guest bedroom, I found him mumbling in his sleep, intermittently yelling, “Get away!”
I stood over him, gently running one of my hands over his arm, while the other caressed his face. “It’s okay, Vale. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you,” I said softly.
Responding to my voice, he quieted as he whispered over and over again, “Eve. My Eve.” He opened his eyes briefly and mumbled, “Need you,” before closing them again. He mumbled in his sleep and protested when I stopped caressing his arm.
It was only when I said, “I’m right here, Vale,” that he finally slept peacefully.
I stood above him open-mouthed, the words he’d spoken finally registering in my brain. He had spoken my name. I wasn’t crazy.
Chapter Eight
Vale’s body healed rapidly, yet he still wouldn’t wake. Going on day three, I began to panic. Although his fever had broken two days ago, I worried he still had an internal infection. Was it possible to have an infection but not have a fever? When would he wake up? For that matter, would he ever wake up? How long was I supposed to keep my unconscious guest a secret from everyone? I’d already cancelled dinner with my grandfather once by using a lame excuse, and I knew he wouldn’t be satisfied if I tried to use another one.
Frustrated, I decided I needed a bit of fresh air and stepped out onto my back porch. It was as hot and muggy as the last time I’d been outside, though I felt a slight breeze against my skin. Even with the moving air, I was still uncomfortable and went back inside to sit in front of the television to relax. Hours passed before my body finally craved sleep.
It was fully dark, and I’d only been asleep for a few minutes when I heard a loud clunk from the direction of the guest bedroom. Dressed in my PJs, I went to check on Vale but stopped when I heard a loud snap coming from my storm door as the so-called lock—my rubber band—broke in two. It swung freely as a gust from the storm caught it, and it banged against the side of my house.
Crouching, I raced back toward my bedroom, opened the safe and loaded my gun. It was pitch dark in my house, which might work to my advantage, and I always had my magical wards. It was then that I realized I had been so distracted with Vale that I’d forgotten to set the ward on my fence again. How could I have been so forgetful of something so important, especially when I knew the hunters had never been found?
The chirping of the crickets became louder as my front door opened. Whoever the intruder was, they were skilled at picking the deadbolt and doorknob locks, though the latter was just a showy deterrent.
The threshold ward twanged and vibrated through me twice as the beings easily crossed into my living room. My motion-detecting light came on suddenly, the indirect light projecting two figures on the wall against the kitchen cabinets. They were obviously armed.
One man’s head abruptly turned in my direction, and I froze, not daring to move as I gripped the small gun. Due to the strength of the breeze, my front door banged open and smacked against the wall, startling the two men, giving me the second I needed to crouch back onto the floor.
“Hank, shut the damn door, will you?” one man whispered harshly. “Stupid idiot! If she’s not already awake, she will be soon!”
“Yeah, fine,” the man called Hank quietly replied as he kicked the door away from him.
There were two entrances that led into the hallway. The men were closest to the one leading from the kitchen and to the spare bedroom. There was no way I’d allow them to discover Vale! If I worked my way back to the living room, maybe I could throw something into the kitchen to make redirect their attention. I stood closest to my bedroom. Still hunched down, I slowly made my way back to my bedroom to grab my phone.
The men crept toward the hallway as I pressed Bud’s speed dial number. By now, the two men had reached the spare
I stood over him, gently running one of my hands over his arm, while the other caressed his face. “It’s okay, Vale. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you,” I said softly.
Responding to my voice, he quieted as he whispered over and over again, “Eve. My Eve.” He opened his eyes briefly and mumbled, “Need you,” before closing them again. He mumbled in his sleep and protested when I stopped caressing his arm.
It was only when I said, “I’m right here, Vale,” that he finally slept peacefully.
I stood above him open-mouthed, the words he’d spoken finally registering in my brain. He had spoken my name. I wasn’t crazy.
Chapter Eight
Vale’s body healed rapidly, yet he still wouldn’t wake. Going on day three, I began to panic. Although his fever had broken two days ago, I worried he still had an internal infection. Was it possible to have an infection but not have a fever? When would he wake up? For that matter, would he ever wake up? How long was I supposed to keep my unconscious guest a secret from everyone? I’d already cancelled dinner with my grandfather once by using a lame excuse, and I knew he wouldn’t be satisfied if I tried to use another one.
Frustrated, I decided I needed a bit of fresh air and stepped out onto my back porch. It was as hot and muggy as the last time I’d been outside, though I felt a slight breeze against my skin. Even with the moving air, I was still uncomfortable and went back inside to sit in front of the television to relax. Hours passed before my body finally craved sleep.
It was fully dark, and I’d only been asleep for a few minutes when I heard a loud clunk from the direction of the guest bedroom. Dressed in my PJs, I went to check on Vale but stopped when I heard a loud snap coming from my storm door as the so-called lock—my rubber band—broke in two. It swung freely as a gust from the storm caught it, and it banged against the side of my house.
Crouching, I raced back toward my bedroom, opened the safe and loaded my gun. It was pitch dark in my house, which might work to my advantage, and I always had my magical wards. It was then that I realized I had been so distracted with Vale that I’d forgotten to set the ward on my fence again. How could I have been so forgetful of something so important, especially when I knew the hunters had never been found?
The chirping of the crickets became louder as my front door opened. Whoever the intruder was, they were skilled at picking the deadbolt and doorknob locks, though the latter was just a showy deterrent.
The threshold ward twanged and vibrated through me twice as the beings easily crossed into my living room. My motion-detecting light came on suddenly, the indirect light projecting two figures on the wall against the kitchen cabinets. They were obviously armed.
One man’s head abruptly turned in my direction, and I froze, not daring to move as I gripped the small gun. Due to the strength of the breeze, my front door banged open and smacked against the wall, startling the two men, giving me the second I needed to crouch back onto the floor.
“Hank, shut the damn door, will you?” one man whispered harshly. “Stupid idiot! If she’s not already awake, she will be soon!”
“Yeah, fine,” the man called Hank quietly replied as he kicked the door away from him.
There were two entrances that led into the hallway. The men were closest to the one leading from the kitchen and to the spare bedroom. There was no way I’d allow them to discover Vale! If I worked my way back to the living room, maybe I could throw something into the kitchen to make redirect their attention. I stood closest to my bedroom. Still hunched down, I slowly made my way back to my bedroom to grab my phone.
The men crept toward the hallway as I pressed Bud’s speed dial number. By now, the two men had reached the spare
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