down at the end of lonely street

It was a risk either way- whether they stayed or they continued on. They would just have to weigh their options, although Marcus had a good feeling that they were still ahead. Right now, it would depend upon her and her comfort level.

Marcus didn't smile, but his eyes squinted in a small bit of amusement at seeing Eddie's reaction to the deafening spell. Isolde was real truthful then, but he didn't like this situation either way. His mind was reeling for what to do, what the best course of action would be. What he didn't want was for them to have to stay in this rundown motel any longer, and he worried that it would be difficult for him to even get back in the track after the spell.

He was almost grinding his teeth, shifting his attention back to her face. She was leaving this up to him, whatever he thought best, and it certainly wasn't this hellhole or any other motel. She and the boy needed to be as far away from that manor as possible. They needed to be safe.

Saying nothing at first, he took just a half step closer as he rose his hand towards her; silently asking for permission before he pressed two fingers beneath her jaw. He was seeking for her pulse, feeling to see if there was anything unusual or erratic, attempting to locate that very venom in her veins. Marcus could sense it faintly just beneath her skin, and there was this strange taste in his mouth. When his hand moved, traveling carefully and gently down that wounded arm to take her hand again, he was able to sense the severity and where.

"Three more hours," he spoke up. "We'll get as far as we can in that time, then find a place to hide and fix this, okay?" Dark eyes flickered between Sol and Eddie, and he retreated backwards again, letting her hand fall from his. "We should get going now."

Marcus didn't wait, he was already turning to prepare to leave, wanting to be on the road again as soon as possible.

The further they were from the manor, the easier it was to be himself, whether he realized it or not. What was strange about it was that he didn't know who he even was. Growing up within that coven had suppressed so many things, enough to make him feel so robotic and empty, being told he wasn't allowed to feel things like emotions towards anyone besides his own blood. Outside, he was only allowed to show loyalty like an obedient dog.

But here, with her, he was beginning to lose that training and mentality. Instead, he was falling into soft confusion. One thing remained and was certain, however- his devotion, only it wasn't for a man who couldn't care less about those he deemed inferior. It was for Isolde and her brother. They were all that mattered now. And perhaps, by saving them, the goddess would find him worthy of the afterlife for all the sins he had committed in the Thornton name, for all the blood that stained his hands.

As he had said, they only drove for roughly three more hours, grabbing some food and other essentials along the way. At times, Marcus pushed the speed limit just a little, if only to get them that much further ahead, and they managed to get over the border into New York, somewhere near Albany. He had been watching carefully, knowing they weren't being tracked, and that helped ease his worry somewhat before they ultimately pulled into a hotel this time.

It was a little nicer than the rundown motel they last stayed at, which was a good thing in case they had to stay around a little longer than anticipated. It would be nice to take a proper full day to relax, but they were still so close...and according to Sol, her sister was in Oregon. They still had a decent way to go.

Parking in an empty spot, he shut the truck off and turned to regard Isolde for more than just a few seconds. "You doing alright?" he asked. Marcus had refrained from asking the entire ride, only quickly glancing over to her every so often as if he was afraid she was going to go into some sort of cardiac shock.

Damn right he would have worried, and would have stopped that truck immediately if he knew. No, he should have known better already. It was taking too much of a risk waiting, so when he saw the struggle in her eyes and the gentle drawl of her words, he was already fearing the worst.

Marcus felt his heart completely stop.

"Isolde?" Her name fled his lips before he was turning to face Eddie in the backseat. "Stay with her, alright? I'll be right back." When the boy nodded, shifting closer to inspect his sister, Marcus was leaving the truck to run towards the main entrance of the hotel to swiftly book a room.

Fortunately, they weren't busy, and he was rushing back out to the truck from a side door that he kept propped open with a stone nearby; grabbing some of their things from the bed and slung one bag onto his shoulder. The other was dropped to the ground before he swiftly helped Eddie down, carefully opening the passenger side door after.

"Grab that bag, okay?" he told the boy, trying to keep his voice even so as to not make him nervous, but Marcus assumed him rushing around like this was giving it away. Eddie was a smart kid. "Hey, hey, come on," he soothed, urging Sol out from the truck. He wasn't going to wait for her to find the strength, whether she had it or not to make it to the room; he was already lifting her up into his arms, gesturing for Eddie to shut the truck door.

Their room was up on the second floor, and he was a little winded carrying her through that side entrance and up the flight of stairs, but his pace didn't slow for even a second. "Room 236. Here," he said, signaling to Eddie the room card he still held between his fingers. The boy managed to get the door opened and the trio rushed in. "Lock the door and pull the curtains." Marcus was trying not to make it sound like he was barking orders, but even the kid knew this was a dire situation and did as he was asked.

Marcus settled Sol on one of the beds, flicking on the lamp on the nightstand. "Isolde?" he said her name again, trying to make sure she was still conscious. "I need you to talk, okay? Talk to me." His normally cool and quiet demeanor was beginning to crack as he tried to help her out of her jacket. When he started to roll up her sleeve, he was drawn to a pause to notice how far up that venom had traveled. He prayed he wasn't too late.

Drawing in a sharp breath, trying to push all the negative thoughts from his mind, he was nearly tearing the button from the cuff as he pulled up the sleeve of his own shirt, once more revealing that tattoo and the inky tendrils that still lingered beneath his skin. The venom still didn't pass the protection of the goddess, and he could only hope She would still find him worthy. Even if just this one last time.

Dark eyes flickered over to Eddie who was clearly worried, and Marcus tried to soften the worry from his face. "It's going to be alright." He hoped he wasn't lying to him. When his attention fell back to Isolde, his hand went to the side of her face gently. Maybe she would be too out of it to realize that it was shaking. "I need you to stay awake. Look at me, stay awake."

Marcus was normally calm and collected, but right now? Well, he was quickly beginning to panic, even if mostly inside. The truth of the matter was, he was terrified that they had waited too long. He was afraid he wasn't going to be strong enough to help her now, considering he hadn't been able to fully absorb the venom the first time around.

He only felt a little relieved when she began to talk, but it wasn't enough. She was so far along that he could tell it was a struggle for her to just keep her eyes open. It was also difficult to see Eddie so frightened, because Marcus didn't know what else he could say to make it better. All he could do was try. And try now.

The dark webs of black had traveled too far, and quicker than either of them had anticipated, but it had yet to reach her heart and that was what truly mattered right now.

'Did I do something wrong? You're upset.'

Chewing the inside of his cheek, he hesitated for a split second before answering, still struggling to keep his composure. "I need to fix this," he told her, and it wasn't everything he had wanted to say.

Gently grasping her injured arm, resting it flush across that tattoo, his free hand reached over to pick up her other and place it into Eddie's. He gripped the boy's shoulder then, looking at him. "Stay by her side and close your eyes. Envision that darkness leaving her, picture yourself forcing it out. Can you do that? I need your help." Eddie was a smart and strong kid, and any extra bit of magic could help. Marcus was ready to throw everything at this, even every single ounce of his own energy.

When his attention fell back to Isolde, a bit more of that concern began to crack through. His fingers were brushing some of her hair from the side of her face before filtering into the tresses at the nape of her neck. "This might hurt," he confessed to her, swallowing the hard lump in his throat. "Just stay with me."

Marcus drew in a slow, staggering breath before he began to murmur that chant from before, his eyes finally closing. He was calling out to his goddess, pleading and yet demanding to be judged, to be found worthy of her grace. He wasn't willing to stop nor willing to give up, feeling his heart beginning to race and pound wildly inside of his chest. There was this immense pressure upon his shoulders, a feeling of suffocation as the air in that hotel room was buzzing all around them, shrouding them within seconds.

At first, it was oppressive; he could feel it scratching along his exposed skin as he heard that voice inside of his head. It was questioning him, threatening him, and most of all, challenging him. Deep into that darkness of his mind, he could see the blurred image of the goddess, decked out in black and gold, her nails long and sharp and curling into her palm. Every time she flexed her fingers, it was like feeling deep razor cuts against his back. Marcus didn't know whether it was real or not, but he swore he could already feel the warmth of blood soaking through his shirt.

He was asking for a lot again without reason. So many people appealed to Sekhmet's strong, fierce side that they often forgot the other more compassionate one, and Marcus could tell it angered her. Yet, he needed that. He desperately needed her strength of healing to save this woman he realized he had loved from the moment he set eyes on her. She was everything right in his world of blackness and horror, she was the very epitome of strength even when her father had tried to push her down. She was a survivor, whether she believed it or not, and she gave him hope.

Isolde was worthy, and he poured every emotion into making the goddess understand it.

Just as the pain was beginning to become unbearable, he felt that fire beneath his skin again; the tattoo glowing gold. The light began to seep out from the ink, traveling to every inch of that venom upon his skin and hers. It lingered for just moments before retreating back towards the tattoo, taking with it the black sickness. His grip on her arm tightened as it burned, forcing himself to hold on until he felt every drop of it was out of her system.

His entire arm was on fire then, and he gasped when the powerful presence of the lion-headed deity was gone; the venom completely drawn from Isolde's veins. Marcus shuttered, finally releasing his hold on her as he reeled back, his whole body violently shaking where he slid from the edge of the bed down to his knees. He could feel it, still traveling from his fingertips to his forearm, to that tattoo as though his skin was being pulled back from the flesh.

Now, it was his turn to try and stay awake, but he already felt his eyes beginning to roll up into his skull. As the ink absorbed the venom and the magic concluded its work, weakness took over and he was collapsing to the hotel floor.