Page 194 of Psycho Devils: Aran's Story 2

“What’s wrong with you? Why would you bring that up?” Orion whispered as he shoved at Scorpius.

At least Orion cared.

Just not enough.

“I’m trying to help!” Scorpius threw his hands in the air.

Malum looked at me with pity and said something, but the whooshing sensation had returned to my ears, and everything became garbled.

I didn’t want his remorse.

I wanted his blood.

A crushing sensation expanded from my chest into my stomach. Digging my fingernails into my palm, I tried to stay present. Tried to fight off the fugue.

Oblivion swallowed me whole.

The haze returned.

I was barely aware of the meal ending, of moving down the hall and going outside to run.

A student jostled against me in the hall, and he said something. I stared back blankly. He recoiled. Tripped in his haste to get away.

Could he see the darkness in my eyes?

I blinked.

I was twenty miles deep into a run, jogging beside John.

Sulfur stung my nose, and the bitter wind was a relief against clammy skin.

It felt like I was living in a dream within a dream.

A nightmare within a nightmare.

The tribulations continued.

Clashes echoed like thunder. High above the island, angels slammed their ice swords together. They thrust and parried, wings clattering as they flapped.

Wind howled, and tendrils of hair slapped my face as curls pulled out of my braids.

I was covered in a thick sheen of sweat. My bare feet were numb from pounding against rocks, lungs burning from exertion.

John loped silently beside me with a scowl on his face.

We ran at the back of our legion, with the other five men a few yards ahead of us.

“You back?” John asked in a clipped voice.

I nodded.

He turned forward.

We ran five more miles in comfortable silence. Mr. Hyde was never a big talker.

I cleared my throat.

John glanced down at me.

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