{"id":1189,"date":"2012-04-20T00:00:23","date_gmt":"2012-04-20T04:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1189"},"modified":"2012-04-17T11:33:44","modified_gmt":"2012-04-17T15:33:44","slug":"autumn-chapter-8-02","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/?p=1189","title":{"rendered":"Autumn – Chapter 8 – 02"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Gray looked sidelong at Eva, not for the first time that afternoon.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She was resting as comfortably as Elton could manage to make her, but they all knew that she was still troubled by nightmares she wouldn\u2019t speak of\u2014except for to Kes, who\u2019d gotten a few words about them out of her the week before.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why so secretive about them?<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray wondered, tearing his gaze from her and returning his attention to the book in his lap.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It was one of Kes\u2019s books, a translation of something Old or Middle English into discernible prose.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The margins were littered with the younger woman\u2019s notes, most of them mentioning Arthurian legend.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>That made up several <\/span>thousand <\/span><\/em>lines of the epic, as near as he could tell.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He looked at Eva again.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Had she lived through events that got turned into the lines of this epic?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She didn\u2019t look a day over seventeen, though appearances were certainly deceiving, especially in a case like hers.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>How many people like you are there out there, Eva?\u00a0 <\/span>A dozen?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A hundred?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>How many walk in our world now?<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Her brows knit as he watched her and she tossed and turned, tangling in her covers.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He winced and set the book down, getting up.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray put his hands on her shoulders, trying to gently hold her down.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cEva,\u201d he whispered.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cEva, wake up.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>You\u2019re having a nightmare and if you keep twisting around like this you\u2019re going to rip open your side again.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>C\u2019mon wake up.\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Eva\u2019s eyes snapped open.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPhelan!\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What?<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray blinked, drawing back for a moment.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cHuh?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cPhelan,\u201d Eva repeated, throwing back the covers.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She swung her legs over the side of the bed and shot to her feet.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She crossed the floor quickly and shoved her feet into her boots, then stumbled out the door of the small room.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cEva, <\/span>wait<\/span><\/em>!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray shook off his initial shock and darted after her.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>She was already running out the lodge\u2019s main doors as he emerged from the room.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat the hell is going on?\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Wat asked, his pants soaked from the bucket he\u2019d evidentally dropped\u2014or had knocked out of his hands by Eva as she ran past, Gray couldn\u2019t be sure which.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t know.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Where\u2019s everyone else?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhere do you think?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>They\u2019re hauling supplies up here from that gas station we found the other day.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cFuck,\u201d Gray muttered, shoving his feet into his boots.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cTell them I went to find her!\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWait a second, where is she going?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cI don\u2019t know!\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray yelled over his shoulder, already halfway down to the access road from the lodge.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cBut she can\u2019t go that far!\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 At least I hope she can\u2019t go that far.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>He hit the access road and looked up and down.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>There was no sign of her.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>What the hell?\u00a0 <\/span>Where did you go, Eva?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>His gaze lit on a game trail that headed into a thicker tangle of woods\u2014but was a straight shot west.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>West?\u00a0 <\/span>Why west?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>He frowned.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Phelan.\u00a0 <\/span>That\u2019s her brother.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Is he west of here?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>A shudder ran through him.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What if Eva\u2019s brother was stumbling toward them right now?<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Was that why she\u2019d thrown herself out of bed and run off?<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>It was what he would do, if he was her.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Gray cut down the game trail.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Faint impressions from her boots lay in the hardened mud, just barely visible.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>There was no other sign of her, though\u2014she\u2019d come this way, but she\u2019d made it beyond a bend in the trail.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How the hell can she move that fast with a hole in her side?<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray hit that bend in the trail and had to slow down as the grade became steeper.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>He still couldn\u2019t see her.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If something terrible happens to her, I\u2019ll never forgive myself.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>His foot came down on a wet leaf.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It slid across the muddy trail.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>His foot shot out from under him and he fell backwards, all the wind knocked out of him as he tumbled to the bottom of the grade.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He lay at the bottom of his twenty-foot slide, trying to remember how to breathe, blood roaring in his ears and stars dancing in front of his eyes.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Breathe.\u00a0 <\/span>Breathe.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s that sound?<\/span><\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>He went very still, straining his ears.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>There it was again.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>A faint cry, somewhere to his left.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eva?<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>Gray pushed himself to his feet, sucking in a few more raspy breaths before he flung himself into the brush to his left, toward the sound.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He felt hot and cold all once as branches and brambles tore at his jeans and sweatshirt.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>The feeling was the telltale sign that something strange was going on, something supernatural was afoot.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>What\u2019s out here?\u00a0 <\/span>What did she run into?<\/span><\/em><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>His foot caught on something and he fell face-first into a tangle of wild raspberries.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Cursing as he hauled himself upright, he twisted to see what he\u2019d tripped over.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Eva\u2019s boot.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Fuck me.<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He snatched the boot and plunged onward.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>He broke through some brush and stumbled down a five-foot incline, barely managing to <\/span>not<\/span><\/em> snap his ankle on the way down.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Stumbling back against the tangle of earth and branches, he took a quick look around, trying to get his bearings.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Eva.<\/em>\u00a0 <\/span>She was sprawled about ten feet away, collapsed on her stomach, arms and legs flung akimbo.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Something was standing over her.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It turned slowly, amber eyes bright in the afternoon sun.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Gray swallowed once, twice, staring back at it, struck by the intelligence in those eyes.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>The creature bared its teeth at him, leapt over Eva\u2019s prone form, and disappeared into the woods.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>Gray found himself able to breathe again as he stumbled toward Eva and gathered her into his arms gently.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>She groaned, head lolling to one side and her eyes flickering open.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cEva?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cUngh.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>Where am I?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cIn the woods,\u201d Gray said slowly, looking away from her, toward where the creature had disappeared.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>It had been mostly bipedal, covered in a brindled pelt.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat was that thing?\u201d<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cWhat thing?\u201d she murmured, putting her head on his shoulder as he slowly straightened up, cradling her.<\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It can\u2019t be that. They\u2019re not real, are they?<\/em><\/span><\/span>
\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThere was something standing over you,\u201d he murmured.<\/span>\u00a0 <\/span>\u201cAnd if I didn\u2019t know better, I\u2019d have sworn it was a werewolf.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Gray looked sidelong at Eva, not for the first time that afternoon.\u00a0 She was resting as comfortably as Elton could manage to make her, but they all knew that she was still troubled by nightmares she wouldn\u2019t speak of\u2014except … 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":[38,35,46,14,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-autumn","category-book-2","category-chapter-8-book-2","category-story","category-year-one"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1EBlN-jb","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189","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=1189"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1190,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1189\/revisions\/1190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/awakenings.embklitzke.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}