"John." James laughed, low and disbelieving. "We thought you were dead."
"Takes more than that." John's gaze cut across the room and landed on me. "Why is there an Ashworth here?"
I flinched before I could stop it.
He took a step closer.
"Leave him alone." Takara didn't raise her voice.
John stopped. Pulled back half a step. "Relax. I just crawled out of a fight and my gang needs a healer." His eyes stayed on her. "You coming or not."
'Let's stop this before she gets involved.'
My pulse pushed hard against my ears.
'She's your sister.'
Alexander rose from his seat.
"No!" I shouted. "You can't go there."
Alexander's eyes shot toward Dylan.
The punch caught me in the stomach. I folded, both knees hitting the ground.
"You want to get me killed?" Dylan's boot found my ribs.
"Please." I pressed my forehead to the pavement. "Just leave her alone."
John caught Dylan's fist mid-swing. He crouched down, close enough that I could smell cigarettes on his breath. "You know this girl. Tell us where she lives."
"Take me." I spit blood onto the concrete. "Leave her out of it."
He straightened up slowly. His face went flat.
"Dylan. Break his hand. Beat him until he talks."
The first blow snapped my head sideways. After that I stopped counting. Each hit buried itself somewhere deeper, ribs, spine, the back of my skull, and I couldn't tell what was breaking and what was already broken. My breath came in pieces, ragged and wet.
Then the crack.
My right arm. The sound came before the pain did.
I screamed before I could stop myself, the arm bent wrong at the elbow. The air tore out of my lungs in one long, broken note.
"This is getting interesting." Alexander moved closer, hands loose at his sides. "He's protecting her this hard, she must be important." He glanced back at Dylan. "Find out if he has friends. Have them tell you who she is and where she stays."
I reached out with my good hand and grabbed Alexander's shoe.
"Please." My voice came out small. "I'm begging you. Spare her."
Something sharp connected with the back of my head.
White. Then nothing.
When I opened my eyes the sky was dark. I was still on the ground, cheek against the pavement, my broken arm folded beneath me. I got up slow, one piece at a time. Nobody was there.
I walked.
I was nearly to the corner when I saw Oliver. He came sprinting out of the dark and went down hard, hitting the ground.
I crossed to him. "Oliver. What are you doing out here?"
He looked up at me, and something in his face was already broken.
"Alec."
Then he looked away. "I'm sorry," he muttered.
"Sorry for what? Oliver, what did you do?"
He put both hands on my chest and shoved me back. Hard. Then he ran, and didn't look back.
I stood there watching him disappear into the dark.
Then Alexander's voice came back like a blade.
'Find out if this guy has friends. Have them tell you who she is and where she stays.'
The air left my body.
"No."
I ran.
My broken arm bounced against my side with every stride and I bit down on the scream and kept going. The pavement blurred. A crack in the road caught my foot and I went down, palms splitting open, chin nearly kissing concrete.
'Please be okay.'
I got up.
'Big brother is coming.'
I ran harder.
The house came into view and the front door was hanging open, frame splintered at the lock, light spilling out in a strip. I went in.
She was on the living room table.
Clothes torn. Legs open, blood dripping between them. Blood moving slow across the floor, dark and quiet. Her eyes were open and aimed at the ceiling, blank.
The smell hit me before anything else. Metallic. Thick. It clung to the back of my throat and wouldn't leave.
Her chest moved. Shallow. Unsteady.
I couldn't speak. I couldn't stop moving toward her either.
'Alec.'
The voice in my head was my own and it was cold.
'This is your fault. You were weak, and now look.'
I reached the table. "Mi..."
'Don't. You don't get to say her name. Are you happy now? Is this what your weakness bought her?'
My legs stopped working right. I gripped the table edge, knuckles going white, and the numbness spread up from my feet like something shutting off.
'Hey.' The voice harder. Quieter.
'Save her first. Fall apart later.'
I moved.
I grabbed clothes from the chair and covered her as gently as I could with one working hand, my broken arm screaming every time I shifted. Then I got low, pulled her up onto my back, and locked my left arm under her legs.
She made a small sound.
I held tighter and walked out the door.
The hospital took her in and I sat on the bench outside her room. My broken arm rested across my lap. I didn't feel it anymore.
The doctor came out and stopped in front of me.
"Your sister has no permanent physical injuries." She paused. "That's likely because of her ability."
She went silent for a moment.
"She lost a significant amount of blood. We also found five separate samples and some foreign objects." She stopped again. "She will recover."
I didn't say anything.
She sat down beside me on the bench.
"She needs you now," she said. "More than she ever has."
She stayed another moment, then left.
I sat there until the hallway went quiet. Then I got up and went inside.
Mia was asleep. Small under the white sheet, her face turned slightly toward the window. I stood at the foot of the bed and looked at her for a long time.
My eyes burned.
'It's my fault.'
My legs went. I sank down beside the bed, grabbed her hand, and pressed my forehead against it.
"I'm sorry." My voice barely made it out. "I'm so sorry."
I don't know when I stopped saying it. I don't know when I fell asleep. I only know that when I opened my eyes the room was full of morning light and I was still holding her hand.
A nurse came in to change the drip. She glanced at me, then looked away.
"Sorry to ask, but the medical bills need to be settled at the counter when you're ready." She glanced at my arm. "And come to the treatment room. We have that fixed."
"Alright." I followed her to the treatment room and she wrapped my arm and put it in a cast. "We can't give healing potions for free but I can at least do this."
"Thank you for your help." I went down to the counter. "I'm Alec. Family of Mia Ashworth."
The woman at the desk typed something. "Mia. That comes to R2300."
I put the R400 on the counter. "This is all I have right now. Can I pay the rest in a few days?"
She looked at the notes, then at me. At the arm. Back at the notes.
"Three days," she said. "Make sure to bring R1900 by then."
"Thank you."
I walked to the hospital exit and stopped. The morning air sat heavy. I stood there looking out at the street, running through names, putting each one down before I finished the thought.
Then one stayed.
"Henry."
I went to his guild.
His office door was open. He was at his desk writing when he looked up, and before I could say a word he was already on his feet, moving toward me, scanning me like he was checking for what was missing.
"What happened to you?" His hands found my broken arm, careful. "Who did this?"
I didn't answer.
"Alec."
"Can you lend me R1900?" I went down on both knees before he could stop me. "I'll pay it back. Please."
Silence.
He looked at me for a long moment. Then he crouched down to my level.
"Kid. What's the money for?"
Nothing.
"I need a reason. R1900 isn't something I hand over without one."
I stared at the floor. "Please just give it to me."
"I won't."
My chest went flat. I got to my feet and turned for the door.
"Hey." His hand caught my shoulder. Firm. "What happened?"
The words came out barely held together.
"They assaulted her."
His hand dropped.
A long silence. I heard his teeth grind together.
"Take me to her." He was already moving. "I want to see how she's doing."
He stopped at the door. "Isaac. You're in charge."
From somewhere down the hall came a sharp "Yes sir!" followed by the sound of someone moving fast.
We walked. Henry stayed close on my left side.
"Alec." His voice was quieter now. "Are you okay?"
I paused.
"I don't know."
He nodded once. We kept walking. Then, without a word, he reached over and rubbed the top of my head. Gentle.
"It's going to be fine." His voice low. Soft. "I'm here."
I looked at him. My exhale shook on the way out.
"Thank you."