Charlie slides into the kitchen, clutching his bullet wound. He grabs onto the counters, trying to find something to help stop the blood. The healing spells he tries are no good. He vomits into the sink and then falls onto the floor. He realizes that there are tears running down the cheeks. He hears a familiar voice shriek, “Holy shit!” somewhere beyond his blurred vision.

“Meaghan?” Charlie tries to shout, but it comes out more as a gurgle. He sees Meaghan run through the door.

“Oh, Charlie,” she says, hurrying over to him. “What happened?”

“I’m dying,” he says, the panic turning into disbelief. “After all of this, I’m dying.”

“No, no, no, Charlie,” she cooes. She helps him up and after throwing everything onto the floor, she helps lie him down on the table. “You’re okay, Charlie. I promise, you’ll be okay.”

“I’m not,” he says.

She pushes back his hair and kisses his forehead. “I promise with all of my heart that you’ll be okay.”

“Just close your eyes,” Meaghan says, peeling Charlie’s shirt off of him.

He hears her give a little hiss and she leaves him. His eyes fly open. She’s over at the sink, filling up a bowl with hot water.

“What are you doing?” he asks, scared.

“I’m just getting water to clean you up, Charlie, don’t worry.”

When she comes back she cleans the blood off of his stomach. She mumbles to herself in French as she works and Charlie realizes that the pain is lessening. He barely feels it when she stitches him up.

“You’re all set,” she says finally.

When Charlie opens his eyes, Meaghan leans over him. He tucks her stringy hair behind her ears and sits up.

“Charlie…” she mumbles, turning her lips into his hand.

“Don’t tell Josh,” he says and pulls her lips to his.

It all falls apart very quickly. Meaghan is clutching onto his arms, squeezing his shoulders. He keeps one hand resting on her cheek and he lets the other wind around her waist to pull her closer. Meaghan’s hands move up to his face, holding it, running her fingers through his hair. Charlie finds himself untucking Meaghan’s shirt and running his hands over her skin. She’s soft and warm and holding on so tight.

There’s a noise in the hall and Meaghan jumps away from him. Charlie wipes his forehead and opens his mouth to say something.

“Dude,” Jacoby says coming into the kitchen. “There’s a dead guy out—did I interrupt something?”

“No,” Meaghan says quickly. She starts cleaning up the table. “Charlie was shot.”

“Is this your blood, man?”

“Yeah,” Charlie says, getting down off the table. He stumbles and Jacoby catches him, putting Charlie’s arm around his shoulders.

“Can you help him into bed, Jacoby?” Meaghan asks. “I have to go see how Josh is.”

Jacoby nods, “He’s good. With Faye, I think. Only 20 died on our side.”

“Did Latour’s men retreat?” Charlie asks.

“Yeah. A few minutes ago. There’s still a little bit of fighting going on, but it’s basically over. I think Alcide’s already started sending people out to gather the dead and clean up.”

Meaghan nods and squeezes Charlie’s arm, though she doesn’t look him in the eyes, “I’ll see you guys later.” Jacoby helps Charlie out of the kitchen and up the steps to his room.

“So,” Jacoby says. “Sorry about the whole getting shot thing.”

Charlie tries to shrug, but it hurts. “I’ve had worse.”

Jacoby chuckles, but he stops and turns serious, “Man, I think you’re really cool, you know, and I guess what you do is none of my business, but Faye is my friend, too, and I don’t want you to not be nice to her.”

“I’m nice to her.”

“You know what I mean. It’s just that she’s my friend, too. And if I was worried about you then I’d tell her.”

“I know,” Charlie says. “But you’re right, it isn’t your business.”

“Sorry, man,” Jacoby says. “I just want everything to be cool.”

“It’s fine. I mean, it’s not fine because everything’s shit, but the shit that you’re worried about is fine.”

This excerpt is from the fifth book of Ingle’s young adult series, “The Travelers.” Charlie and his friends have to travel between worlds and save them from the malevolent Latour, who is bent on taking everything over. Each book takes place in a different world.