Page 296 of Mayhem and Minnie

“Whatever she did when you were young stopped this illness. Now? It’s back. But I don’t know what it is, Marlowe. Or how to fix it.”

“We should try to go. The portal should be an hour away.”

“You’re not fit to walk an hour!” she cries out.

“I must try.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “We need to go back and ask Katrina what she did to you—ask her to reverse it.”

“Minnie… We’ll get caught.”

“I don’t care,” she adds, her lashes filling up with tears. “I don’t care about any of that. She just needs to fix you.”

She presses her palm against my forehead and gasps. Tears roll down her cheeks.

“You’re burning up, Marlowe. Even for my elevated body temperature, this is hot. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I grab her hand and hold it to my face. Leaning into her touch, I take a deep breath.

“We need to go.”

“Where do you think we’re going? Look at yourself, Marlowe!” Minnie grits out as she unbuttons my shirt.

The dark spots have already extended toward my chest and neck.

Is this…necrosis?

It’s almost as if whatever this illness is, it’s eating all of my healthy cells.

I grasp onto the trunk of the tree and force myself to my feet.

“Marlowe, please,” Minnie whispers.

“Let’s go,” I strain out.

She places my arm over her shoulder and we slowly start walking.

“I can teleport to Katrina’s house and ask her?—”

“No. You will get caught. You can’t do that.”

“But, Marlowe. You’re getting worse,” she murmurs.

“We need to get to the portal, Minnie. That’s all that matters.”

She grumbles under her breath, but with enough coaxing, she acquiesces to my wishes and we go on.

The way to the portal is grueling, but I do my damn hardest not to show it. I can tell she’s one second away from teleporting both of us back to Katrina’s house, consequences be damned.

But I’m not about to allow her to place herself in danger.

This…illness, whatever it might be, will pass. If she gets caught, that’s the end for her.

She shoulders half my weight as we walk, and every ten-fifteen minutes, we take a small break.

“Here,” she says as she hands me some water.

Taking out some food from the bag, she unwraps a sandwich and brings it to my lips for a bite.

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