THE FOURTH DAY: Chapter XV

"Calix!" My scream was full of panic and I struggled to free myself from Madeline's grip. "My brother is out there!"

Madeline released her grip at the same moment that I wrenched myself free and rushed at him to grab my brother. But my brother was two, and life was a joke, and this was a game of tag... it would seem.

Calix fled my pursuit, clutching his toy and giggling among the shrieks of, "Don't take my teddy!"

The cloud was coming closer: just a few miles away, now, and crossing distance fast. Even if I could grab my brother, there was no way I could drag him into safety fast enough to shield the two of us. Echo shouted my name, and I saw Madeline gripping the back of my friend's collar: keeping her back. She was a good person. She would protect Echo and Calix if anything happened to me.

There was a choice.

It was my brother's life, or mine.

That was no choice.

I didn't think twice in my decision. I rushed forward, allowing the adrenaline in my veins to power me. I felt myself come in contact with the smaller body of my little brother and held him to the ground, casting myself over him.

I felt the cloud rush over us, wind whistling in my ears, and I clutched my brother's face to my chest to block out the gases from entering his sinuses. It smelled slightly of almonds: definitely Cyanide-like, but mixed with something else. I couldn't place my finger on it. Possibly enhanced Polonium.

The cloud blew on past across the river, disappearing shortly thereafter over the treetops. The scent of the air cleared and I breathed in deeply, feeling myself growing weaker by the moment.

So this was how my parents felt. How my sister felt.

The helplessness was almost worse than the death that I knew was coming. I released my brother and collapsed back onto the ground, face pressed to my hand as I dragged in one gulp of oxygen after another.

I quickly raised my head and looked my brother over, making sure he was alright. But his skin was clear with no blisters or other signs of the infection.

I had succeeded... at the sacrifice of my own life.

I felt Echo gently pull Calix away from me while Madeline's fingers moved over my face and arms. She seemed to be only partly there as she gently unbuttoned the back of my dress and checked my body. Then, vacantly, she re-fastened my dress, stood up, and walked away toward Echo and Calix.

"You're fine," she called back to me. She shot Echo an unreadable expression.

"Fine?" I questioned loudly, annoyed, "I just inhaled a ton of the gas that killed almost my entire family. I literally feel my body shutting down! Every single breath I take in is less oxygen! I'm obviously dying! How is it even remotely possible that I am fine?"

"You're not dying, Nova. You're a Drama Queen, and you're fine."

Madeline barely glanced over her shoulder as she spoke. She muttered something to Echo who shook her head profusely and walked away as though there were nothing more to discuss.

I wanted answers!

Calix struggled free of Echo's arms. I saw his childish innocence shining through his face as he ran back over to me, pressing himself into my chest as soon as he possibly could. I felt strength return to me as I held him, hugging him closer every minute, and I finally believed what Madeline had told me.

I was fine... somehow...

But how?

Calix was wriggling in my arms, and I placed a careful kiss on his brow, finally getting to my feet. I sucked in another deep breath, just to make sure I could, and then I carried him over the the horses and passed him up to Madeline who was already waiting on Artemis. His hand lingered in my own a minute longer as I thanked whatever was out there watching over us that he was still alive.

How was I not infected?

Echo was waiting for me on Inca, both of my companions seemingly in agreement that they would not speak of what had just happened. They would not answer my questions. And they would not tell me what was going on.

We rode across the river and continued on toward Canada. Calix was singing to himself, Madeline smiling softly down at him, but other than that, we were silent. The seconds passed in my head, each minute growing my irritation more and more.

Madeline pulled Artemis to a halt and Echo followed a moment later, signalling for me to keep quiet. Madeline looked around, seemingly waiting, and then she stretched out a hand into the sky, forming it into a fist. Another minute passed, and then a small white dove landed on it.

It ruffled its feathers almost in greeting, promptly flattening back out again seconds later as Madeline lowered her fist and ran two fingers down the bird's head and neck. Her hand moved farther down, her wrist twisting elegantly as she freed a letter from the dove's leg.

Her fingers nimbly undid the seal and she unfolded it without a word. I saw her eyes rush over every word from the top of the page to the bottom. I noted the way her mouth quirked at the corners in a small smile towards the end. I saw her face flush, and then she was the exhausted person I'd met in the woods the day before.

She folded the letter once more and slipped it into her pocket, withdrawing instead a small notebook and a pen. I watched her scribble a few lines, swirling what appeared to be a signature at the bottom before she tore the page out and folded it four times.

And then Madeline attached the letter to the bird's foot and, thrusting her fist back into the air, released the bird again.

I had no idea what was going on, but I was sure of one thing.

I was sick and tired of being in the dark.