Disclaimer—See Chapter One
A/N: I noticed that the site will be in read-only mode on the 17th and 18th, so I'm posting this now. I will post the next chapter as soon as the site allows! Thank you again so much to Brennan's Angel (welcome back!!), Melodie, MariShal, Fiery Feral, Lucy! Rain, thank you! In hindsight, I think I probably dragged this story out a little too long, so they will be on the island for a few more chapters yet. Hope you can bear with me! CatJerica, thank you! You'll find out soon! J Thank you, everyone!
Things More Beautiful—Chapter Thirteen
His knees were digging into the sand, dangerously close to the pointy spines of a massive rockfish, but he barely noticed, eyes glued out to sea, searching. The light was gone, and only rolling black waves reflected back at him. He was aware of Shalimar as she kneeled down next to him, her whispered words of anguish, her fingers digging into his. He blinked, hoping to see something more, but nothing more was there.
"Now what?"
He hadn't realized he had spoken until she turned his face towards hers, eyes gleaming in determination. "We get ready for the next time it comes by."
The next time. They had to believe it would circle the island, looking for survivors. They had to believe it would come back before the lava hit the beach. His head slowly began to nod as her words sank in.
"You're right, Shal." His hand rose up and cupped hers, entwining their fingers together. "We've come too far to give up now." He pulled her up with him, turning around and halting in surprise when he saw a figure collapsed in the sand. Riley. He had almost forgotten about him. He watched as Shalimar checked for a pulse.
"Well, he's alive, but unconscious." She stared down at him.
"What are you thinking?" Brennan came up behind her.
She shook her head, brows furrowed. "I don't understand Brennan, how he's here, how he survived?" She turned away from him, eyes sweeping the line of fire above them. "I don't understand anything right now."
"I don't either, Shal." Brennan pressed his lips together. "But let's just focus on getting out of here first, ok?"
Raised voices interrupted them, and they left Riley, walking back toward the rest of the group. Most were passed out on the beach, but a few still stood, voices raised in argument.
"What's going on now?" Brennan's booming voice interrupted them.
"Papala spears," One man spoke excitedly, turning to them with hope. "Up there!"
"Papa what?" Brennan raised his eyebrows.
"Papala spears, from the Papala tree. The wood is very light and flammable. The local people use them as fireworks mainly, but they've also been used to send greetings to incoming ships."
"A signal," Shalimar breathed in hope, eyes following the man's pointed finger. She sucked in a deep breath when she saw where he indicated. The trees were just beyond the ridge of the beach, on the foot of the mountain, and just below the line of fire. "It's too close."
Only Brennan heard the fringe of panic in her voice. He stepped up behind her, fingers brushing reassuringly against the small of her back. "We've got to signal that ship when it returns. They can't see us. I don't think we have much choice."
They stared up at the trees.
"I'll go." Brennan finally spoke. He felt a shudder run down Shalimar's back.
"No, Brennan." She turned to him, fingers clenching his shirt front.
"It's ok, Shal." He gently pried her hands loose, threading his fingers through hers, wincing as her nails dug into his skin.
"Don't go." Her voice was a desperate whisper.
He smiled sadly. "I have to, Shal. I can't sit here and wait for us to die." His eyes searched hers. "If there's even a remote chance, we have to try."
Shalimar looked up at the ominous red glow in the sky, out to the churning sea, and finally nodded.
"Ok then." He drew her into his arms, savoring the comfort she provided, quickly bending his head and catching her lips. And then he was gone.
She choked back a sob, turning and watching as he sprinted up the mountain, his muscular figure garishly outlined in the firelight. When would it all end?
"Shalimar!" One of the agents tugged on her sleeve. She reluctantly pulled her eyes away from Brennan and turned toward the woman.
"Your pack!"
Shalimar gritted her teeth in frustration when she saw Riley far ahead of her, the pack containing the serum clenched in his hands as he ran jerkily down the beach. She swore under her breath, taking after him.
Tired limbs instantly complained, but she pushed her body forward. "Riley!"
He glanced over his shoulder, stumbled, and then ran faster. His step was chaotic; he was obviously having trouble keeping up the pace. She kept her distance, trailing after him, waiting for him to give out. He weaved and then suddenly turned and sprinted up toward the mountain. Flames now flickered on the edge of the tree line, and she halted, heart thudding in her chest.
"Riley, stop!" Her voice cracked, and he hesitated, pressing his back into a tree and staring at her. She again noticed the wildness in his eyes, and this time a new look, despair. "We can help you," She reached entreatingly towards him with one hand, legs shaking and refusing to move as flames flickered greedily above him.
"You're afraid of fire." He lowered the pack to the ground.
"No." She licked her lips.
He laughed, and she winced at the maniacal sound, forcing trembling limbs to move forward.
"Stay away!" His grip tightened again on the pack.
She halted, hands held out in front of her appeasingly.
"My wife loved fire." He was now staring over his shoulder at the flames. "She said it was warm and comforting."
She took another step.
His head whipped around again. "I said stay away!"
She whimpered as his fingers arched and formed a ball of fire. "I'm just trying to help you." Her voice was soft.
"Help?" He snorted derisively. "Dr. Luka tried to help." His arm lashed out, flames flying. "He killed my family!"
She threw herself to the ground with a half-strangled sob as fire shot above her. "Please," She whispered, "Let me help you."
His eyes met hers, but they were glazed over, unseeing. Hesitantly, she pushed herself up on her knees, relieved when he gave no sign of recognition. Her eyes darted to the pack. They still didn't know if the serum was real or not, but if there was even a chance it could be used to stabilize them, she had to get it back.
He was staring at the fire again. It seemed to mesmerize him. She inched forward.
"Dr. Luka didn't like fire, didn't like my painting either. He—he yelled when he saw it….didn't like fire...my wife loves fire."
She caught fragments of words carried on the wind and realized he was mumbling a litany under his breath.
She was so close now.Achingly, she stretched her fingers, reaching for the pack. It lay seemingly forgotten at his feet. Her knees cracked loudly as she stretched toward the pack, and she froze, holding her breath.
"She was so beautiful…but then she died."
The hair on the back of her neck prickled, and she slowly looked up. His eyes were locked on hers. She swallowed.
"She died…so beautiful."
Her fingers brushed against the canvas material of the pack; she closed them into a fist. There was a spark, a flicker of some kind of emotion in his eyes as he watched. She sprang, hauling the pack up and back with her as she flew through the air. Fire reached the tree line at the same time, and she was aware of intense heat as she landed in a crouch.
"Shalimar!"
Brennan! He was running toward her at a dead run, and she could hear his labored breathing from far away.
Riley screamed in frustration, flames shooting from both hands. Brennan ducked behind a tree just as it caught fire.
Rage filled Shalimar, and she instinctually flew forward, landing back in front of Riley with a snarl. She heard Brennan scream her name again, but she ignored him, eyes locked on her prey as she attacked. She hit him, and they rolled twice, the pack crushed between them as he landed flat on his back.
Glass exploded, and she felt a shard pierce the skin of her hand still tangled in the pack. Her other hand held Riley down as he lay against the ground where he landed. His eyes registered shock as they stared up at her, huge in his pale face. Blood hit her senses, and she gasped when she realized it was his, pooling beneath his head. Stricken, she released her hold on him.
"Why?" She whispered as he struggled to breathe.
His eyes cast downward and landed on the crumbled pack. "Serum."
"All this because you're addicted to a drug?" She noticed for the first time that the vials were smashed and that glass and thick liquid coated her fingers. She released her death grip on the pack, staring curiously at a shard of glass embedded in her thumb, slicing through the layers of scar tissue and burn blisters. Why is it always that hand? She numbly bemoaned to herself, wincing as the liquid burned against her open wound.
"It's gone."
She glanced sharply back down at Riley. Instead of anguish, he sounded…relieved.
He tried to smile at her expression, but it came out more of a grimace, his bloodless lips stretched thinly across burnt, cracked skin.
"Shal?" Brennan slid to his knees beside them, pulling her back in concern.
"Wait—" She murmured, bending over Riley again. "Tell me what they did to you."
His chest rose and fell as he took one breath, and then another, eyes huge and deep blue. Brennan grunted as Riley shakily lifted one hand and touched her cheek in wonderment.
"It's ok, Brennan," She whispered, smiling at Riley with sad understanding. "It's ok now. He was never after us, he was just trying to destroy the serum."
Brennan's brows rose silently, grabbing Shalimar again as the first flicker of flames appeared on the tree next to them. She saw the fire reflected in his eyes and shuddered.
"So warm and comforting," Riley rasped, "she loved fire."
"Shal." Brennan gripped her shoulder, voice tight with urgency, "We have to go."
The tree creaked and groaned as fire blazed to life. Thick, gritty smoke curled around them.
"We can't leave him here." She bit back a sob as his eyes fell shut.
Brennan pressed two fingers into his neck, eyes nervously roving the tree line. The lava was visible now, just behind the crackling fire. "He's still alive."
She blew out her breath, swaying as Brennan pulled her to her feet.
"Shal!" He yelled right into her face, shaking her shoulders gently, "We have to go now!"
She blinked, sucking in a deep shuddering breath as she focused on the fire. Brennan thrust the pack into her arms, hoisted Riley over his shoulder, and ran, pulling Shalimar with him.
Flaming spears shot over their heads as they ran back toward the beach.
"Papala spears," Brennan explained in a gasp as he struggled to catch his breath. "They must be trying to signal the ship!"
Her eyes lit up, her fingers tightening on Brennan's as he stumbled slightly.
After agonizing moments, they reached the beach, falling to their knees, chests heaving for air. It was so hard to breathe, and Brennan's lungs burned and raged as he began to cough. He dropped Riley into the sand and crawled forward a few feet, hunched over, feeling Shalimar's hands on his back as he began to vomit into the sand. There was nothing left in his stomach, and he groaned, weakly rolling over onto his back. Shalimar's face loomed over his, and he reached up, pulling her down against his chest, arms wrapping desperately around her. Her face pressed against his chest, and he could feel tears drip from her cheeks and onto his chest, the dampness quickly dissipating in the intense heat.
"We're going to make it, Brennan." She whispered fiercely, curling her fingers into his shirt.
His arms tightened silently around her.
Papala spears continued to fly over them, bright flaming beacons of light.
Finally, she cracked her eyes open, catching her breath. "Brennan—look." She gently prompted him to open his eyes.
He squinted, struggling to focus on a bright yellow blob in front of him. He blinked, forcing his eyes to concentrate.
Growing proudly out of a rock was a green, leafy stalk, with a delicate, yellow flower in full bloom. Its petals were wide open and glistened like spun silk, contrasting sharply with the dingy gray around it. It seemed impossible that such a thing could survive in this place, yet it stood strong and defiant, beautiful.
Brennan pushed himself into a sitting position, drawing Shalimar against his side as they drank in the sight. Chester came bounding up to them, breaking the moment, and they couldn't help but laugh, feeling twinges of hope. They rose and limped over to the rest of the group, watching as another round of spears were thrown high into the air and out to sea. The ship had to see and come back.
Shalimar spied Jimmy propped up against a boulder and narrowed her eyes. "I want some answers, Brennan." She started toward the man before Brennan could even answer. He sighed and followed after her. He knew she felt responsible somehow for Riley and wanted to understand everything. He glanced over his shoulder at the lava flow, his stomach queasy with nervous dread.
Jimmy shrank back as Shalimar squatted down next to him. "Now what?" His voice was rough, weak.
"You're dying."
He cringed at the flatness of Shalimar's voice as her eyes bore into his. He coughed, and it was a hoarse, rattling sound.
Brennan kneeled down on his other side, arms crossed.
Jimmy's eyes flickered between them. "Did you get the serum?"
"We got it." Brennan didn't elaborate.
"For the last time," Shalimar spoke conversationally, but her eyes told otherwise. "Tell us what it does."
"It stabilizes."
"Besides that." Brennan pressed a warning finger into the man's chest, causing him to wheeze in pain.
Jimmy winced, head turned away, shoulders slumped. "Riley was a test. When he first had contact with the serum, he became deathly ill; we thought the formula was a failure. But then he recovered, but with chemical dependency and permanent dementia." His chin dropped to his chest as coughs wracked his body once again. "We discovered he needed the serum to survive, as soon as we stopped his dosages, he grew sick again. The Dominion realized it gave them a way to control mutants—instant power. Stabilization just became a side affect instead of the purpose."
"That's why you didn't want it." Brennan pressed his lips together in anger.
Riley nodded tiredly. "Once the serum enters the bloodstream, there's no going back." His voice trailed away as he began to cough yet again. "You're infected." He spat the word.
Brennan's head whipped around as Shalimar hissed in a sharp breath of air, lurching backward and jumping convulsively. She moved her head up to look at Brennan, eyes wide with fright.
"Shal?"
She held her hand up to her eyes. Between two broken blisters, a deep cut sliced through tender skin, the small dagger of glass was still embedded, glittering. A ruby red drop of blood rolled down the inside of her thumb.
They were frozen in an eerie tableau. Brennan, his face stunned, standing over her; Shalimar, on her knees, her face stark and shocked. To both of them it seemed as if minutes passed, long minutes that were measured not by the ticks of a clock, but by the loud, rhythmic waves of blood that their hearts slugged frantically to beat against their eardrums.
She was infected.