{"id":1037,"date":"2012-01-27T00:00:09","date_gmt":"2012-01-27T05:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1037"},"modified":"2012-02-10T09:22:12","modified_gmt":"2012-02-10T14:22:12","slug":"autumn-chapter-2-07","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1037","title":{"rendered":"Autumn – Chapter 2 – 07"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The tiny cottage was only a few miles up the road, and once she\u2019d rounded up Cameron\u2019s horse and her own, getting him there wasn\u2019t all that hard.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She\u2019d had to burn the bodies first, though, not wanting to leave any trace of their presence, mostly to protect the sanctuary a little way away.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She stopped by the pump outside the cottage to tether the horses and scrub blood and ichor from her hands before daring to knock on the door.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>In the end, Neve Vaughan didn\u2019t have to bother, because the cottage door sprang open almost as soon as she\u2019d finished tethering the mounts.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat the hell\u2019s going on?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What are you doing here?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDon\u2019t sound so pleased to see me, Kira,\u201d Neve muttered, then turned to start pulling Cameron\u2019s unconscious body from across his saddle as if he were an oversized sack of wheat.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHelp me, will you?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Mind the black stuff.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Kira asked as she rushed to help, surveyed the damage.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat did you two tangle with?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve shook her head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019ll tell you both at once.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My brother\u2019s inside, right?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kira nodded quickly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBut he\u2019s asleep, I think.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s still regaining his strength.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cStill?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s been weeks.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve\u2019s nose wrinkled as they started to carry Cameron toward the house.<\/span>\u00a0 He must have been more worn out before everything started to come to head than I thought, then.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cOh well.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I suppose that explains the wardings.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kira stopped dead in her tracks for a moment.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with the wardings?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNothing,\u201d Neve said quickly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThey just feel more like a stiletto than a bludgeon. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Not his style.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She grinned, though bleakly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThey\u2019re yours, aren\u2019t they?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Phelan taught you.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWell, someone had to,\u201d Kira said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe hadn\u2019t gotten to that when the attacks started.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She shouldered open the door.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cCome on, we\u2019ll lay him out on the floor in front of the fireplace.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve grunted and nodded, and together the two women maneuvered Cameron\u2019s inert form over to the smooth-sanded floor in front of the hearth.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kira crouched to add another log to the fire before she cleaned her hands on her jeans.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThere\u2019re bandages and a bottle of vodka in the wicker over there.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Just bring the whole thing.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She started to peel Cameron\u2019s bloody uniform off of him so she could get to the gashes, which still oozed blood sullenly, silently.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She made a soft retching sound.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cUngh, these smell ghastly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>How old are they?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHalf an hour,\u201d Neve said as she hauled the basket over, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she <\/span>hadn\u2019t<\/span><\/em> gotten to clean up outside and was still covered in filth from the fight.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019ll get some water and then kick Teague out of bed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>We may need his help.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNo need for any kicking,\u201d her brother\u2019s sleep-thickened voice said quietly from behind her.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m up.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What are you doing here, Neve?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve spun toward him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He was scrubbing at one eye blearily, looking as if he really had just rolled out of a deep sleep.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Still, she marched over to him and planted a finger against his breastbone, poking hard.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThere was a pack of six <\/span>Dirae<\/span><\/em> on the road three miles from here.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019re <\/span>still<\/span><\/em> hunting you, Teague.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What the hell did you do to piss someone off that badly?”<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He stared at her for a long moment, tilting his head to one side to look past her, toward Cameron.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDid it ever occur to you that they might have been after <\/span>him<\/span><\/em>?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhy the hell would they be after Cameron?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve demanded as Teague deftly slipped past her and shuffled toward Kira, Cameron, and the fire.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAny number of reasons,\u201d Teague said evenly as he flipped the basket open and pulled out the bottle of vodka and a wad of white fabric.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cGo clean up and bring a bucket of water in here.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>These are putrefying almost as fast as if he had <\/span>\u00c1es D\u00e1na<\/span><\/em> blood in him.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Tamping down temper, Neve glared at him for a moment, then spun on her heel and marched outside to the horses and the pump.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She washed quickly, thoughts storming as she scrubbed the blood as best she could from her hands.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why would the <\/em><\/span>Dirae<\/span> be interested in Cameron?\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s nothing special, just a sweet guy that happens to be sensitive to danger.<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>But if he\u2019s nothing special, why the hell did you turn around and follow him?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>And why the sword?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Why did you throw him that sword?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>She glanced toward the blade in question, dangling silently in its scabbard from where she\u2019d slung it across her horse\u2019s saddle.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>As she started to draw the water to bring back inside, another thought struck her.<\/span>\u00a0 If he\u2019s nothing special, then why was he on his way <\/em><\/span>here<\/span>?<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She swallowed bile.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Oh hell.\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019ll disembowel him myself.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Damn you, big brother.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You have to stop playing so much so damn close to the vest!<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve gave a little snarl and hauled the water back to the house, cursing under her breath as it sloshed out of the bucket and soaked her thighs and shins.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kira was near the door to relieve her of the bucket.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAre you all right?\u201d she asked in a low voice.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve nodded with a soft grunt.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAngry as hell, but otherwise sound.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They never touched <\/span>me<\/span><\/em>.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Cameron took the worst of it.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her lips thinned.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHis name\u2019s Cameron MacKenzie, by the way.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He…\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her voice trailed away as she looked past Kira toward where Teague was on his knees next to the other man with a bowl of steaming water, already trying to draw the <\/span>Dirae<\/span><\/em>\u2019s poison out of Cameron\u2019s wounds, out of his blood. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Neve sighed softly and shook her head.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNever mind,\u201d she whispered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI\u2019m going to go take care of the horses before I change my clothes.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She stopped when Kira touched her arm.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t know why you\u2019re both here, either, Neve,\u201d Kira said softly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBut I can\u2019t say I\u2019m not glad you are.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s almost impossible, you know.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Neve barked a weak laugh.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat, no one warned you about that?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She squeezed Kira\u2019s hand briefly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWe\u2019ll figure out what\u2019s going on here together.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Let me take care of those horses.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s been a long road and they deserve a rest.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Kira nodded and released her.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Neve stepped back outside, into the clean, cool air of a Canadian autumn.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It reminded her vaguely of home, of things lost and forgotten.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The horses, as predicted, were more than grateful to be stabled with the pair Kira and Teague already had in the barn beyond the cabin, and Neve took her time rubbing them down, trying to avoid the worst of what Kira and Teague would need to do in tending Cameron\u2019s wounds.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Guilty tears began to sting in her eyes.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I should have moved faster.\u00a0 <\/span>Now he\u2019ll be scarred for life, at the very least.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>At worst, he would die from the poisons burning through his blood right now.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She swallowed again and leaned against her mount\u2019s flank, listening to the horse breathe, to the pounding of its heart.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s not one of us, though.\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s like Kira.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019ll survive.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019ll be okay.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>One bitter tear trickled down her cheek.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>If it wasn\u2019t, it would be her fault for not acting sooner, for not riding harder.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>For all she\u2019d railed at her brother, she knew the truth.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The pack of <\/span>Dirae<\/span><\/em> had been following Cameron all right, though she couldn\u2019t begin to imagine why.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He was just another survivor, like dozens\u2014hundreds\u2014of others left in the shattered wreck of a world.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Right?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The tiny cottage was only a few miles up the road, and once she\u2019d rounded up Cameron\u2019s horse and her own, getting him there wasn\u2019t all that hard.\u00a0 She\u2019d had to burn the bodies first, though, not wanting to … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,35,40,14,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autumn","category-book-2","category-chapter-2","category-story","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-gJ","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1037"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1069,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037\/revisions\/1069"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}