Hidden - part 2

Hi! Thanks for visiting my blog :) This is part two of a little story I'm writing. For anyone who is new here, I would recommend you start at part one and work your way through. Happy reading!

I wake up on fire.
Cursing, I roll over the damp ground, trying to put it out. "Andrew!" I yell. He wakes with a start and yelps when he sees me. The last of the flames go out and I start ripping my burned clothing away from my skin.
"Megan, I'm so sorry!" Andrew wails. "I was asleep, I never meant to -"
"It's fine, I'm ok," I say shortly, tearing off the remains of my jacket. The shirt underneath seems relatively unscathed.
"We can't keep doing this," Andrew mutters, looking wildly around as though hoping a solution will sweep in and save  him. "I'm going to kill you if we keep going like this."
"We'll be fine," I say. "Look, we're here on the map. That means we should be at the training grounds in a few days. Once the wizards there help you to control your magic, you won't be a danger to anyone anymore. Ok?"
Andrew doesn't answer; he is staring at my arm in horror. A shiny burn blemishes the skin. I quickly cover it up. As much as it hurts, I am not going to make Andrew feel bad for something that isn't his fault.
"I should go on alone," he says for about the millionth time.
"We've been through this," I say with exaggerated patience. "You can barley walk on your own - there's no way you'll ever make it."
"If you stay here, I'll just keep hurting you!" Andrew bursts out. "Do you have any idea what that's like? Hurting the woman you love and not being able to stop? Seeing you in pain and knowing that it's my fault? If this keeps on, I could kill you!"
I reach forward to hug him, but Andrew pulls back, afraid of hurting me more. "The wizards have been hidden for years; what makes you think we'll even find them? This map could be a fake, or they could have moved... face it Megs, this isn't working."
"I'm done discussing this," I say firmly. "I will not leave you here to die. Come on, it's time we get going."
Ignoring Andrew's protests, I grab his arm and pull him to his feet. The out of control magic inside him has left him weak, weaker than I have ever seen him. I pull his arm over my shoulder and continue to half drag him towards our destination, holding the map firmly in my other hand.
I fleetingly think of home, of my family and Andrew's, before disgust overwhelms me. They abandoned him when the magic came to life in him, afraid of what he would do without meaning to. They kicked him out of our village instead of trying to help him. Now, I'm all he's got.
The ground starts to shudder violently.
"It's ok, we're almost there," I murmur. Andrew mutters something incoherent, trying to get the magic under control. Of course, for all I know, we could be weeks from the training grounds. To preserve my sanity, I tell myself that we will find them soon. If Andrew dies, if his magic finally kills him... I close my eyes, not even wanting to imagine the cold, empty world that would be left behind without him. Slowly, the ground settles; Andrew's stride is even weaker.
I stop as the sun is setting and start wandering around, searching for food and water. In our wild flight, we didn't have time to gather supplies. Tonight is sure to be a cold one, especially without my jacket.
"Here, eat," I say to Andrew, pushing some berries into his hand. He tries to turn away - I know that he lost his appetite a few days ago - but I gently coax them into him. He needs to keep up his strength.
"I'll take first watch," he says. "You should rest. You've spent all day dragging me along, and you're injured. I'll wake you for your watch, once you've had some sleep."
I eye him, wondering if he is strong enough to take watch at all.
Andrew seems to read my mind. "They're not happy we stole their map," he reminds me. "If they catch us both asleep, we're done for."
I reluctantly nod. "Wake me if you need me," I say. I give him a quick kiss and lie down with my back to his warm body. Andrew sits up against a tree, watching the night for any signs of movement. Listening to the sound of his breathing, I fall asleep.
I wake up to panic.
For a second, I am not sure why. Then, it becomes all too clear. The sun is shining brightly. Andrew never woke me for my watch.
I am up in an instant, looking frantically around for him. "Andrew!" I shout. "Andrew, where are you?"
It is no use. I search all around the campsite, cursing myself for not realising what was going to happen. Of course, Andrew would rather die than hurt me. He's probably miles away by now, hidden somewhere where he can't hurt me... and where I can't help him. He was too weak to walk; he must have crawled all night to hide somewhere where he can't hurt me. All alone, he will die, and I can do nothing about it.
"ANDREW!" I scream, staring uselessly at the peaceful forest.
It is no use. He is gone.

To be continued