Even with me having to limp/drag my foot behind me, the only squirrel fast enough to keep up with me is the big one with the gem. It's dashing through the underbrush, leaping off trees, doing parkour to keep up with me.

It reminds me of the mouse from Narnia.

Now is not the time for an obscure reference, Raven.

I keep running, even though it's gaining on me.

I have to believe my friends can take care of themselves. I have to hope that the rest of the squirrels are following me. Which is not a thing I ever thought I would hope for.

My foot catches on a tree root just as something slams into me from behind. I go spilling onto the forest floor.

I roll through the snow and slam into a tree. A groan rolls out of me like thunder.

I wish Izzy were here, not for the first time.

Or any of them, really. I would even take a sharp comment from Alex about how bad I am at fighting right now.

I lift my head and lock eyes with the evil creature bearing down on me.

It hisses.

My eyes snap down to the gem around its throat. I know what Ava said, alright? I know this is possibly the worst idea I've ever had. But either this thing got the gem because it's different than the others, or it's different than the others because of the gem.

Either way, the gem seems to be important to the evil, rabid squirrels that want to rip my face off.

My hand darts out and wraps around the gemstone.

It barely fits in my hand. It's uncut, and some of the sharp edges slice my hands. It's heavy. I'm not sure how the squirrel ran so easily with it.

For a moment, a pain ripples through me like I'm being held underwater. As if all the air is sucked out of me. As if I am becoming air and becoming nothing, all at the same time. It's like I never existed in the first place, or exist in every place all at once.

The squirrel hisses as it slices its claws at my hand, trying to grab the gem.

I throw the gem and an unnatural noise erupts from the squirrel. As if I've hit it with a car.

It wails and dashes after the gemstone.

The gem rolls through the snow and comes to a precarious stop at the top of a hill.

More squirrels arrive, hissing and snarling in a rhythm, as if they're speaking.

The large squirrel hesitates as it nears the gem. It turns on me and its eyes hold too much understanding.

It knows me too well.

I can see the gears turn as it weighs the result of losing the gem vs losing me.

And it decides I'm worth more than the gem.

It dashes back to me and slams into my chest, pinning me into the tree behind me.

My breath wheezes out of me.

The other squirrels follow their leader, crawling up my body and ripping at my clothes.

It's like they're trying to tear me open. As if they think they'll get some prize if they can remove all my skin.

I scream and thrash, but the big squirrel keeps me pinned.

It's all I can do to throw the squirrels away for a tiny reprieve before they come dashing back.

"HEY!"

The squirrels freeze.

The big squirrel pulls away from me and I look to where the gem had lain.

Ava holds it in her hand, above her head. It glows, and Ava's eyes glow. She has her free hand to her head. She's wincing and I know she's feeling what I felt.

Untethered. Non-existence. Pain and nothingness all at once.

"Ava," I croak. "Drop it!"

Her chest heaves. She stumbles back. She grits her teeth and tightens her grip on the gem.

It seems to crack, sending beams of light through the forest.

The squirrel wails and leaves me.

Ava screams into her clenched teeth.

The other squirrels follow their leader, leaving me.

I struggle to my feet, bleeding from their attacks. I stagger and have to grab a tree to hold myself up.

Ava's body flickers, like she's standing in two places at once.

I'd only held the gem for a few seconds.

What would happen to her if she didn't let go?

More importantly, what would happen to her if she shattered it in her hand?

More cracks appear along the surface and the squirrel screeches louder.

Even more squirrels, some I suspect aren't even from Ebony, pour out of the trees. They advance towards Ava, pushing her further towards the hill's edge.

I could run.

Ava's giving me that chance.

I could run, like she wanted me to. I could get away from these creatures. From one of my worst fears.

I could escape.

I push off the tree I'm leaning on and look to my right, where freedom lies. It would be so easy. Even with my injuries, the adrenaline would carry me through until I'm safe.

Blood drips from Ava's mouth, and ears, and nose. Her body flickers again, as if I'm watching her in a movie on a scratched DVD.

She pants. She chokes out gasps of air.

She's going to die if she doesn't put the gem down now.

I set my jaw.

What would my mother say?

What does the redhead matter? She's nothing compared to me. I am superior. I am better than all of them. None of them matter to me.

I release the hold on my emotions and a sob escapes me.

I throw myself into the horde of squirrels with a scream.

My body collides with Ava's.

I pull her head down into my shoulder as she falls backwards, over the hill.

We hit the ground and I curl around Ava as much as possible as we roll and hit an iced over river at the bottom.

The ice will hold as long as we don't move.

I lift my head, slowly.

The squirrels encircle the gem, which Ava dropped while we were rolling.

I watch as a few of the squirrels try to touch the gem and poof out of existence. As if they never existed.

As if they became air. Became nothing.

The big squirrel snarls and lumbers past the others. It grabs the gem with ease, running its claws over the cracks Ava made. It pulls it back onto its throat and turns to me.

The other squirrels turn too, snarling.

I pull Ava into my chest as they advance towards us. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you don't like the cold."

I slam my fist through the ice and it shatters under us.

We plunge into the water and instantly my joints lock up.

I try not to inhale as the current yanks us under the ice. I pull Ava down and plunge my hand into the river bed. Something slices my hand, but I manage to get ahold of something thick and sturdy on the bottom.

I look up.

Through the rippling waves and thick ice, I see the big squirrel's face looming above us.

Its snarl reverberates through the water, into my bones.

My heart stutters and threatens to stop.

Then, it's gone. As if it was never there in the first place.

The pattering of hundreds of squirrel paws on the earth thunder above us.

Then, there's silence.

I get my feet against the riverbed and launch off it, towards the surface.

I break the surface, then nearly go under when I yank Ava's head above.

"Raven!" Charlie is there. He tries to grab me, but I force Ava into his hands. He hoists her out and lays her out on the river bank.

I pull myself out and scramble to her.

"You're bleeding," Charlie warns.

I pull Ava onto her side and slam my hand into her back.

Water spills from her mouth, but she doesn't open her eyes.

"No," I rasp, "no, no, no! Why isn't she opening her eyes!? Charlie, do something!"

"What do you want me to do!?"

"I-I don't know! Help her!"

He puts a hand over her head, then yanks away. His eyes snap to mine.

"What?" I rasp, scrambling for him and grabbing his shirt. I shake him. "What's wrong!?"

He grabs my wrist and flinches. "Did she touch the gem?"

I gulp and it feels like I'm trying to swallow sandpaper. "What was it?"

He looks down. "I can't be sure. But it did something to her. It's like her cells are coming undone. Raven... I don't know if Ebony's magic is powerful enough to stop this."

I slam my hands into his chest. "You take that back! You son of a bitch! Don't you dare say that!" I hit him again. "Fix her! I don't care what it takes! I don't care what you have to do!"

Charlie shakes his head. "Raven, there's nothing I can do."

"Take her to Ebony."

"It may be hopeless," he whispers. "She's already gone."

I slap him.

He yells and grabs his cheek, eyes flaring wide. "Raven!"

"She is not gone," I snarl. "You will take her to Ebony and you will not stop until she is better. I don't care what it takes. I don't care what you have to do. What I have to do. She is not dying. I am not losing her. Do I make myself clear!?"

"Raven," he rasps.

"Do I make myself clear!?" I shout.

He closes his eyes and a tear drips down his cheek. He gives a curt nod. "Crystal."

"Take her. Now. Get her to Rae. Get her to a healer. Get her somewhere. Fix her."

He pulls Ava close to his chest. He sucks on his lips as he gathers her in his arms. "I vowed," he whispers. "I'll do what I can for her. Even if it kills me."

Something snaps in me.

I almost reach for him. Almost tell him to stop. Come back. That's not what I meant. I'll die for her, if that's what it takes. But not him. Not anyone else. Saving her can't mean losing someone else.

But when I reach for him, he's already gone.