A Curse of Shadows - Page 99

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

ISLA

Idon’t think I’ve ever been this groggy and weak in my life. My eyes feel as though there is so much sand in them that they’re intent on making a pearl. On top of that, my muscles ache everywhere and the pressure in my head is turning into a fiery roar of pain.

I try to sleep as Asher suggested, but it’s not easy. Estee and Dad sit nearby, watching me and whispering, discussing all the things they should and shouldn’t do if something is truly wrong with me. Yeah, not helpful.

Throwing the blankets off me, I ever-so-slowly roll over in bed and groan. “I’m taking a shower.”

“Oh, not by yourself, you’re not,” Estee replies, starting to walk toward me from the other side of the room. “I’m going to help…”

I don’t hear anything else she says. The pounding in my head drowns out the world and I squeeze my eyes closed, wobbling on the axis of the world.

This isn’t good.

My body is falling, yet my arms and legs refuse to do anything to prevent me from crashing into the hard ground.

With a heavy thud, I not only hit the floor, but my head on the bedframe. I expect another wave of agony to hit me or to even lose consciousness, but instead, the pain begins to recede. At least until I hear Estee’s screams and Dad’s growls.

“Asher’s going to kill us.”

“Not if he doesn’t find out.” Estee’s soft hands lift me up. “Is, wake up, damn it.”

“I’m trying.” My eyelids lift, then immediately close. “It’s bright in here.”

I hear shuffling, then the movement of the curtains as they’re drug across the rail. “That should be better,” Dad says.

Chancing the stabbing pain once again, I crack one eye open first. The room is much darker, but still, I don’t look for long. “I need to shower.”

“That’s not happening, little sister,” Estee says. “You need to stay in bed until we figure out what’s wrong with you.”

My skin starts to itch as I shake my head. “I’m telling you, I need a shower.”

I wince at the growl in my voice, but I can’t stay like this. I need to do something, to be clean, to rinse away whatever this is. I have no clue why, but the weight of this pressure and the weariness is too heavy, like a blanket trying to smother me. I have to make it go away any way that I can.

“Just take her before she tries to go by herself again,” Dad says.

I try to smile at him, but I’m rather sure it comes out as more of a grimace than anything else.

Estee keeps a tight hold on me, helping me walk toward the bathroom, and I’m forced to keep my eyes closed as a wave of nausea slams into me, making me groan.

My sister stops, but I growl at her and she mercifully keeps moving. I think she’s said something, but I can’t focus on anything other than keeping the vomit inside me.

The hard tile presses against my back as she sits me down. I hear more murmurs, but nothing is making sense. I don’t even have enough strength to keep my body upright and I start to slump to the side, allowing my cheek to rest against the cool floor.

I’m overheated. I need to be free of…everything.

Extending my fingers into claws, I begin to rip my clothes away, not caring when I end up cutting myself in the process. They have to go.

Estee’s hands grab on to me, but I kick her away forcefully. “Let me finish.”

I don’t hear her reply, but within another minute, I’m naked, lying curled into a ball on the floor. My chest heaves as I suck in rapid amounts of air. Maybe this wasn’t the right answer.

I can’t keep my lungs full. I can barely feel my body. Everything feels like it’s on…

“Fire!” Estee’s screech finally breaks through as she shoves me into the shower.

Looking back, my clothes are smoking dark black.