Fates Divided: Halven Rising

When Elena entered Marlon’s lab behind Derek, something was different. She glanced up and caught a wary expression on Derek’s face, as if he noticed it too.

He nudged her forward. “Let’s get this over with.”

Derek headed for the wall of old bottles, but about halfway there he came to an abrupt stop.

The room was silent except for a dripping sound, probably from a faucet that hadn’t been turned off properly. The droplets created a steady drum inside the stainless steel basin. Drip, drip, drip…

Elena placed her hand on his arm. “Everything okay?” The muscles beneath his clothes had bunched with tension.

He raised his nose and breathed in, then stepped back, looking around. He grabbed her arm and shoved her toward the door. “Go, go, go!”

They rushed toward the door, but Elena’s foot caught the leg of a stool and she stumbled. She righted herself before falling, but it wasn’t quickly enough.

A roar like thunder clapped right by her head, a second before a burst of energy tossed her in the air. Elena landed hard on the ground, a large weight pressing on top of her. Disoriented, her head pounding and her ears ringing, she couldn’t breathe, her chest compressed beneath the heavy weight. Pain lanced through every limb of her body, pulsing in tune to her racing heartbeat.

Dark boots appeared in front of her nose and the weight above her lifted.

And then she was lifted.

By Keen.

He held her up like a rag doll, his arm wrapped around her waist. Her ears were still ringing as they made their way into the hallway, but she detected the faint sound of a fire alarm.

Elena looked back. “Where’s Derek? We can’t leave him!”

Keen turned her chin to face him. “He’s right behind you,” he seemed to shout, though she could barely hear him. “Do not breathe the air.”

He covered her mouth with his sleeve and hauled her toward the exit.

She looked back when they reached the stairwell, and experienced a moment of relief. Derek stood outside the lab door. He was bent over and struggling for air, his hands braced against his knees, but he was in one piece.

Derek straightened and jogged toward them. “I smelled bleach and ammonia.”

The two chemicals combined were highly volatile, which would explain the explosion. And then she realized something else; she’d heard him clearly, and the sirens were louder too.

They raced down the stairs and into the open, the ringing in her ears dimming, while the fire alarm grew louder with each step.

Outside, a crowd milled. Not a large one this early, but big enough that she worried about being discovered.

Derek and Keen must have had the same thought. They headed for a copse of trees off in the distance. When they were out of earshot, Derek said, “Someone must have planted it to trigger after we entered the room. I’m the only one with access besides Marlon. Had to have been meant for me.”

“Or me,” Elena said. “Marlon could have discovered my involvement with the Fae.”

“It could have been meant for either of you,” Keen said. “We must go to Emain immediately.” He continued to drag her across the quad toward a cluster of buildings where the Physics Hall stood.

“Derek,” she said, as they made their way across campus, “how did you know the ammonia and bleach weren’t from the janitors? The smell could have been from cleaning chemicals.”

“Some of the antique bottles on the back wall were missing.” Derek coughed several times, his breathing labored. “The scent of chemicals was too strong for cleaning products.” He reached behind his back and winced.

“Are you hurt?” She pulled out of Keen’s hold and grabbed Derek’s arm, urging him to turn around. Her chest tightened as she peered at his blood-soaked T-shirt. Holes dotted the material as if it had been torn by shrapnel. “Oh my God.”

Derek put his hand on the small of her back. “Keep moving.”

“What about your back?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Are you insane? You’re gushing blood.” Elena tried to see his face, but he pushed her relentlessly forward. At this point, she could walk just fine, but apparently not fast enough for Derek or Keen.

There was no reason to rush to Emain if where they really needed to go was a hospital. Fae didn’t get sick or hurt the way humans did. They wouldn’t have the supplies needed to help Derek. When they were far enough away from the explosion, Elena pulled Derek behind a large spruce and planted her feet.

“What are you doing?” he said. “We need to hurry, Elena.”

“Turn around.”

He stared at her. “We don’t have time for this,” he said, but he rotated his broad shoulders.

She lifted part of his shirt, her hands vibrating from adrenaline.

The holes in his T-shirt were there and so was the blood, but his skin was clean and smooth. From the side, she caught him glancing at Keen, a silent message passing between them.

“Elena,” Keen said in his calm Fae cadence, “your friend has healed. He or I will explain later. Right now, we must reach Emain. You are in danger.”