Promises (8 page)

Maes crept closer to the truck.

“
Colt,” Callon called out. In an instant, I was swept away and moved to the front door on the passenger’s side. Colt helped me in, and I slid to the center. Callon was already in the driver’s seat. I buckled in as Colt’s arm came to rest on the seat behind me. Daniel and Maes climbed into the back. Daniel reached over and handed me a granola bar. I turned to mouth thanks, but Maes’s unnerving stare frightened me, so I looked forward quickly. His eyes were so different with the jade coloring. Why did they look like that?

As I ate my granola bar, the warmth of the cab and hum of the tires made me sleepy. My body ached, and I just wanted to sleep. I closed my eyes in an attempt to rest, but my head kept bobbing to the sides. I didn’t want to lean on either Colt or Callon.

I leaned forward, resting my head in my hands until my back began to hurt. I still hadn’t recovered from my earlier battering at the hands of the river. I sat back and tried to slouch, but the ache didn’t subside. Eventually, Colt reclined his seat and rolled me into his shoulder. I could have, should have, protested, but I was too tired to care. I only wanted to sleep, and finally it came.

I had no idea how long I’d slept when I awoke feeling ill. My head didn’t hurt, but my body was aching much more than it should have been, and now my stomach was churning. I looked up. The sun wasn’t as bright, and the clock display read six p.m. Colt’s eyes were closed. I glanced at the back seat. Daniel and Maes were resting also. Callon glanced over.

“
Callon,” I said weakly. “How much longer until we make it back to the cabin?”

“
We’ve got a good eight to twelve hours. I can’t drive fast on the back roads with the horse trailer.”

“
I don’t think I’ll make it that long. I need to stop now. I’m not feeling well.”

He sat up straighter; Dr. Callon was back. “What’s wrong?”

“
I think I might throw up.”

Colt moved his free hand, touching my cheek and forehead. “She’s running a fever,” he said.

At least that would explain why my joints felt like they were fighting each other.

“
Cheyenne, do you think you can make it another half hour?” Callon asked. “We’ll be coming into a town, and I can stop and get us a hotel for the night.”

“
I’ll try.” I wasn’t sure what was going on. I didn’t have a headache, but every part of me was beginning to throb. Was this another part of my transformation into a Timeless? So soon?

“
You have to let me know if I need to pull over sooner. Can you do that?” Callon’s hand touched my leg.

“
Yes,” I whispered and turned my head back into Colt’s shoulder, closing my eyes. Colt’s large hand tenderly rubbed my arm. I was too sick to worry about him stirring up my feelings.

Maes abruptly hissed.

“
Will you knock off the brain talking and let me know what’s going on?” He muttered some words in French that sounded like curses.

Colt replied, annoyed he had to repeat himself, “She’s running a fever, Maes.”

“
Ha, how pathetic. You can’t even go six hours without breaking her,” Maes scoffed.

“
I’m not broken, Maes,” I murmured. “I’m just sick.”

My body was beginning to ache something awful. Every movement of the truck was bringing me closer to the edge. I curled up tighter next to Colt, my stomach rumbling from the granola bar I’d eaten earlier. Why now? Why couldn’t I hold my own for a change? Why did I have to feel so helpless and useless without them?

“
Callon, pull over right now, please!”

The truck came to a screeching halt, and Colt yanked me out and onto the pavement. I bent over and proceeded to empty out what was left of the granola bar I’d eaten earlier. Callon supported me while Colt held back my hair. My knees felt like they would buckle any moment. The night air cooled my heated cheeks.

“
Callon!” Maes yelled as the back truck door opened. “We need to move now!”

Colt scooped me up, and we were suddenly in the front seat. Callon began driving before I was even buckled in.

“
What’d you see, Maes?” Callon questioned.

“
Trackers. I’m not sure how they’ve come this close…”

“
How close?” Colt asked.

“
About five miles. The Tresez were with them.”

“
Can you communicate with them this far away?” Callon twisted his head around.

“
I told them to head in a different direction. We shouldn’t stop in the next town. It’s too close.”

Silence returned to the cab of the truck once more. I could only hear the sound of my own breathing. It felt like a fire was burning me from the inside out. I rested against Colt again, and he was rubbing my arm, trying to comfort me.

“
It’s going to be okay, Cheyenne,” Colt whispered into my hair. “We’ll help you. You’re strong enough. We won’t leave you.”

When would I be strong enough to handle this on my own? Would I ever be?

“
Cheyenne,” Callon asked compassionately. “Can you make it another hour?”

I nodded. The urge to throw up was gone, but every ounce of my body ached. Every limb was encased in a furnace. Sweat began running down my forehead and across my cheeks. My clothes were clinging to my body. Colt adjusted our position to turn me towards the vents, allowing the air conditioning to help cool me.

“
Here,” Daniel said, and I felt a damp cloth brush across my cheeks and forehead. He had wet a handkerchief from his water bottle.

I dozed off again, and jumped when I heard the truck door close. My eyes opened, and I saw the reflection of the hotel lights in the windows. Colt wiped my forehead and cheeks, trying to remove the perspiration from my brow.

“
How are you feeling?” Colt asked.

“
Not so good,” I faintly whispered.

“
Callon’s getting a room. You’ll be able to rest soon.”

My weary lids closed again as we waited for his return. It seemed ages before the truck door opened once more.

“
We’ve got a room close to the field. Daniel, Colt, I need you to take care of the horses. Maes, you’re coming with me,” Callon rattled off instructions.

The truck moved forward again before it came to an abrupt stop. Colt unbuckled me and opened the door. He scooped me up into his arms only to hand me off to Callon. We moved swiftly into the hotel room with Maes in tow.

Callon laid me on the bed, touched my cheeks and forehead with the back of his hands and stepped away briefly. I remained still as Maes’s hands repeated the same procedure.

“
She’s really hot,” Maes said.

“
I need my medical bag from the truck. Go get it from Daniel and bring it back quickly,” Callon ordered.

The door closed, and Callon began removing my extra clothes. He pulled my boots and socks off as he undressed me down to my cami and jeans. I was a limp mass, unable to move. I heard Maes’s heavy footsteps near, and the bag was dropped on the bed next to me. Through heavy lashes, I watched Callon dig through it, his focus intent. He placed a digital thermometer in my ear.

“
Her temperature is one hundred and four!” Callon howled. “We’ve got to cool her quickly.”

The bed moved, and a door slammed. I heard water running in the tub.

“
Cheyenne,” Callon called out anxiously, “can you hear me?” I nodded in reply. “You’re dangerously hot. Maes went to get ice.” He took a deep breath, and I knew I wouldn’t like what he was going to say next. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to put you in the tub and pour the ice over you. It’s going to be very uncomfortable…I won’t be able to pull you out until your temperature goes down. Do you understand?”

“
Yes,” I replied weakly as I lifted my hand and touched his arm. “I’m really thirsty.” I was so parched…my tongue was on fire.

Callon disappeared and returned with a glass of water. He helped me sit up. I was only able to take a few small sips before I became too weak to swallow. The water dribbled out between my lips, and my head fell back into his hand. Seconds later, I was in the bathtub, immersed in cold water. Maes returned and dumped the buckets of ice in the tub.

Every inch of me was crying out, every muscle screaming in agony. A few minutes later, additional buckets of ice were added. Maes’s shoulders were tense as he watched me shiver. Callon was serene, confident, composed. He knew what he was doing, and he knew what would work.

I remained still for as long as I could before I struggled to get out again. The icy water was taking its toll. My skin felt like someone was pricking me with needles. Callon moved over the top of the tub, resting his hands on the ledges to keep me in place. All I could do was stare into his eyes—those deep, always searching eyes that seemed to peer into the depths of my soul.

“
How long do you think the fever will last?” Maes hovered close. The tone in his voice clearly displayed his worry. I was touched by his concern, when it dawned on me that if I died I couldn’t help him. He was only worried for his own ends.

“
A while. This isn’t the first time she’s gone through this. During the last episode, she lost her hearing and sight for about twelve hours. The good news is that she isn’t complaining of a headache,” Callon replied.

“
She’s had headaches too? How many? How bad were they?” Maes fired out his questions.

Callon hesitated, unsure whether to answer.

“
Since we’ve been with her, she’s had at least two severe ones. The last was just a couple weeks ago. She had the same high temperature.” Callon’s brow furrowed. “It’s happened sooner than I thought…

“
Her mother had the headaches before she transformed. Sometimes they were really bad. I don’t remember her having fevers. Sahara turned earlier than anyone thought she would.”

Callon glanced at Maes.

“
Thanks,” Callon said sincerely. “I needed to know that.”

My mother suffered as I did
…I wouldn’t have thought it to be comforting, but it was. Did Maes know my mother, or was this just something he’d heard?

Callon and Maes turned toward me once more. I knew they saw the agony I was in. I knew the fever was horrendous, but the bath was equally unbearable. I thrust myself forward with what little energy I had left and made a final attempt to get out. Both pushed me back down and held me there. My eyes closed, and the tears trickled down my cheeks.

“
I’m sorry, sweetheart. We don’t have any other choice,” Callon whispered.

I lost track of time…an inferno raged from within. More buckets of ice were added. I seemed to burn through it as I shook. Other heavy footsteps entered the bathroom. My head was turned to the side, and I heard a soft click.

“
She’s at one hundred and two,” Colt said as he brushed the hair from my eyes.

“
Callon,” I weakly called out through trembling lips. “I’m so cold. Can’t I come out now? Everything hurts…please,” I begged.

Callon shook his head in reply.

Colt moved past Callon and pushed his hand into the icy water to hold mine. He didn’t need to speak a word for me to know how worried he was; I saw it in his eyes.

My lids fell shut as I succumbed to the weakness. I allowed my head to flop limply to the side as more time passed.

A soft click echoed in my ear. “She’s down to ninety-nine now,” Daniel called out.

“
Pull her out,” Callon said.

Colt lifted me out of the water, and Maes wrapped a large towel around me and held me upright. The shivering continued.

“
Cheyenne,” Callon said with an appraising stare. “You need to get into dry clothes. Lilly’s not here to help. Can you do this by yourself?”

I gave a single weak nod, and Maes helped me sit on the corner of the tub as my guardians left, closing the door behind them. On the vanity sat a change of clothes. Managing to scrape together enough energy, I peeled the wet clothing off and applied the dry. I was unsteady on my feet, using the vanity to balance myself when there was a soft knock at the door before it opened. Callon’s head peered through. Seconds later, he had a hold of my arm before I toppled over. He carried me to bed.

Colt was waiting with a blanket in hand to wrap me in. Callon lay me in bed, and I curled into a tight ball, trying to warm myself. I was so cold, the shaking wouldn’t stop, and my body felt like I had been run over by a freight train.

The fire was gone…now the frigid cold set in. Callon and Colt sat close, one on each side, each taking turns rubbing my arm, back and legs. They were trying so hard, I didn’t have the heart to tell them it was painful. I fell asleep and shivered through the night.

A gentle touch pulled the hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear, and I heard a soft click as Callon checked my temperature once more. “How are you feeling?” Callon asked.

I blinked slowly, trying to focus on his face. “Better,” I murmured.

“
Your temperature is remaining steady at ninety-nine.” His knuckles stroked my cheek, another one of his small ways to try and provide me with comfort. “Do you think you can move this morning? We need to leave as soon as possible. It isn’t safe here anymore.”

“
Yes.” I tried to sit up only to fall back down. The room was spinning.