Page 13 of Hunted By Fae
Tesni backsteps again, a retreat down to the next loo—
And her timing of self-preservation is impeccable, because just a heartbeat after, the door bursts open, so hard it smacks me on the head, and I’m thrown off the pyramid.
Hands clammer for me.
Tesni’s flailing attempt to catch me mid-fall is a failure. All she manages is to tumble with me, and we crash down to the dirt.
Gods, fuck, damnit.
Can’t breathe.
Can’t breathe.
My teeth grit against the cold ache springing up my back. Stars are dancing in my blurry vision, speckled over the black jeans cutting into my line of sight.
Tesni writhes beside me, her muttered cursing not nearly as winded as my whispery moan. The scrape of her jeans on dirt hisses at my ear as she forces herself to sit upright.
She cups her knee and rubs soothingly—then she stills and her stark, horrified gaze is aimed up at the top cubicle. “Holy fucking shit.”
I trace her gaze to the girls, clambering out of the portable.
Louise emerges first; she’s hitting back at the others, her crimson face alight with rage.
Then Ramona, fraught and trembling like a leaf in the winds.
And Ruby, her face streaked with tears, lips wobbling.
But each one of them is covered,and I mean covered, head-to-toe in shit.
The grimace Tesni makes is quickly hidden as she lifts the crook of her arm to her face. She hides from the stink.
It draws nearer as the girls climb down to the ground, getting too close for my liking.
Tesni’s thoughts are on the same track. “No you don’t,” she starts. “You stay right there.”
I hold a hand, astopgesture and shake my head. “Please.”
Louise throws a wild look at me, her chest heaving with rage. The crimson of her face has darkened to an ugly purple.
Tesni throws fuel on her fire. “Rinse yourself off. Go. Go find water.”
“Seriously,” I add with a sudden severe nod, “if you don’t wash that off you might get sick.”
Ruby’s face tightens.
Ramona is hardly listening. Her hand is pressed firm to the bloody stain on her head—she must have knocked it hard in the stampede.
Tesni turns a disgusted look on me. “They are not getting in the camper like that.”
I choke on a half-hearted snort, then flop onto my back. My hands find my chest, thrumming with a racing heart, and I let myself just breathe.
Just breathe for a moment.
That’s all I need, a moment.
Perched on her folded legs, Tess eyes up the girls like they are walking plagues. “Guys, you really need to rinse that off—you’re gonna get sick if you don’t.”
I loosen a breath. “I’m certain that’s how you catch ebola.”
