Chapter 53. Dying

Mae’s POV

Pain shoots through my arm, making me jolt awake. I sit up in the bed, and I am drenched in sweat. I look over at Kieran, and his eyes are glowing in the dark like a wild animal. He is watching me silently.

I open my mouth to speak to him, but no sounds come out. Tapping my throat, I try to let Kieran know that I am unable to talk.

Kieran rests his hand on my forehead and growls. “You are burning up.”

He grabs ahold of my arm and sniffs my wound. His nose wrinkles, and he fights back a gag. Kieran begins to pull on the gauze, unwrapping it from my arm. As he does, the smell of rotting flesh fills the room.

Kieran flicks on the light, and I try not to look down at my arm. Eventually, my curiosity gets the better of me. I glaze down at my arm and gasp. My fingers are swollen and beginning to lose color. The blood circulation to my hand is failing.

I try to flex my fingers, but I am unable to move them. My eyes dart to Kieran’s, and