{"id":1054,"date":"2012-02-08T00:00:12","date_gmt":"2012-02-08T05:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1054"},"modified":"2012-02-07T09:33:54","modified_gmt":"2012-02-07T14:33:54","slug":"autumn-chapter-3-marin-05","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1054","title":{"rendered":"Autumn – Chapter 3 – Marin – 05"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She moved so quickly that none of us had any time to react.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Our boys went flying\u2014Rory scythed through my legs at the knees, toppling both of us as Vammatar grasped Phelan by the collar of his shirt, pulling him close enough to whisper in his ear.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I fought to disentangle myself from Rory, watching Phelan\u2019s expression go slack and his face pale.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Then she lifted him like a rag doll.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She might have thrown him like one, too, if J.T. hadn\u2019t plowed into her ribcage like some kind of deranged football player.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She uttered what I can only describe as a <\/span>sound<\/span><\/em> and dropped Phelan as J.T.\u2019s momentum carried her past me and Rory, past Thom and into the gloom of the starlit night.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Her voice carried in the stillness.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cSo eager to fight and die for someone who could so easily discard you?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My, my, aren\u2019t we the heroic fool?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cShut up.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>J.T. cocked his arm back to punch her.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She headbutted him before the blow ever landed.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He stumbled back with a grunt, holding his head.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cJay!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Carolyn surged past me before I could get a grip on her sleeve.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cRory, grab a torch,\u201d Thom was shouting.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Drew already had one in hand, holding it half as a talisman, half as a weapon.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I could see J.T. setting himself for another rush before Carolyn eclipsed my view of him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Vammatar\u2019s eyes glowed menacingly in the light, catching hints of starlight and torchlight and throwing them back at us, like a predator\u2019s eyes stalking prey by night.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s what we were to her, I realized with a jolt.<\/span>\u00a0 Prey.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Phelan grasped the leg of my jeans.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThe staff,\u201d he rasped.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHit her with the bloody staff!<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I can do the rest.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I cast a dubious look at him as Drew and Rory ran toward the fight, where the sound of flesh meeting flesh with a wet smacking sound told me things were going poorly for one side or the other\u2014or both.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>J.T.\u2019s roar of pain confirmed that it was a bad night for him tonight.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Carolyn was yelling something I couldn\u2019t quite make out.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>In the distance, will\u2019o\u2019wisps swarmed.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cDo it, Mar,\u201d Kellin said, suddenly at my shoulder, pale as death as she stared wide-eyed beyond me\u2014maybe at the others, maybe at something I couldn\u2019t see.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>There was a crunching sound followed by a soft woosh of flames catching, crackling against damp grass, catching on spilled oil from one of the torches.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>My head snapped to the side, a sick feeling growing at the pit of my stomach as my eyes adjusted.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>J.T. was down on one knee and Drew was flat on his back a few feet away from Vammatar, whose hood had fallen back, cold, white-blonde hair wreathing her head and picking up ruddy, bloody highlights from the flames slowly curling to her side.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Rory held his tiki torch in a guard position, Carolyn half behind him.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cNo!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Kellin shouted suddenly.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cStay there!\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>I realized after half a second that she was talking to Greg and Jacqueline, who were still on top of the burial mounds.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They hadn\u2019t broken the perimeter of lanterns.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Oh god.\u00a0 <\/span>That didn\u2019t take more than a few seconds,<\/span><\/em> I realized.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019d barely had time to react.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>All of us had barely had the time to react.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Jacqueline looked helplessly at me, as if begging me for permission to move.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I gave her a quick head-shake.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>No.\u00a0 <\/span>Stay there in case this goes even further south than it already has.<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>I looked at Thom, caught sight of the grim set to his jaw as he lifted the staff toward me.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cGot a job to do, sweetheart,\u201d he murmured.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The wood felt warm against my palm, warm and somehow <\/span>right<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThom,\u201d Phelan said, his voice shaky.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cStart drumming.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Thom looked startled for a moment, then nodded, groping for the drum even as I slowly turned toward Vammatar in time to see her snap Rory\u2019s torch in half.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Never without an option, though, was our Rory.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He kicked her in the stomach as hard as he could. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>She oofed, stumbling backwards, and I began to run.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Just touch her with the staff,<\/em><\/span> Phelan had said.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I was looking to do a little more than just <\/span>touch<\/span><\/em> her with the six-foot length of wood in my hands.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She recovered from Rory\u2019s blow, turning at the last second.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She caught the staff in one fist as I swung it as hard as I could at her head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Her arm barely trembled with the effort to hold back the blow, but the muscles and tendons of her fingers were taut with the effort.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Just touch her with the staff.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What now, Phelan?<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The night began to scream.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The will\u2019o\u2019wisps surged toward us, swirling like a cyclone, turning black night tinged with the glow of flames to incandescent day.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I was aware of Vammatar screaming in front of me as I fought to keep my grip on Phelan\u2019s staff.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>It glowed the green of summer leaves in my hands, then mellowed to amber.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Vammatar jerked back, releasing her grip and howling.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Hate-filled eyes focused on me and she lunged forward.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>My eyes widened in horror as a dozen images of my face laid open by her sharp nails whirled through my head.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>I stumbled back half a step, trying to lunge backwards and out of her reach.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Then Rory was suddenly on her back, one arm wrapped around her throat.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She whirled, trying to dislodge him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>After two revolutions she shook him loose and he went flying somewhere off into the brightness.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Vammatar, seeming disoriented, turned from one side to the other, her hair a wild frenzy, her fine-boned face drawn into a\u00a0mask of hate.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis was not a victory, Wandering One!\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The earth swallowed her and she was gone.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 She moved so quickly that none of us had any time to react.\u00a0 Our boys went flying\u2014Rory scythed through my legs at the knees, toppling both of us as Vammatar grasped Phelan by the collar of his shirt, pulling … 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":[38,35,41,14,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autumn","category-book-2","category-chapter-3","category-story","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-h0","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054","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=1054"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1058,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1054\/revisions\/1058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}