The Amulets (An 'Amulets of Andarrin' tale) by Michael Alexander Card-Mina Read Free Book Online Page B

them that Aaron was ok. He didn’t know how but considering she saved their lives he was willing to trust her.
    The air was cold. It looked as though smoke was shooting from their mouths at every breath. Although the rain had stopped and the wind was nothing more than a whimper, Jack felt cold. He felt his heart rate beat faster than it had when he was running. He stopped and leant on a tree to try and catch his breath. Lily turned to find out the reason for the delay.
    “What’s the matter” she said softly.
    Jack felt bad. His stomach was in his chest. Everything was spinning and to top it off he couldn’t force out a full breath. “I don’t…I don’t know it’s…” Jack clutched his arm as he fell to his knees.
    “Jack” Frankie said coming to a stop with Helena.
    “What’s wrong with him?” Lily cried.
    Helena rushed to Jacks side. Searching for the source of his pain she soon found the wound on his arm and shoulder where he’d been struck earlier. “We need to hurry” she said, a look of real concern on her face.
    “What’s wrong with him?” Lily cried again
    “He’s been struck by a banshee. The poison is spreading and if we don’t get him help he’ll die. So come on. And hurry” her tone was a lot more urgent now.
    The girls helped Jack up; Lily on one side and Frankie on the other. Jacks eyes were blurring and his body was shaking. Sweat poured from his body.
    “This way, Come on” Helena said changing direction in the woods.
    Within minutes they were back on the road and rushing uphill. Jack looked up and saw two figures knelt next to a body before his head dropped back down. He had no control over himself. All he could feel was sickness. Suddenly his veins began to pulse.
    “Helena?” Lily screamed.
    Helena took one look and hurried them forward.
    “Come on there’s no time”.
    Half a minute later Jack felt himself hit the floor. Bodies were bent over him but whose he did not know, his eyes could barely stay open and the pain in his body was excruciating. All he could hear was voices.
    “He’s been infected” he heard one saying.
    “Give me the vial” a man’s voice said.
    “Help him!” he heard Lily cry.
    “Aaron?” Frankie said kneeling down next to Aaron.
    All he could hear after that was muffled voices as everything became numb. The world seemed to be spinning out of control and he was in the center of it. He felt a sudden burn in his arm but couldn’t control the pain. Everything after that was a blur for Jack. Every now and then his eyes flickered open to see passing trees, leaves and clouds. Soon after, he fell unconscious.

Chapter six
Unexpected Truths
     
    Jack awoke to the warmth and comfort of a soft bed. He twisted and groaned as his eyes came to life. A sudden feeling of relief swept over him as he mentally filed his recent memories as a vivid and distressing nightmare. Sitting up, he was thinking about breakfast when he looked down to see he was wearing plain black pajamas, pajamas which he didn’t own and hadn’t seen before. Feeling confused he looked around the room. It was a sparsely furnished room; pushed against a wall at the end of the bed was a pine wardrobe, beside hung a painting of a woman and a man. Staring at the painting, Jack thought she looked in her thirties and she was stunningly beautiful with long brown hair and there was something about her face, a kindness to it. Looking at the woman’s face in the picture, Jack couldn’t help but feel he’d seen her before but he couldn’t place her face. Next to her stood a man; Jack could not remember seeing either of these people in his life; even though the female looked familiar he definitely didn’t know them. Who were they? 
    A wooden chair was placed next to the bed in front of a pine table on which sat a small bowl half full of clear water, a face cloth soaking in it. As Jack looked past the table to the closed door he felt a sudden pain in his arm. Groaning, he slowly took the pajama