Free Eternity Crux by Jamie Canosa Page A

used as currency for the past five years or so, and those irritating expiration dates on credit cards kept you on a pretty short leash. Unfortunately, greenbacks aren’t exactly a replenishable supply when you’re constantly on the move. The best room we could afford was at a place called Hello Inn, but the O had burnt out. At least it didn’t encourage high expectations because they would have fallen sadly short.
    Patches of carpet were so worn that the floor showed through in spots. There was something growing in the sink, and I’d probably have nightmares about some of the things that had likely taken place on that bed. But my spinning head didn’t care about any of that. It saw a way off my dragging feet and took it.
    I collapsed onto the springy mattress without a second thought. The lightheaded, floaty feeling that’d been plaguing me for a couple days was reaching epic proportions. It felt like my entire body was floating in space and might come apart, drifting in different directions with the slightest force.
    “Aura? Are you alright?”
    A warm hand settled on my back and I groaned. Don’t touch me. I might break. “I’m fine.”
    Curling my spine, I dislodged Sayer’s touch and pulled my knees into my chest in an attempt to hold myself together.
    “No, you’re not. Auralia, what’s the matter?”
    “Nothing. I’m tired.” That’s all it was. A brutal case of exhaustion. I’d get some sleep and be just fine.
    “It’s more than that. There’s something wrong with you. You’re . . . vibrating.”
    Vibrating? That probably wasn’t a good sign.
    “Talk to me, Aura.”
    I wanted to tell him he was overreacting, but I didn’t possess the mental fortitude to butt heads if he decided he wanted to spar. My stomach flipped and shuddered, demanding I make a mad dash to the closest bathroom. The rest of me laughed at that notion and I rolled sloppily off the mattress, instead.
    “Where are you going?”
    If I opened my mouth to answer him, I’d have puked right there on the rug, so there wasn’t much I could do about him trailing me into the bathroom and witnessing my fantastic upchucking spectacle.
    “Can a girl get some privacy?” I ran the back of my hand across my mouth and felt my stomach heave. Not again . “Get out of here, Sayer.”
    “Not going to happen.” For my partner going on three years, he had a serious listening problem.
    Positioning himself on the edge of the stained tub, he gathered my hair from my face and held it trapped at the nape of my neck. I would have argued, but my mouth was busy vomiting up my spleen. It felt like my organs were crumbling inside of me and being expelled into the pea green toilet. Not exactly the blaze of glory I imagined I’d go out in, but my throat was certainly on fire.
    I may have dozed off after a while, or maybe spaced out. My head was beginning to feel as light and floaty as my insides. Certainly, there was nothing left in there. I was a hollow vessel.
    Hands so warm they burnt my flesh rolled me over. When did I end up on the bathroom floor? And a cool, damp cloth dabbed at my face.
    “You’re cold as ice.”
    I flinched away from the scorching hand on my forehead.
    “Come on. We need to get you to bed. Can you stand?”
    Of course I could stand. What did he think I was? Lifting my head made the whole room spin, and my arm flopped beside me like a fish out of water as I tried to push up to sitting. Hmm . . . maybe, not so much.
    “Say—” My voice cracked on the raw pain speaking caused.
    “Shh. It’s okay. I’ve got you. Hang on, Aura, I’ve got you.”
    I lost my bearings as the solid support of the floor was removed from my back. If it hadn’t been for the two strong arms holding me tight, I may have evaporated into thin air. It didn’t matter if that was possible or not. It’s how I felt. And it was not a good feeling. It was terrifying.
    “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” A thin, scratchy blanket was pulled over me and