Authors: Tamie Dearen
Where am I? What happened?
Then her eyes fell on a shocking sight.
Alora.
An agonizing consciousness drew Alora from her serene black well. She fought it, struggling against the persistent awakening pulling her back into awareness and pain.
“Alora. Alora, wake up.”
“Grandmother?” She heard Raelene’s voice, but it must be a dream.
“I need you awake, Alora. That’s right, open your eyes. Don’t you want to save Kaevin?”
“Hospital… We need to go…”
“No! No, Alora! Don’t transport! You’ll take too much from your soulmate bond. Right now, I only need you to accept my strength.”
“The burns hurt so much, and I feel so weak. My head is pounding so hard I can’t keep my eyes open.”
“This is ridiculous! We’re wasting time. We should be on the way to the hospital right now.” A man’s harsh voice spoke from somewhere in the room—a familiar voice—but Alora was too tired to identify him.
“We’ll leave the moment they’re both strong enough to survive the journey.” Grandmother’s terse reply came through tight lips. She turned her gaze back to Alora.
“I’m going to give you a bit more strength, Alora. You need to put that strength into your soulmate bond. I’ve learned much in my studies… too much to explain at the moment. But I know you must somehow isolate yourself from all your hurt and pain. Remove yourself from your senses. Build a wall around your emotions. Think only of your soulmate. Kiss him. Kiss him as if your kiss is the only thing that will save his life… because it is.”
Too weak to answer with words, Alora nodded, though the task seemed impossible.
I don’t even have the strength to move. How can I shut out the pain if I’m awake?
She felt her grandmother’s gentle touch on her hand. A surge of energy rushed through her veins, along with a renewed clarity of mind and an acute awareness of the ravaged nerve endings in her arms. She felt as if her skin was being branded afresh. A cry escaped her lips and she curled against the agony.
“No, Alora. Don’t listen to the pain. Shut your ears against it.”
“I can’t,” she gasped.
“You
can
. You have a gift called empathy. You can open and close yourself to pain, both your own and that of others. You can choose to feel it, or share it, or turn it off.”
“I can’t. You don’t understand how much it hurts.”
“I’m starting to feel it. You’re sending it to me.”
Alora could sense her grandmother’s anxiety, and she felt even more desperate as she tried to ignore the pain.
“Alora, you can do this. You’ve always been able to do it, ever since I’ve known you.” Beth’s face appeared in her vision as she knelt beside her. “Remember when we would have those pinching contests? You always won… you never even flinched. You totally ignored the pain.”
“But I could only do it in the snow. I would hold snow in one hand and concentrate on the cold. Then the pinch would go away.”
“Of course! Snow. Water. She gets her power from water.” Grandmother leapt to her feet. “Is there snow on the ground?”
“I’ve got something that might work.” Wesley’s voice receded from the room, returning a few seconds later. “Here… put this in her hand.”
Alora felt something cold in her hand. An ice cube. She squeezed tight, concentrating on the stinging cold.
The searing agony of her burns vanished. She lifted her arms, staring in amazement at the raw, oozing skin. “It’s gone! It doesn’t hurt at all! Nothing. Not my arms. Not my hand. Not even my head.”
A cheer went up in the room, and she smiled, noticing for the first time, she was in Wesley’s house.
Did I transport us here?
“Alora.” She turned toward the voice. Jireo sat on the floor on the other side of Kaevin, with red, swollen eyes and tears on his face. “Kaevin’s still dying. You’re both dying.”
“Kiss him, Alora.” Grandmother touched the outside of her ice-filled hand, and she felt another rush of energy, this time without the accompanying pain.
This is awkward.
“Would everybody mind closing your eyes while I kiss him? I don’t really like being watched.”
“No, I’m not closing my eyes while you
kiss
,” Dr. Sanders huffed. “We need to go to the hospital
now
. The ambulance is going to be all the way here by the time we get you out to the car. We’ve wasted enough time.” Dr. Sanders gestured with exasperation.
Alora suppressed the urge to laugh at his big-bad-wolf countenance. Everything seemed funny since she was pain-free.
“Come on, A.J.” Beth tugged on Dr. Sanders’ arm, turning him until he faced the other direction. “This is important. You just don’t understand it yet.”
Jireo was the only one still watching, but his obvious misery reminded Alora the kiss was about saving their lives, not a romantic encounter. Supporting her weight on one elbow, she leaned over, pressing her lips to Kaevin’s.
After what seemed like an hour, but was probably sixty seconds, Kaevin’s lips responded to hers. His eyes opened and his hand cupped her face. He kissed her back. Like he meant it.
“Alora, what happened? You’re healed?” The happiness in his eyes transformed to confusion as his gaze dropped to her arms.
“Everything’s great now. I don’t hurt any more.” She collapsed back on the floor, exhausted but full of joy. “My head doesn’t even hurt. Does yours?”
“Just a little. It’s much better.” A relieved smile lit up his face, and Alora admired the cute dimples she’d thought she would never see again.
“Nothing has changed. His death is still coming.” Jireo sobbed the words into his fist.
“Alora hasn’t been healed,” Raelene explained. “She’s using her gift of empathy to mask her pain. The strength I gave her didn’t alter her physical condition. It only gave her the energy to remain conscious for a bit.”
“So, it’s like you got a shot of morphine and a shot of adrenaline,” Beth clarified. “You still need to be treated at the hospital for your burns. A.J. said you’re septic.” Beth glanced at Dr. Sanders, who was pacing and fuming, muttering under his breath.
“That’s right, she’s septic. And we’ve wasted so much time she probably won’t make it to the hospital.”
A throb of pain alerted Alora to the fact the ice had melted. “Wesley, can you bring a new ice cube?”
“I’ll bring a gallon Ziploc bag of ice cubes.” He dashed away.
“Why can’t Alora just transport to the hospital?” Beth asked Raelene. “Now that she’s awake and has enough strength?”
“I’ve discovered Alora has been using the soulmate bond as her source of power, rather than drawing from water, stone and forest. If she transports again, I fear she might kill them.”
“If she doesn’t transport them to the healing house, they’re going to die anyway.” At Jireo’s harsh whispered words, Alora felt a rush of compassion. He was clearly agonizing over the thought of losing Kaevin. To her surprise, she realized Jireo cared about her possible death as well… separate and apart from Kaevin’s.
“Here are the ice cubes.” Wesley opened the bag so Alora could slip her hand inside. As she fisted a frozen cube the pain dissipated, but she also noticed her racing heart and rapid panting.
“Alora, can you transport to the hospital with Kaevin and Dr. Sanders while you concentrate on the ice?” Beth’s voice seemed to come from a tunnel.
“Maybe…”
“Yes! Yes, you can do this. This will work, Alora. I feel it. Please try.” Jireo pleaded with red-rimmed eyes.
“I’ll try…”
“Wait, Alora! A.J. needs to go. Come on A.J.”
“What? What are you doing?” Dr. Sanders protested, but Beth grabbed his hand, tugging him toward Alora.
He might as well give up. Beth always gets her way.
“Now, Alora. Go now. Take us to the hospital.”
As the ice melted around Alora’s fingers, a comfortable peace enveloped her, like a soft, warm blanket.
It’s so nice not to feel pain.
Turning her head in response to Kaevin’s squeeze on her other hand, she saw his face, blurred and fuzzy. She blinked until he came back into focus. Deep emotion shone in his eyes.
He loves me. He really loves me.
“Alora? Can you transport us? To the hospital?”
She moved her lips, but she couldn’t form any words.
Strange. Why can’t I speak?
Her eyelids refused to stay open.
“Alora?” Kaevin’s urgent voice drew her attention. “Can you transport us to the hospital?”
Why does he want to go to the hospital? I don’t hurt anymore.
“Alora!” Someone shook her body, and she blinked her eyes open to find Beth’s face inches from hers. “If you don’t transport us to the hospital right now, I’m going to post that video on Facebook… the one where you were dancing around in your underwear.”
No. She wouldn’t do that, would she?
“Now, Alora. To the hospital.” Beth wore her no-nonsense expression.
Beth can be really bossy sometimes, but I love her for it.
Wesley stood staring at the floor. Two cell phones and a set of keys lay on the carpet where his friends had been only moments before.
Will I ever see Alora and Kaevin again?
He jumped when Daegreth spoke behind him. “Do you believe they made it to the healing house in time?”
“I hope so. I’m not even sure that’s where Alora took them. They could be anywhere.” Wesley stuffed his hands in his pockets to stop their shaking.
The door banged open and Steven ambled into the family room, flopping onto the couch. “I’m full as a tick.” Steven rubbed his belly. “You should have come with us, Wesley.”
Brian stepped through the door, halting in mid-step as his eyes fell on Daegreth. “Hello, Daegreth. I’m… I’m glad to see you. What made you decide to uhmm… to come out of the bedroom? Not that I’m worried or anything.” He lifted a questioning eyebrow to Wesley.
His mother came in behind his father, pushing him out of the way as she turned to shut the door and hang up her coat. “Why are you blocking the doorway, Brian? And why don’t you take your shoes off before you track dirt everywhere? You, too, Steven. We missed you at lunch, Wesley. I’ve brought some food home for you and…” Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of Daegreth, backing toward the bedroom.
“Don’t leave, Daegreth. Jireo says you’re safe now.” Wesley caught his arm.
“Your parents still fear me, and with good cause.” Daegreth studied his feet.
Wesley pulled him back to face the family. “While you were gone, Kaevin and Alora showed up here, with Jireo. They’d been injured, and I called Beth, who came over with Dr. Sanders. It’s kind of a long story, but Raelene came too, and they all transported to the hospital just a minute ago. I mean
literally
… a minute before you walked in the door, they were all still here.”
“Are they okay? How badly were they injured?” Karen pulled her coat back over her shoulders. “We should probably go to the hospital.”
“What about the portal?” asked his father. “Did Jireo tell you if the portal is sealed?”
“Jireo said the portal is closed for good. Vindrake can never come here unless Alora brings him. So Daegreth really is safe now. That’s why I cut him loose.”
Steven rose from the couch, walking around the other end toward Daegreth. “That’s wonderful news, son.”
Their father rolled his eyes. Steven had been milking the genetic relation for all it was worth. He’d even started calling their parents Grandpa and Granny.
“Yikes!” Steven yelled as he rounded the corner behind the couch. “Who’s this dead guy?”
“Cripes!” Wesley’s heart pounded, fighting to escape his ribcage. “I forgot all about Alleraen. He’s dead?”
As he trudged along, Charles scrubbed at his teeth with the frayed end of a stick.
I really miss my toothbrush and toothpaste. And my bed with my good mattress. And my shower.
In front of him, Graely came to a sudden stop, and Charles slammed into his back, jamming the stick into his gums.
“Ouch!”
“Shh…”
Charles froze, his hearing zoning in on every sound in the forest. A bird warbled. The wind whistled through the treetops. A twig cracked. Tiny hairs stood up on the back of his neck. He tasted blood in his mouth, but he didn’t dare move.
“Clear ahead.” Morvaen spoke the words in a soft voice rather than calling out to the entire group.
“Clear ahead,” Graely repeated over his shoulder.
“Clear ahead.” Charles passed the message in a whisper to Markaeus, who parroted the words to Haegen, and on to the last of the company. Two days of trekking through the woods, waiting to be attacked, had every muscle in Charles’ body tense and aching.
He touched Graely’s shoulder, speaking in a harsh whisper. “Can we assume we’re home free? I mean, if none of the Water Clan warriors have found us yet, we’re probably safe, right? Just one more day until we get to Laegenshire?”
Graely started moving again, and Charles followed, pushing though the low-growing bushes that grabbed at his thighs.
I’m glad I’m wearing heavy-duty work pants. Normal ones would’ve been torn to shreds.