, couldn’t you help yourself? I mean I always knew you had anger issues but this is a bit far.”

I couldn’t help the grin that slid onto my face at the way she mockingly said my full name.

“Excuse me,” Daneliya says.

“You’re excused,” Quinn says, waving her hand in a similar manner that I had earlier. “Feel free to show yourself out.”

“That’s not what I meant-” she starts.

“Again? Really? Honestly Danita,” Quinn says. “Say what you mean and not what you think you mean.”

“My name is Daneliya,” Daneliya corrects. “And it’s just that, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

“I didn’t?” Quinn asks. “Oh my bad.”

“Yeah,” Daneliya says. “So if you don’t mind I’d just like-”

“Actually,” Quinn interrupts her. “I do mind. You see, I’ve been here a full three minutes and you haven’t even offered me a drink. What kind of hospice are you? I mean it’s bad enough that I had to find you, but now I don’t even get a gold start for my efforts!”

“You- You want a gold star?” Daneliya asks.

“Well, it would be nice,” Quinn says. “I’ll settle for a silver star if I must.”

“Silver sta- What are you?” Daneliya asks.

“Oh, and while you’re at it, I wouldn’t mind something to drink. Whatever’s fine, just make it fast,” Quinn continues, ignoring her question. “And perhaps while you’re at it I could get a sandwich? I’m famished.”

“Right, um okay,” Daneliya says, backing out. “I’ll be right back… With everything.”

I could’ve sworn that she muttered, ‘and the guards’, as she walked out.

I turn back to Quinn, “Seriously though, how are you not dead right now? I’m not cured.”

“Of course you’re not cured,” Quinn says with an eye roll. “Such foolish hope.”

“Well jeeh, thanks,” I say sarcastically.

Quinn shrugs, “As for how I’m not dead, my problem out weighs yours so you’re ‘hoodoo voodoo death to you’ thing is gonna have to wait until we sort out my problem.”

“I’m not exactly sure that’s how it works,” I protest.

I knew that Quinn wasn’t telling me everything, we had been friends for long enough that I could feel something was wrong. But I didn’t push it, she’d tell me when she was ready.

“So,” I say. “What is you’re dilema?”

“Oh well,” she say, raising her hand. Flames flickered on the surface of her palm.

No, not flames, I realized, lightning. It was orange, but there were slips of blue in it, like a disease that was spreading through, claiming the lightning.

“Whoa,” I say. “What the hell bunnies did you megally fudge up this time?”

“Why must you always assume that it was my fault? Maybe it was the other person’s this time!” Quinn exclaims.

“Oh please,” I counter. “It’s always your fault.”

“Actually this time it was the other person’s fault,” Quinn says, defensively.

I throw my arms into the air, “Holy heavens! Miracles do exist!”

“Wow,” Quinn says, shaking her head at me. “That’s. That’s friendship right there.”

“Totally,” I agree, nodding. “So what happened?”

“You might want to sit down,” she says simply.

۝

Lenzie

“Where are we at with the cure for Alex?” I ask, without looking up from my papers.

“Nowhere,” Bat replies.

“What?” I ask, dropping my pen and looking up. I wish that I wore glasses, so that I could take them off for dramatic effect. Next time.

“We’re nowhere,” Bat repeats.

“I’m sorry, I seem to be hearing you wrong,” I say.

“You’re not,” he says. “And the thing is, we can’t get anywhere.”

“Why not?” I ask.

“Because this hasn’t ever been heard of before in history. I mean, death radiation? There isn’t exactly a cure for that in the handbook!” Bat exclaims.

“You should fix that,” I say with a grin. “That entry might come in handy some time during the future you know?”

Bat rolls his eyes at me, which I felt was very rude, but figured that I shouldn’t call him out on it yet.

“Look,” I say. “Just try your best okay?”

“Right,” Bat says with a nod.

He turns and heads towards the door. I drop my head into my hands, inhaling deeply.

“Hey, Lenz?” Bat says. “I know that you don’t want to hear this, but I think you should come to terms with the fact that we might not be able to save Alex. I think you should learn to live with that now, instead of when it’s too late.”

I jerk my head up and glare at him.

“No,” I say.

“Lenz-” he starts.

“Alex is counting on us. I’m not going to abandon our friend. We’ll figure it out. We always do,” I say.

“Okay,” he says with a nod, but I could tell he didn’t even believe it.

I didn’t blame him, because I wasn’t sure I did either.