loved. It wasn't fair. "It doesn't have to be this way." After all, I'd survived with the Fire inside me. So far, anyway. Why couldn't she?
She didn't answer. Instead she stared out to sea, her body rigid as the wind plastered pale pink robes to her slender form. Her long red curls danced madly on the wind.
"You have to listen to me." My voice was hardly above a whisper, yet I knew she heard me. "What will Iah do without you?"
Still she ignored me. I knew it was only a dream, but somehow I wanted to change things. Wanted to make sure it turned out differently this time.
"What can I do, Fina?"
She turned to me, her face a pale mask. Her eyes were living flames. Terrifying. My heart raced in my chest as she held out cupped hands to me, each one filled with rich, loamy earth. The dirt trickled between her fingers as she stared at me, her eyes burning hotter with each second.
"Fire burns," she whispered. The glow around her intensified, so bright it made my head throb. I had to close my eyes against the light. "Earth cleanses... "
Chapter 11
My head felt like somebody had used it for batting practice. With every beat of my heart, a throb of pain made my stomach roil. I didn't want to open my eyes, but someone kept yakking at me.
I wanted to tell whoever it was to shut up, but my mouth refused to connect to my brain. I inhaled and tried again. "Go 'way," I mumbled. It came out a lot whinier than I'd intended.
"Not until you open your eyes." Kabita's tone brooked no argument.
I mumbled something rude.
"The same to you. Now open your eyes, or I'll open them for you."
I cracked open an eyelid only to have the light stab viciously at my eye. Pain was a hot poker in my brain. I hissed and tried to block out the light with my hand. I was only moderately successful.
I was in the hospital in what looked like a private room. Not that I was impressed. The mattress was too thin, and my back ached from lying in one position too long. The walls and floors were too white, the florescent lighting too harsh. It was clinical and cold as hell. The only colorful spot in the room was a really ugly painting of a vase of flowers which somebody with very poor taste had thought was a good idea.
I turned slightly toward my visitor, careful not to jar my throbbing head. Kabita Jones, best friend and boss, let out a sigh as she dragged a metal chair next to the bed and sank down on it. I closed my eyes again as she propped her feet on the mattress next to me. "You really do know how to cause trouble, don't you?"
I winced. "Keep your voice down. You're hurting my head."
"Well, at least you're alive."
Gods, I almost wished I wasn't. The pain was intense. I kept my eyes shut against the light. "Tell me you didn't call my mother."
"I didn't call your mother."
"Liar."
"You're in the hospital, Morgan," she snapped. "I had no idea how bad it was, but it didn't look good. At all." She sounded worried. And if Kabita was worried, I knew I was a hot mess. "Of course I called your mother. "
Great. Just great. All I needed was my mother hovering over me, listing everything I was doing wrong with my life, up to and including my choice of career. Granted, she thought I was a night manager at a local hotel, but I doubt she would have found vampire hunter a suitable occupation, either.
I swallowed. My throat felt like it had been given a good scrubbing with sandpaper. I opened one eye a slit, hissing against the sharp light. Unless she was hiding in the bathroom, my mother was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she?"
"I sent her to get a cup of coffee. She was... stressed."
I would have laughed if my head hadn't hurt so badly. "Stressed" was no doubt an understatement. And, knowing my mother, she wasn't the stressed one. She was the causer of stress.
"Besides," Kabita continued, "we need to talk." Her face was expressionless, which didn't bode well.
Frak. Just what I needed. I sighed, closing my eyes again. "Listen, I'm not really up for a convo right
She didn't answer. Instead she stared out to sea, her body rigid as the wind plastered pale pink robes to her slender form. Her long red curls danced madly on the wind.
"You have to listen to me." My voice was hardly above a whisper, yet I knew she heard me. "What will Iah do without you?"
Still she ignored me. I knew it was only a dream, but somehow I wanted to change things. Wanted to make sure it turned out differently this time.
"What can I do, Fina?"
She turned to me, her face a pale mask. Her eyes were living flames. Terrifying. My heart raced in my chest as she held out cupped hands to me, each one filled with rich, loamy earth. The dirt trickled between her fingers as she stared at me, her eyes burning hotter with each second.
"Fire burns," she whispered. The glow around her intensified, so bright it made my head throb. I had to close my eyes against the light. "Earth cleanses... "
Chapter 11
My head felt like somebody had used it for batting practice. With every beat of my heart, a throb of pain made my stomach roil. I didn't want to open my eyes, but someone kept yakking at me.
I wanted to tell whoever it was to shut up, but my mouth refused to connect to my brain. I inhaled and tried again. "Go 'way," I mumbled. It came out a lot whinier than I'd intended.
"Not until you open your eyes." Kabita's tone brooked no argument.
I mumbled something rude.
"The same to you. Now open your eyes, or I'll open them for you."
I cracked open an eyelid only to have the light stab viciously at my eye. Pain was a hot poker in my brain. I hissed and tried to block out the light with my hand. I was only moderately successful.
I was in the hospital in what looked like a private room. Not that I was impressed. The mattress was too thin, and my back ached from lying in one position too long. The walls and floors were too white, the florescent lighting too harsh. It was clinical and cold as hell. The only colorful spot in the room was a really ugly painting of a vase of flowers which somebody with very poor taste had thought was a good idea.
I turned slightly toward my visitor, careful not to jar my throbbing head. Kabita Jones, best friend and boss, let out a sigh as she dragged a metal chair next to the bed and sank down on it. I closed my eyes again as she propped her feet on the mattress next to me. "You really do know how to cause trouble, don't you?"
I winced. "Keep your voice down. You're hurting my head."
"Well, at least you're alive."
Gods, I almost wished I wasn't. The pain was intense. I kept my eyes shut against the light. "Tell me you didn't call my mother."
"I didn't call your mother."
"Liar."
"You're in the hospital, Morgan," she snapped. "I had no idea how bad it was, but it didn't look good. At all." She sounded worried. And if Kabita was worried, I knew I was a hot mess. "Of course I called your mother. "
Great. Just great. All I needed was my mother hovering over me, listing everything I was doing wrong with my life, up to and including my choice of career. Granted, she thought I was a night manager at a local hotel, but I doubt she would have found vampire hunter a suitable occupation, either.
I swallowed. My throat felt like it had been given a good scrubbing with sandpaper. I opened one eye a slit, hissing against the sharp light. Unless she was hiding in the bathroom, my mother was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is she?"
"I sent her to get a cup of coffee. She was... stressed."
I would have laughed if my head hadn't hurt so badly. "Stressed" was no doubt an understatement. And, knowing my mother, she wasn't the stressed one. She was the causer of stress.
"Besides," Kabita continued, "we need to talk." Her face was expressionless, which didn't bode well.
Frak. Just what I needed. I sighed, closing my eyes again. "Listen, I'm not really up for a convo right
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