Wren POV
Every inch of my body is covered in sweat, my muscles are aching, and I am cussing Charlie under my breath. The sun of the Immortal Realm seems hotter than the Human Realm, or maybe I am just out of shape. I can't seem to catch my breath.
My back his the mat again, and pain shoots through my spine. Charlie is smiling down at me. He hasn't even broken a sweat. "You are enjoying this too much."
We have an audience, and every time he pins me to the ground, I hear them chuckle. No one thinks I can do this. No one thinks I am strong enough, and it is beginning to piss me off.
He leans in and whispers in my ear. "As much as I like you on your back. You need to focus. Again."
He lets me up, and I struggle to get to my feet. Stars are beginning to fill my vision. Without Jasmine to lend me some of her strength, I am weak. Nausea is building in my stomach. I'm done for the day, and I don't care what Charlie says. Turning my back on him, I head to the edge of the mat. I am almost there when my legs are swept out from under me, and I fall face first. Painfully, I roll onto my back.
"Rule number one," Charlie laughs. "Never turn your back on your enemy."
"I'm done," I whimper. "I can't take anymore."
Charlie's gaze softens. "Selene won't care if you are tired."
I look to my brother for help, but Edward doesn't seem eager to step in. I starfish on the mat and refuse to get up. Charlie grabs my ankle and drags me back to the center. "Get up."
"No," I respond. "I'm done."
"Wren," Charlie groans, but I close my eyes, pretending like I am anywhere but here. Charlie still has a hold of my ankle, but I don't care. He can't make me fight.
"What the fuck is going on?" Macy shouts.
I open a single eye and look in her direction. Her arms are crossed over her chest, and the lights in the arena are beginning to flicker. She's pissed. Good, someone should be.
Edward is dramatically trying to explain something, but it is only making her massive black wings twitch angrily behind her. He turns to point at me, and she smacks him on the back of his head. Then she turns her heated gaze onto Charlie.
Charlie immediately drops my foot, and it falls heavily to the ground. Macy crosses the mat, and he shrinks away. Kneeling down beside me, Macy wipes her hand across my face.
"You are burning up," she whispers.
"I am just tired," I moan.
"What does your wolf tell you?" She asks. "Can you keep going?"
I turn my gaze back to the sky. "Jasmine isn't with me. Selene took her."
"You are human?" She shrieks.
Her hands tilt my head from side to side. "What are you doing?" I smack her hands away.
"Charlie hasn't marked you." She is breathless. There is panic behind her eyes. "Have you marked Destin?"
My eyebrows wrinkle. "No."
She pulls me to my feet. "You have to leave."
"What?" I mutter, stumbling behind her.
"The magic of the Immortal Realm is poisoning you," she grunts. "You have to go."
"I have been here before," I whine as she pulls me out of the arena.
"Yes," she snaps. "As a werewolf. Which you are no longer. Charlie hasn't marked you. There is no magic within you."
"Wait, Charlie and Destin," I beg.
"There is no time," Macy shouts. "You have to get out of the Immortal Realm now. The infection will spread. I am sure they will catch up."
"I feel fine," I protest. "Charlie just worked me too hard on the mat."
Macy doesn't answer me. She just keeps pulling me in the direction of the portal. I am struggling to keep up. The stars that filled my vision in the arena haven't subsided, and my head is beginning to pound. My feet are catching on the forest floor, and if it weren't for Macy, I would have fallen by now.
"Stop," Charlie shouts from behind us. "What is going on?"
"She is human, you idiot," Macy growls. "She can't survive here. Not without your mark."
"Then I will mark her," Charlie retorts. "Simple."
We have stopped running. The glow of the portal is in front of me. I stumble forward. The air in the Immortal Realm feels too thick. If I can just get to the portal, I will be able to breathe easily.
I can hear Macy and Charlie arguing behind me, but I can't make out what they are saying. All I can think about is getting into the Human Realm. Maybe Macy is right. The Immortal Realm is making me sick.
The portal is within my reach. I can feel the fresh air of the Human Realm. My hand reaches for the glistening shield that separates the realms. My fingers push through the barrier, and something pulls me through.
I am yanked back into the Human Realm, and air enters my lungs. The fog clears in my brain, and the stars leave my vision. I spin to look for Charlie, but the portal is gone.
"Charlie," I shout. "Macy."
There is no response. I reach for where the portal was, but there is nothing there. Not even the little piece that Macy keeps open to allow the flow of time to be the same. My eyes dart around the forest, looking for the person who pulled me back into the Human Realm, but it is empty.
"Shit," I mutter under my breath. "What am I supposed to do now?"
Leaves shuffle to my left and catch my attention. Mom and Dad come through the trees. "Wren," she cries. "I thought…"
She embraces me tightly and cries into my shoulder. I pat her back awkwardly. I don't understand what is going on. "What did you think?"
"I had a vision," she whimpers. "You were sick and dying."
"Oh," I answer, glancing back at the portal. "There is a lot to discuss."
Mom looks around me. "Where are Charlie and Destin?"
My jaw clenches tightly. "In the Immortal Realm, and the portal is gone."
"What do you mean gone?" Dad snaps.
"I don't know," I continue. "One minute I was gasping for air, reaching for the portal, the next I was pulled through. When I turned to look for Charlie, it was gone."
Dad lifts his nose to the air and sniffs. "Where is your wolf?"
I shrug my shoulders. "Like I said. There is a lot to discuss."