I am Sam
Chapter Thirty

SASHA

I’m entirely shattered; my insides feel like they’re on fire, and I know it’s from Atlas’s gutwrenching pain; I’m doing all that I can to try and alleviate his pain and suffering, to take some of it onto myself instead, but it hurts so badly.

I’ve tried and tried to heal him, but it’s not working, and all the while, the gigantic monstrous spiders keep screeching, clicking away, making this horrible noise as they stare down at us, but luckily they can’t get in. I don’t know what made Atlas think of bringing salt; I guess that’s the difference between being an elemental power all his life and me only learning about my abilities recently; I wouldn’t even think to bring something like that.

I’m holding his hand in mine, squeezing it tightly, but he hasn’t opened his eyes for the past twenty minutes, and his temperature is hitting spikes that have me whimpering like a baby in response; I can feel him slipping away, and there is nothing I can do but sit here and watch as my brother becomes consumed by the fever of the spider bite. Looking up at Asher through my tear-streaked eyes, I’m panting between gasps as more tears roll down my cheeks,

“Nothing’s working; why... why?!” I scream out at the heavens, my entire body tensing with another shock wave of pain flooding my veins from Atlas.

Asher looks completely helpless; there’s nothing he can do besides being cursed; he doesn’t possess my abilities, so all he can do is sit there and watch in horror as Atlas slips further and further into the darkness of his fever.

A spider suddenly screams, his beady eyes looking straight at me, the fact that he can’t step over the salt driving his nature into a sense of chaos; and out of pure desperation and helplessness, I suddenly jump up from beside Atlas, leaping over his still form as I come face to face with a towering monster. The built-up frustration suddenly has me bellowing out the loudest scream I’ve ever been able to form, coming from somewhere so deep below in my belly as I continue to allow my vocal cords to carry my guttural scream for a few seconds more until there’s absolutely nothing left.

I’m left panting heavily as my hands remain fisted by my side, glaring at the hideous creature before me as I focus all my energy on my powers. I can feel it begin to radiate from my veins, pushing itself up my arms, my eyes illuminated with sparks of blue fire as I suddenly extend my arms out towards the creature, screaming out again as the blue beams explode from my hands... but nothing... it hits the barrier of the salt ring. It fizzles into thin air, carrying absolutely no weight.

“FUCK!” I scream out in dismay, anger amd frustration crashing into me as I fall to my knees; I know my powers won’t work, extending it outward from this ring, just like nothing can get in, nothing can get out either, but it was still worth a shot. So my powers work, that much is clear, so why can’t I heal Atlas? What the hell is wrong with me that I can’t heal him?

I must sit like that for another five minutes, by which time quite a few spiders have disappeared from view. Asher gently comes to rest his hand against my shoulder when he speaks softly,

“Sasha, his fever is spiking again,” And I know what he means; I need to help Atlas alleviate some of his pain, but at this stage, what’s the point? My healing ability won’t work; we’re stuck here inside this ring of salt, a cursed Ultima, a witch who can’t even heal her brother, and all the while, we’re physically watching Atlas as the life drains from his body by the second.

“No one’s coming to help us, Asher,” I sniff, “By the time Aslan and the others get to us, it will be too late,” my entire body is aching with despair, the tears stinging my eyes as I wrap my arms around myself.

“Um, Sasha, I think we have another problem,” Asher’s voice suddenly turns gravely as he tightens his hold against my shoulder. Sniffing back more tears, I look up and over my shoulder, and the moment I do, my breath catches in my throat as I jump up on my feet.

“Wendigo.” That one word leaves my lips like a horrifying testament to what I remember experiencing in my dream not too long ago.

“They can’t get in, right?” Asher asks, turning his head in my direction; a contemplating look sketched across his concerned features,

“I- I don’t think so,” My voice is so tiny and unsure because I quite frankly don’t know how it works with Wendigo; besides what they did to me in my dream, I know nothing about them.

I'm frozen on the spot.

There must be about twenty no- twenty-five of them coming closer, and the panic of my nightmare is suddenly coming to life. I don’t know how much more I can take right now with everything going on, but I surprise myself; instead of cowering away from these moose head monsters who tower over me like I’m nothing but a mere toddler to a giant, I grab for my sword on the ground and step up to the inner ring of salt separating me from the Wendigo. I do my best to steady my fear as I glare at them. My heart is thrumming in my chest like a hummingbird, and my body is shaking so chaotically on the inside that I’m surprised I can even hold the handle steady to this blade.

My eyes widen in horror as the Unseelie creature before me keeps creeping closer; he’s human size compared to the other Wendigo flanking him; I’m about to wield my sword at him, the blue of my eyes shimmering bright blue, if I’m going down, I’m not going without a fight.

When the creature suddenly lifts his charred black hands to his gigantic head and starts pulling at it, I’m horrified. Is he about to pull his head right off?

I’m still staring at him, unable to look away the moment it finally pops off, and I swear I’m going to faint as everything begins to feel hazy; it’s then that I’m suddenly blinking back in shock, my brows furrowing in response. His face is covered in blood, but I would recognize that wicked grin anywhere.

“Hey, little one, miss me?”

Gasping in short pants as tears suddenly sting my eyes, without even thinking twice, I drop my sword to the ground as I rush towards him before leaping into his open arms and allowing them to engulf me in the warmth of the friendship I’ve missed so much; sobs are escaping my heaving chest as I bury my face against him, like staying this way will somehow make all the darkness disappear because it’s him.

I’ve never been so happy to see anyone in all my life as I am right now, “Caleb, thank goddess, it’s you,” I whimper, my body shaking as more tears begin to fall, only soaking his black cloak in the front, but he doesn’t seem to mind; he squeezes me tightly as he gently ‘shushes,’ against my ear,

“I’m here, shh, it’s okay, I’ll make all the big bad monsters go away,” And in any other situation, I would give him the meanest eye roll right now, but not now. Caleb is the only one I truly believe when he says he can make the monsters go away; I trust every word that comes from his lips as a true confession, no bullshit.

Slowly pulling my face back to look up at him, I’m sniffing back more tears when I notice real Wendigo behind him, my entire body tenses as I push myself up against him,

“Don’t worry, they’re with me,” He purrs beside my ear, and I believe him, without question, it sounds insane, but I believe him.

I’m furrowing my brows in shock and confusion as I stare at the Wendigo, though, because I still haven’t forgotten my dream, or should I say my nightmare, which had them in it. I can only stare at Caleb like I’m trying to understand precisely why the Wendigo would be on his side all of a sudden; where did Caleb go? What happened from the moment that he left until now? But Caleb’s sole focus suddenly shifts elsewhere when he narrows his eyes on the spiders closing in from the side again; I thought they moved on; there were only like five left before Caleb arrived, but it seems they didn’t grow tired of us after all.

Caleb’s voice comes out incredibly low, dark and threatening when he addresses the Wendigo beside him; it even has a shudder running down my spine in response,

“Find the nest and rip it open; we need to kill the queen.” I’m looking up at him in confusion,

“Queen?” Nodding once his jaw is taught,

“There’s a nest nearby; that’s why they won’t leave you alone,” And the Wendigo all grunt in response to Caleb’s command as they begin to move in the direction of the spiders, and all I can do is stand there completely dumbfounded.

“So they work for you now?” My voice comes through raspy and small, it’s almost too strange to fathom that Caleb and the Wendigo would be working together, but then again, should I be surprised by Caleb’s true nature? Probably not.

He shrugs once as he smirks, the darkness in his eyes lighting up with something so raw and otherworldly that it takes my breath away when I look into them. He’s not the same darkness he was before he left; he’s... more.

He gently runs his hand across the side of my jaw, eliciting an instant shudder when he murmurs,

“Yeah, I guess so. I killed their leader, and they needed a new one.” Turning his head to look down at the Wendigo head lying beside him, I’m suddenly looking down at it too, grimacing as the horrific stench hits my nose.

“You wore his head?” The question comes out completely horrified, which only has a low chuckle reverberating through his chest,

“A fitting camouflage, don’t you think?” But I have to hold back from gagging, because yes, it is, but still,

“That’s super gross,” I retort, shaking my head at him; within the next second, a sharp pain so fierce shoots through my abdomen, almost knocking me to my knees.

“Urgh!” The sound exploding from me has my legs buckling, but Caleb steadies me. My eyes fly up to him in raw panic, “Atlas, the spider,” Another gutwrenching pain has me crying out in pain, and Caleb instantly has me up, cradled in his arms as he enters the salt ring, lowering me down beside my brother.

Kneeling beside him, Caleb gently takes Atlas’s hand in his, his jaw tightening as his brows furrow in concern,

“Where was he bitten?”

I quickly lift Atlas’s shirt to show him the bite against his stomach, and Caleb groans as he grinds his teeth in dread,

“You know if you get bitten by one of those spiders, you can die, right?” He asks me, raising a narrowed brow. Nodding, I gulp down hard as I take Atlas’s hand in mine,

“It’s all my fault; he shouldn’t even be here; this is my fight, not his,” I’m sniffing as tears begin stinging my eyes again. I can’t lose my brother; a vision of Don dying before my eyes suddenly has me gasping, an impending panic attack imminent as I look up at Caleb,

“Please, help him; he can’t die; please, Caleb, please,” I’m pleading, my bottom lip quivering as I wipe away more tears, and Caleb suddenly grips my shaking hand and holds it tight,

“I don’t plan on letting him die; he’s the only brother I have left.” He mumbles, and it’s then that I realize as I look up at Caleb that the friendship between him and Atlas goes so much deeper; he sees Atlas as his brother, and my heart constricts with so much emotion at that moment.

Looking up at Asher, Caleb’s eyes soften slightly,

“Asher, could you go over to the small stream and bring me some toad slime and pond weed, please.” Nodding, Asher gives Caleb a stiff nod and steps out of the salt ring as he hurries away, and it doesn’t go unnoticed how Caleb just asked Asher with a could you, and please, that’s not something that ever happens, well, not as far as I know when it comes to Caleb.

I’m suddenly watching as Caleb grabs a knife from his back pocket; clenching his jaw, he grumbles,

“If you need to look away, then do it now,” my brows furrow in response when he suddenly slices into the massive blister on Atlas’s stomach, having Atlas cry out in pain in his unconscious state. Grabbing for my stomach, my hand instantly cups my mouth, my gag reflex immediately kicks in,

“I think I’m going to be sick,” I mumble, and I suddenly feel it is coming before I finally vomit; the moment thick yellow, bloody puss starts oozing from the wound and everything’s spinning, I’m grabbing for my head, groaning as I watch it happen. I’m just breathing, trying to get through this.

Only once Caleb cleans out the wound thoroughly does he look up at me; I’m still pretty green around the gills as I continue to look down at Atlas, who’s still out. Caleb gives me a slight smirk as he shakes his head,

“You can heal him now; it should work; all the venom has been removed.” Nodding, a slight 'Thank you.' escapes my lips.

Looking down at Atlas, my hands come to rest against his chest, blue swirls immediately swirling from my eyes, and a loud gasp escapes Atlas’s throat as he instantly opens his eyes and coughs while looking up at me,

“You did it; you saved me,” He rasps, and I shake my head at him as I swallow hard,

“No, I didn’t save you; Caleb did.”