Burning Lotus: Lotus Blood, #3

By Dean Norton

Nam’s burning up, torn apart by love for Simon and her own internal demons, as the bloodlines split and her powers threaten to run out of control.

Northern Thailand, in the middle of the Thai new year celebrations, is turned into a bloody battleground as the devil’s demons chase and harry her.

Desperate to make sense of the illusions battering her, she has to fight with every fibre of her being for her soul and sanity, while keeping those she loves safe.

Burning Lotus is a paranormal romance/fantasy adventure of 114,000 words/approximately 450 pages and is the third book in the exciting and evocative Lotus Series.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dean Norton
• Release date: Nov 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519969491

Book preview

Chapter One

The air up here was clear, still and sweet. The wind pushed the hair back from my face, as I hurtled upwards, screaming every ounce of rip roaring anger out of my chest, blasting myself away, far away from Simon, my boyfriend.

The city lights lay far below me, twinkling like scattered jewels arranged in a dazzling tableau. The main centre was a perfect square around the old town, holding in the dimmer lights of older hotels, guest houses and shops. Then, the brighter more modern, more focused lights ran away along the roads, spreading out like tentacles from the old city square, till finally they withered into isolated ribbons out across the plain, or climbing up the mountain, towering as a dark shadow over the city of Chiang Mai.

I pulled my hands up and stopped my crazy flight straight up out of the restaurant we’d been having our romantic meal in, luckily deserted apart from the waiter, when I literally shot out of my seat and up through the palm trees that hung over the terrace.

Nice one, Nam. You really know how to make a dramatic exit. 

It wasn’t my fault that the service was so slow we nearly got up and walked out. I’d just wanted it all to be perfect. This was Simon’s birthday dinner, and for once it was just the two of us, no Junior, my giant twin brother, no Dad or Olivia, Simon’s sister and not even Noo, my grandmother.

No, for once it was just us, out on the town celebrating Simon’s sixteenth birthday. His age and birthday were pretty well all he could remember about his life before he’d been caught in the tsunami that had devastated southern Thailand only four months earlier.

And, now here I was floating high above Chiang Mai, the northern Thai city Dad had brought us to for a holiday, before we had to troop off back to boarding school in smelly, hot Bangkok.

I was so high, I couldn’t even make out the restaurant I’d blasted out of, with the sign claiming they had, The Best Rib Restaurant in Asia! Simon loved ribs, so I’d begged money off Dad and booked a table for just the two of us. And, then we’d sat and watched everyone else get served and finish their meal and leave. My blood was already simmering as I went to the bathroom and overheard our waiter talking to the chef.

They’re just kids and I need those last ribs for Mr Hog. He’s coming in late and he tips big.

I went and sat back down in the restaurant that was now empty, apart from us, sat there like idiots, waiting for the snotty waiter to deliver the bad news about the one dish we’d come specially to eat.

As the waiter apologised, grinning at us, and turned away to find us a menu to choose another dish, I saw red, literally red. I get my rage and lack of control from my devil blood, from generations way back. And when I lose it, I totally lose it; my eyes go bright crimson, my blood boils under my skin and I destroy anything I can get my hands on.

Simon saw my eyes flash and put his hand on my arm. It’s okay, Nam. We can order something else.

He’s lying. I just wanted this to be so special for you.

He isn’t lying. And, we can come back another time.

He’s a sodding liar, I hissed, waved my hand at the waiter’s back and knocked over my glass of orange juice. And that was it, I lost it, blasted my hands hard down and rebounded straight up through the palm trees.

The scream took me on upwards till there I was, so high up I was floating in and out of thin, wispy clouds, the water vapour condensing  on my bare shoulders and face. The moisture bubbling up on my arms brought my raging blood back down, till I was just hanging on, gasping for breath in the thin air.

Simon. I’m so sorry. I just wanted it all to be perfect for you. I’m so sorry! I blasted out in my head space, and hung there listening for a moment. Nothing came back, not even a whisper.

I pulled my hands up over my head and plummeted straight down, the wind shrieking through my hair. I flipped sky-diver style and hurtled back down towards the twinkling lights below.

And, then I saw the first shadows floating around me, tracking me as I fell, my arms and legs stretched out, blasting away all the boiling blood and chest crushing hate.

The shadows, or whatever they were, matched my speed, staying with me. At first I thought they were a trick of the light this high up, but then I twisted around and they twisted with me, three dark pieces of, not shadows, more like spaces where the light and all colour had been taken, leaving a hole in the fabric of existence.

I wasn’t afraid. This didn’t feel bad.

Okay, let’s see what you can do.

I flipped around again and went down head first, fists and arms flat out at the ground, that was coming up so fast, I could now make out the street lights threading their way around and along the highways and sois below me. The three shadows stretched out into long, sleek ribbons and stayed with me.

Okay, fair enough, you’re not Krasue.

I blasted my hands down and slammed to a dead stop in mid air. The shadows blatted on past for a moment, then twisted around and floated back up, till they hung in front of me, black holes in the starry back drop and lights on the mountain.

Whatever you are, you don’t scare me, I shouted.

I swear the shadows laughed and turned, coming together into one, then dropped away from me in a single long streak of deep black thread, till it was lost in the tangle of lights that made up the centre of downtown Chiang Mai.

What the Hell was that all about? 

I lifted my palms and swooped down over the old town, following the ancient walls and moat, till I found a deserted spot to land a short walk from the rib restaurant. 

It was an alley between two small sois, full of rubbish bins and nothing else, except deep dark, shadows, real shadows. I landed softly, my trainers crunching into the dusty gravel and spun round, ready to blast up and away. If anyone had seen me drop out of the sky, it would be better to get out of there fast. Answering questions about being able to fly was not high on my agenda.

Because I’m the spawn of the devil.  And I was given flying as a gift by Sakra, King of the Gods, up on Mount Sumeru, was really not going to cut it with most people.

A pair of red eyes picked out of the darkness; small coals burning in a sharp black furry face. The cat sat on the wall at face level, flicking its tail then bared its teeth at me and let me have a low hiss.

Don’t worry, I want nothing to do with you, I hissed back. For a second, I thought the cat was going to spring at me, as we stood face to face but then it twitched, turned away and jumped down behind a dustbin.

As it disappeared, my Nam sense went into full on alert, claxons screaming and howling in my skull, shivers fighting their way up and down my spine. I turned slowly, knowing what I would find, my hands already up against my shoulders, ready to blast the Krasue that hung in the night air at the end of the alley. Three of the scarlet heads floated there; beautiful women’s faces in the centre of twisting black hair, their necks trailing away into bloody entrails.

Why? You know I can blast all of you with one hand?

You stupid bitch, of course they know that. But, you’d have no power left, nothing to fight with. And, Junior’s on the other side of town with Dad. Crap.

Junior was my twin brother, my, Battery Boy, and he hated it. Well, he didn’t hate that one touch from him sent raw energy blasting into me, after I’d been wiping out demons or throwing illusions around, but he did hate the fact that he couldn’t do all the blasting and smoking Krasue out of existence.  Even Simon had some kind of, holding power, so he could catch whatever crap was flying at us for me to wipe out.

Junior was the size of a medium size house and about as subtle. And, right now I needed him close, really needed him. I was alone in a strange city and now surrounded by Krasue, as six more dropped down around me.

Why now? Why here? 

The answers didn’t matter right then. What did matter was getting out of the hole I’d let myself fall into. I’d only been stung by a Krasue once, and the pain had almost driven me insane.

Okay, Krasue all around, so you can’t just blast them all without a recharge. You’ve got to run and save your ass to fight another day.

A low wailing, the first Krasue attack shriek, cut through the air. The cat scuttled from behind a plastic wheelie bin and shot off down the alley. The wailing went high, very high. They were about to fly at me. I feinted blasting my hands at the nearest hanging death-heads and they twitched, the attack shriek wavering.

I slammed my hands hard down and shot straight up, then sideways, just over the twisting hair of the nearest Krasue.  That took take them by surprise; maybe they’d been expecting me to rocket upwards, so they could chase me high and force me to fight, till I fell out of the sky, all my power gone.

Simon, Simon. Where are you? I blasted out in my head.

I stayed low as I screamed over the deserted soi, slammed my hands forward and took the rebound off a wall with a pink sign, Happy Hotel, and threw myself sideways, into the entrance to the terrace of the rib restaurant.

Don’t give a stuff who sees this crazy girl flying through the air. They’ll think they imagined it all.

Simon wasn’t there. The restaurant was empty, apart from Mr Big Customer, who was elbow deep in his giant plate of ribs, our plate of ribs. He glanced up as I swept low over him, flat out. I caught a glimpse of his round white face, slathered in rib gravy, then I was up and away through the palm trees again, as his scream split the night.

Bet you won’t go back to that restaurant in a hurry. 

The palm fronds snapped at my arms and bare shoulders as I hurtled through them, catching the red glow on the dark green leaves. The Krasue were close, very close.

If you kill me, Mum will only send me back again. And, every time she does that, my power increases. They know that, the Mara knows that. What the hell’s going on?

Then, I was through the trees and hurtling over the ancient city walls of Chiang Mai. I followed the line of thick stone next to the moat, zigzagging to throw off any whipping Krasue tongues. The lights of the city twinkled back out of the moat reflections. I didn’t know how deep the water was but it sure looked muddy and thick.

Keep down, low down.

Junior! Simon! I blasted out in my rattling head space. Get your arses down to the City Gate, fast!

I was inches above the water, so low the surface rippled with my slipstream as I swept over, flicking spray up into my face, but now the dark water was glowing a deep red. The Krasue had me. The old city gate was coming up, cutting across the ancient moat in thick slabs of rock, as the water plunged down under in a whirling muddy pool.

Dive down in that, or straight up, which is where they want you.

I pushed my hand down lightly and flirted away from the water.

If they want a fight, let’s give them one.

I was flying at an angle away from the moat now, parallel with the pavements crowded with people; thousands of tourists and locals partying, all here for the Thai New Year, the Songkran festival.

Well they’re going to get a show alright. Do it fast. Don’t want to be recognised.

I slammed my hands hard down and the water fountained up around me, soaking my T-shirt and cropped jean shorts. I shot up and straight into the flock of red heads waiting for me. Long green tongues lashed at me, as I threw myself away from the flashing whips of raw pain. 

Crap!

I slammed my hands straight out from my shoulders at the first Krasue. They burst apart, showering red strings of entrails into the moat, but the ones behind kept coming. I hurtled back towards the muddy moat water, going down sideways as the recoil from my blast threw me over.

Only got two more good blasts in me, before I need a recharge. 

Junior! Where the hell are you?

Nearly there, Sis. Hang on!

I’m on the moat!

Nam, I can see you! screamed Simon in my head. I can see you. Almost there!

Just grab the bitches and hold them off me. Oh crap!

Two Krasue flew at me, coming in from my blind side, close, very, very close.  I slammed a fist at them and they burst in showers of red, but then everything went in slow motion. The recoil had half turned me round and back up, away from the moat and bright hotel lights.

A giant, grey mass loomed over me, filling my world and I screamed. The stone wall of the gate stood rock hard and solid in my path. The Krasue had sacrificed themselves to make sure I hit it hard.

Nam! shouted Simon out loud and I caught a glimpse of my tall slim boyfriend, stood on the side of the moat, arms stretched wide and high, holding two Krasue up and away from me. I tried to twist and smack my hands towards the rock, but all that happened was I rolled over, so I slammed into the gate back first. My head smashed back against the stone. Then, I was falling, slithering down the rock face of the gate, like some stupid cartoon character hitting a cliff face. It was all still going in slow motion, so I got a full view of the muddy moat water coming up to meet me.

Oh, not again.

I wasn’t feeling any pain, but I could hear me gasping for breath, as warm liquid poured down my neck from the back of my head.

Not more stitches!

Then, I hit the water and went straight under, head first. I kept going down, for what felt like a minute, but everything was still in slow motion, so it was probably no more than a few seconds before I hit the bottom and lay there staring up through the murk at the giant glowing red shape.

Ferrix, come to gloat.

Then, my mouth came open and muddy water poured into my throat. I knew from long experience, it was best not to fight and just get it over with. The burning, searing pain in my chest came and that meant it was nearly over. The blackness closed in and then I was gone, pain, everything, just gone.

Chapter Two

Something is wrong, very wrong. The usual milky-sweet vanilla aroma is there, but it’s mixed with a thick foul stink that catches in my throat.

Smoke. This is so not right.

The acrid charred smell twists through my nostrils into my head, swirling and churning with the sweet vanilla.  I retch, open my eyes and sit up, trying not to puke.

Mink?

The so familiar room with the cream walls and sky blue shag pile carpet is empty, apart from the clouds of black smoke billowing under the door.

What the hell is going on?

I roll off the low bed, dressed as always in a light blue silk pyjama set that perfectly matches the carpet. My bare feet sink into the carpet and I yelp.  The floor’s hot, like concrete decking laid out in the Bangkok sun all day. I hop my way to the door, arm over my face, trying to keep back the black clouds now pouring under my door.

Mink! Mum! Help me! I blast into my head space, grab at the round handle and scream. It’s like holding a fire brand. I flash back to another burning handle, on a door high on a cliff face, in the bowels of Hell. I’d been beaten, burning and barely alive, but I’d got through it. I pull my silk sleeve down and use it as a kind of oven-glove to get a grip on the handle; just long enough to turn it hard round and pull.

The door bursts open, smashing me backwards. I land in a heap of arms and legs against the bed.

The doorway’s a frame of black smoke, swirling over the smouldering thick carpet.

Crap, crap, crap!

Mum! Where are you? 

An eddy of wind blows the smoke apart a second and I catch a brief glimpse of the identical brown door set in the cream wall on the other side of the corridor.

Nam,  where are ... you? Mum’s voice crackles and splutters in my head.

Mum!

Mink get her out! Get her ...

Mum’s high voice in my head cuts out, as someone screams in agony out in the corridor. I steady myself against the door frame and pull myself up, holding my silk sleeve across my mouth and nose.

If this smoke crap is what I think it is, then we’re all in big trouble. Real crap.

The slightest contact sends you spinning into a hell of endless nightmares. I take one last gulp of half clear air.

All those thousands of hours of swimming training at least gives me real lung power.

I crouch low and stumble out into the corridor, turning left, as that was the way I’ve gone every time I’ve died and been reborn before. The smoke’s so thick, I can’t see beyond the blue carpet under my feet.

Mum? Where are you?

I trip over a body on the floor and another wail of agony splits the air. I’ve landed on a tangle of thin arms and legs, losing my silk mask over my face. The arms and legs writhe under and around me, as I struggle to get up and take my first gulp of red-hot smoke. I scream as my throat and chest light up, like I’ve swallowed a tub of acid straight down.

I push the legs away from around my chest and roll over and over, clinging onto my breath and fighting down the scream, as the fire rips down into my belly, then my thighs. I crawl away from the shrieking pile of limbs, but a hand grabs onto my ankle, small thin fingers locked onto me.

I know that hand. 

I turn, and through the fog can just about make out the small bald head, thin arms and legs wrapped up in white robes.

Mink! I croak, reach back and break his grip on my leg, then grab his arm and pull. Mink opens his mouth and howls. I slam my hand over his mouth and drag him forward, groaning and mumbling, as I hold him to me and haul us both across the thick carpet.

Get to the lifts. Move, you stupid cow!  

I clamp my mouth and throat shut, breathing out slowly though my nose, pushing back any vile smoke trying to get into me that way.  I’m burning up, from my chest down into my calves and everywhere in between.

Do not breathe again, don’t.

All the countless hours pounding up and down swimming pools, training to be a champion, hasn’t stopped me drowning over and over, but it has given me phenomenal lung power.

How far are those sodding lifts?

I flash back to the first time I came here to be reborn. That was with my dog, Bob, now safe and sound back in Samui.

Only four months ago, and it feels like a lifetime.

Mink breaks away from me and collapses, gasping and gulping at the smoke and screams, his thin head thrown back, his lips curled so far back I can’t see them. I slam my hand over his mouth, get my arms around his neck and drag him through the thick blue tufts, and on over the smooth white marble surface. We’ve made it to the lifts.

Only now, I have nothing to pull against. The smoke billows around, so thick I can barely see Mink’s thin body convulsing on the smooth stone next to me. I roll around behind him and push at the tangle of limbs and white robes. He screams again and now my chest’s burning, not from the smoke, but from lack of oxygen and I know I have seconds left before my mouth comes open and I take the fire down into me.

Get to the lifts, you stupid cow!

I throw myself forward over Mink’s squirming body and across the wide lift hall. The smooth marble goes on forever, rolling from under me. A sharp, ‘Ping!’ cuts through the air, only now my ears are roaring, full of blood, about to burst. I fall forward and roll over, looking straight up at a pink glow, high above me. The button. I’ve made it to the lift doors.

My mouth comes open and molten gas pours into me. I try to scream, but flames explode in my mouth. My tongue’s a burnt cinder and my throat a tunnel of screaming heat. I ram my face hard against the hot marble, trying to rub away the burning. A high hiss slides through the air above me.

I’m dying in the place where you go after you die!

Pure white light bursts out against my screwed tight-shut eye-lids.  Something touches my arm, something small and thin. I scream in my head and try to roll away, but fingers bite into my arm, deep into the flesh under my shoulder.

Leave me alone. Can’t you see I’m dying? 

The fingers loosen for a second then come straight back, more of them, grabbing at me, holding onto my arm, pulling me now!

I put my hands flat on the marble and try to hold on as I’m dragged backwards then rolled over. The hands let me go and I lie curled in a ball, fists against my mouth to hold the burning air out. My ears are roaring again and I’ve only got seconds left.

No, I can’t take the fire again. Make it go away!

I screw my eyes half open and hard lights burst into my head, then I’m looking up at me; an image of me stuck on the ceiling in a tangle of arms and curled up legs, hair plastered over my face. My pale blue silk pyjama set’s scorched brown in places and smoke spilling out from my nose and eye sockets.

Crap.  

My head rolls sideways and now I’m looking up at the full length mirrors showing endless reflections of the scorched me. There’s a swirling tangle of white in the mirrors and Mink’s thin body collapses on top of me. I can’t do it anymore; my mouth comes open and one small whisper of burning air slips into me, only this time, the fire stays in my mouth, my saliva bubbling on my tongue, but it’s a smoulder, not a raging inferno.

The hands pull at me and roll me over and then I’m looking straight up at a small woman in green robes, long black hair flying around her pretty, petite face, her arm up, holding the sleeve of the robe over her face.

Hi Mum!

My mother ignores my voice in her head and punches a button on the golden lift panel. The doors hiss closed right next to my head then she’s bent over me, tears of pain streaming down her face.

Mink .. ? I gasp and cry out, as the heat roars in my throat.

Mum’s bent double, coughing and retching, as she rolls Mink over. His eyes are wide open, staring, his lips curled back over his teeth in a snarl of raw agony. Small wisps of smoke curl out of his mouth and twist up catching in the endless reflecting mirrors.

I lie on my side gasping for breath, as Mum closes Mink’s eyes and pinches his nose, then she puts her mouth over his and breathes hard. Nothing happens. Mum straightens up and takes a gulp of air then tries again.

Mum? She waves her hand to show she’s listening, as she takes another gulp and tries again.

What the Hell’s happening?

Hell is happened, darling girl, comes Mum’s voice in my head. Mara’s broken out of his kingdom. He’s trying to destroy everything we have. She takes one more gulp, but Mink’s head comes up and he pukes black tar down his white robes and whimpers as the air hit his lungs.

Mum sits back on her heels and speaks out loud.

Yes, Mara is trying to take anyone coming through, passing onto their next life.

So that’s why they wanted me dead. They can get to me here?

You know he’ll never leave you alone. He wants you more than his very miserable existence.

Mum pulls me up against her and we lean on each other, holding us together. Mink lies moaning on the floor, black tarry liquid dribbling out of his half open mouth.  The light dims and the lift rocks ever so slightly, making Mink moan again. Mum holds her finger on a button and pulls me to her.

Darling, girl, you are so ...

Crazy?

Special. And, now we have to move fast, very fast.

Back to Africa to drown me again.

Yes. But first, we have to get you there. Ready?

No, I whisper and hold her tight against me.

We have to go, now. Right now, she whispers back, but clings to me for one long second. Then, Mink moans, trying to sit up.

Wait here, Mink. Do not move. I’ll come back for you, Mum tells him.

But ... Nam? he croaks.

Nam is safe, for now. But we must go.

Mink collapses back on the mirrored floor, his thin bald head harsh in the glare of the light and endless reflections bouncing off each other.

There we go, Darling girl. Mum says and takes her finger off the button.

Here we go, you mean Mum. Here we go.

And then the doors hiss open.

Chapter Three

As the doors slide sideways, screams of raw agony burst out at us. Mink shrieks and wraps his arms over his head, rolling over.

Hush Mink, darling, says Mum. She reaches down and tries to stroke his head, but he breaks away, up against the mirrored wall. His hand comes out of his robes, shaking violently, his fist wrapped around a small object.

Let me have it, Mum tells him and peels his fingers apart as he whimpers.  Mum takes the small brown stone, holding it up in the light and endless reflections of small, pretty women in green robes, hold their stones up; all perfectly smooth on one side and ridged and pitted on the other. The key to my next life in Africa and the one life I am never going to get to.

My artefact, I say and reach for it, but Mum shakes her head.

I’ll keep held of it, till we get you through.

Beyond the doors twist and writhes a kaleidoscope of shapes, but instead of the usual vivid greens, blues and yellows, there’s a mass of dirty greys and browns.

What the hell is that?

Mum? This isn’t right.

Hush, darling girl. We just have to get you out of here.

The dirty stains writhe together, like mud swirling in a pond then it all settles.  The mass snaps together and images spring into place, but it’s wrong, all wrong. We’re facing the giant, towering windows and the sunlight is gone; most of the windows are also gone, leaving jagged fragments of shattered glass.

Red-black smoke billows through, sweeping around the mass of people huddling on the floor, screaming and crying. Above them, flap small figures, flitting through the smoke on feathery wicker wings, their bright green spikes sticking out behind.

Krahang! I shout and point up at the flitting figures.

And Krasue! shouts back Mum, pointing away over the huddling people and down to the check-in desks, where a mass of flying red screams around a tall figure in green robes, waving his arms and ducking as the death heads dive at him.

They‘ve got Marshall, Mum!

For the first time ever, I hear my mother swear. She dives through the lift doors and sprints forward, holding her arm over her face as the smoke billows around her.

Too slow, far too slow.

The check-in desks are way away across the great hall, which is big enough to hold tens of thousands of people on a bad day in Limbo. 

I slam my hands back and down and blast upwards, straight over Mum’s head. I catch her startled face as I scream past, just under the flashing fans blades that are meant to ward off Krasue attacks from above.

Nobody thought they’d come through the sodding windows.

I scream over the mass of screaming, cowering people and their Holders and straight at the volley of Krasue. I can’t see Marshall anymore, just a tearing mass of red.

I’m lying flat, arms stretched out Superman style, cutting through the air as the smoke flows away, beaten back by my slipstream.

The Krasue circle and dive around the tall, dark check-in desks. They haven’t seen me coming, as they lash their tongues, screaming their attack shriek.

Get them all together, in one blast, before your power goes.

I’m close now, so close I can make out the green of Marshall’s robes, stark against the white marble surrounding the desks. I dive down low and push my hands out forward to slow, then drop down and catch my feet on the last of the thick blue carpet, before it cuts away into the white marble.

I go down head first and roll over, somersaulting forward then up. As I come upright, still carrying all the momentum from my headlong flight, I slam both hands flat out from my shoulders and hit the shrieking mass of heads with everything I’ve got. The spring pushes back so hard I stop in my tracks, then the rebound takes over; my blast crashes forward and the Krasue fly apart in a giant firework burst of scarlet.

One big Krasue on the edge of the group doesn’t take the full impact and spins away, narrowly misses the flashing fan blades, whips around and comes for me. I wait till she’s close enough to smell the rotten orange stink of her then take her out with one slap from my stronger right hand.

Behind me, the air’s full of burning smoke and screaming, sobbing people, but between two of the check-in desks lies a bundle of green rags. Marshall, my Grandfather, his tall body crumpled into a heap on the marble.

Marshall! I scream and stumble forward, but my head’s already going, that first blast had been huge.

Move you stupid cow, Move.  

But, now I’m down on my knees, my head just way too heavy for my shoulders and the rest of me. I slide downwards and the cool marble settles against my cheek.

No, move, now!

I haul my head up and get one hand under my body, pushing and dragging myself forward, scrabbling with my silk covered knees against the smooth marble. My head goes down again, but this time it cracks against the floor, and the sharp pain gives me the jolt I need, just one little piece of something to work with. I slap my palm down, find some grip and pull, managing to get my knees up under me enough to slide towards Marshall’s still body.

Behind me, the Krasue wail starts up again, far away and faint but coming closer every second. More and more people scream, as the weird long Haaaaw of the Krahang attacking roars out. But, now I’ve reached Marshall and grab hold of his robes to haul myself up against him.

His eyes are wide open, his face screwed up in agony, a deep red line split across his cheek. Two more Krasue stings have ripped open his robes and shine vivid red against his pale chest. I took one small sting across the back of my hand and the unbelievable pain had nearly driven me insane.

Marshall! Wake up, wake up! 

I try to slap his face, but my hands don’t seem to be working.

Marshall. No, no, no! I croak and he shudders, his lips twisting and his eyes roll up till only the whites show.

Stop it, Marshall. Wake up please. Please! His body starts shaking, spasming under me, great racking jerks coursing through him. I push my chest down on his, trying to hold back the fit. Heat comes up out of Marshall’s torn body, pouring out of him and into me. I scream as my skin burns red hot against his then a hand grabs my shoulder and pulls me away. Mum’s panting hard, her hair everywhere and her eyes frantic as she grabs Marshall’s face in her hands.

No. Marshall. Dad, stay with us. Stay, please! she screams, holding his face against hers. Then I see