Vitality (Vitality Series #1)

Chapter 56 Eclipse of the Heart pt.4

Ava's words slipped into mumbles, then into silence, and she was unconscious. Her words were nonsense to Ella and Christian, but to Layton — they rang sharp. And when they caught a glimpse of his reaction, they became stiff with anxiety.

He throbbed inside with the need to go find Gabriel. Hearing that name come off her tongue...

Layton looked back down at Ava and he dreamt of death. He thought about putting his hand over her face to end it all, and end it quickly. His fingers twitched to do so, his eyes strained with the image.

...But he couldn't do that either. He was simply stuck.

Layton put his head down on her stomach and steadied himself with her breathing.

"Wake her up. She has to drink this," Ella ordered over his shoulder, holding a bowl of liquid.

"She has to rest," Layton growled, gripping his fingers around her. "She'll need her strength."

"It's not time for rest yet. Rest is for the healing. She has to wake and fight. Right now she needs to drink this."

Layton shook her softly to rouse her, but there was no reaction. "Ava, wake." He stood up, knocking the chair over from his legs and began to shake her harder. "Ava..." Still there was nothing. "AVA."

Time for this pageantry was done.

"Don't turn her," Christian fumed. "I can see it coursing through you."

Layton's eyes flipped over to him, the black gone. "Do something."

"She needs a hospital!"

"What did I say?"

"Yeah. I heard what you said. And how many days have you kept her here, and you say you didn't find anything? You know what I think? I think it's all bullshit."

Layton flew through the room with Christian's neck in his hand, pinning him to the wall.

"Christian!" Ella cried, jumping on Layton.

"What do you know? You worthless little humans," he growled, his teeth growing as he talked. "With your pitiful interceptions of magic. What good are you, if not for the blood running through your veins?"

"Stop." Ava coughed.

Layton released him and looked at Ava, his anger smothered. The twins ran over to her, Christian holding his neck. "Stay awake, Ava."

Ella put the bowl to her lips. "Drink." But Ava was already rolling back into unconsciousness.

"There's a spring," Layton said suddenly from the back. "In an underground cave. It has healing powers. It's for their kind, not for humans, but it's the only thing she has left."

They turned around to look at him astonishingly. They'd only heard legends of it.

"The cave of ice fire. Between death and life." Christian jumped over to his books. "Water to ice. Ice to fire. Fire to purity by the moon. Fire only the moon can extinguish."

"If it chooses to," Ella finished, and cried, "You can't do it. Her human body can't survive it. And not to mention she's unconscious; she'll drown after, even if she survived."

"I'll go in with her," Layton said flatly.

"I'm sure you know well enough your kind is not welcome amongst theirs. It will suck you dry for all that you are. It requires blood. It might empty you both — if she even makes it that far."

"But that might create temporary cross interference and give her strength and protection to make it through it." Christian turned around with a smile.

"You've got to be kidding, Christian." Ella couldn't believe this.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to bring our raven feathers."

"We'll have to use them to cross her through the world of the living to the dead, momentarily, while she's under there and use his channels so she can make it back. But his very being could and would cause a lot of disorder to her mind."

"She can take it." A smile flickered on Layton's lips.

They pondered him suspiciously, then Ella plopped down in the chair. "We have to make an eclipse for the cross."

Christian leaned back on the table, holding his hand near his mouth in realization. He looked up at Layton, who also had the same thought. They didn't own that kind of power. Even being on the island. The witches could do it, but they were only practitioners with small gifts.

And then they heard a howl.

They all turned slowly towards the window at once. Ava's breathing grew fast and shallow. Off in the distance of the sky, the beginning light was turning dark by something building in mass, and the clouds began to rumble.

Layton turned back to them. "You can do it. She is connected to the night. I know it." Layton looked back at Ava, all doubt of it wiped clear now; he could barely contain himself; he couldn't have asked for more. Freddy turned into the room and jumped onto the bed to lie on her chest. "To the moon... All you have to do is call — it will come for her."

They all looked out the window again as the skies darkened with swarms of bats, and the howls became boundless repetitions of warnings and gloom from the wolves closing in. Ella and Christian grabbed each other's hand.

"Can you hold her in the sun?"

"I can hold her anywhere."