Read Online Under A Blood Moon (Elemental Enchanters) by Carrigan Richards - Free Book Online
Authors: Carrigan Richards
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touched the right side of her head and winced at its tenderness. “I don’t know.”
“Were you feeling lightheaded?”
“No. Not at all.”
“You don’t remember anything? I came into the lunchroom before you, but you never came in. And after a few minutes, you still weren’t there. I just walked out here and found you sprawled on the ground.” She felt him stiffen. “It was Xavier, wasn’t it? Did he hurt you?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“I knew he would.” He checked the back of her head. “You aren’t bleeding. But you have a knot now. I’d still get that checked out. You must have been hit pretty hard if you can’t remember—and since you totally blacked out. Do you hurt anywhere else?”
“No,” she said. His touch stirred the butterflies in her stomach. “I don’t feel any pain.”
“I’m sure it’ll start hurting soon. Come on, I’ll take you to the nurse.”
The bell shrilly sounded, echoing in the hallway, followed by loud voices over voices and the shuffling of students exiting the lunchroom. Just as Peter helped Ava to her feet, Thomas pushed him aside, and grasped her.
“What did you do to her?” Thomas demanded Peter while the rest of her friends circled around her.
Ava pressed her hand against his chest. “Thomas, don’t.”
“What? What is it, Babe?”
“What happened?” Melissa asked.
“I think Xavier knocked her out,” Peter said.
“And I think we can handle it from here,” Thomas replied.
Ava met Peter’s eyes and silently apologized.
“Why would Xavier hit you?” Jeremy asked.
“I can’t remember.”
Thomas pulled her into an embrace. “I’ll take care of him. He won’t hurt you again.”
He smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. She loosened his grip slightly to tell Peter she’d talk to him later, but he had already walked away. The throbbing returned. Ava buried her head into Thomas’s chest to ease the pain, but it only got worse.
“My head.” She winced.
“Here.” Gillian reached in her purse and then dumped two pills in Ava’s hand. “Take these.”
“Do you remember anything at all?” Melissa asked.
“I sorta remember talking to Xavier. Trying to figure out what he was doing.”
“You shouldn’t have been talking to him,” Gillian said. “Why can’t you just leave it alone? It doesn’t concern you. We don’t need you to go disappearing on us and suddenly wind up in his court, okay?”
“Okay. But I saw him,” Ava said. “That day you fainted.” She looked up at Thomas. “He walked by at the same time. And then you couldn’t remember anything. Could he…could he be like us?”
“Like us? How?” Melissa asked.
“Wait, you fainted?” Lance raised his eyebrows.
They all looked at Thomas.
“It might have happened. I don’t remember.”
Ava rolled her eyes and removed herself from his crushing grasp.
Jeremy pushed his glasses up. “I don’t think he’s like us. I think he’s just some manipulative bully who persuaded Kristen and the rest to be his friends.”
“I don’t understand why he’s doing this.” Ava shook her head. “I’m going home.”
“I’ll take you.” Thomas took her hand.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just see you later.”
He sighed. “Why won’t you let me help you?”
“Not now. I’ll call you later.”
Lance grabbed his shoulder. “Come on, man, we’ve got practice.”
Ava walked toward the door as the bell rang and out to her car. Who was Xavier Holstone? Was he like them? Did he have powers, too? Had the same thing happened to Thomas, Andre, and her?
Ava awoke to the sound of a car door closing. She raised her head to see the time. Five thirty. Sleep had erased her headache, for now at least. She yawned but then cried out. The side of her jaw throbbed intensely. Her hands flew to her face and it felt puffy and tight.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered and went into the bathroom.
Ava flicked on the light and gasped. The ghastly bruise
“Were you feeling lightheaded?”
“No. Not at all.”
“You don’t remember anything? I came into the lunchroom before you, but you never came in. And after a few minutes, you still weren’t there. I just walked out here and found you sprawled on the ground.” She felt him stiffen. “It was Xavier, wasn’t it? Did he hurt you?”
“I-I don’t know.”
“I knew he would.” He checked the back of her head. “You aren’t bleeding. But you have a knot now. I’d still get that checked out. You must have been hit pretty hard if you can’t remember—and since you totally blacked out. Do you hurt anywhere else?”
“No,” she said. His touch stirred the butterflies in her stomach. “I don’t feel any pain.”
“I’m sure it’ll start hurting soon. Come on, I’ll take you to the nurse.”
The bell shrilly sounded, echoing in the hallway, followed by loud voices over voices and the shuffling of students exiting the lunchroom. Just as Peter helped Ava to her feet, Thomas pushed him aside, and grasped her.
“What did you do to her?” Thomas demanded Peter while the rest of her friends circled around her.
Ava pressed her hand against his chest. “Thomas, don’t.”
“What? What is it, Babe?”
“What happened?” Melissa asked.
“I think Xavier knocked her out,” Peter said.
“And I think we can handle it from here,” Thomas replied.
Ava met Peter’s eyes and silently apologized.
“Why would Xavier hit you?” Jeremy asked.
“I can’t remember.”
Thomas pulled her into an embrace. “I’ll take care of him. He won’t hurt you again.”
He smoothed her hair and kissed her forehead. She loosened his grip slightly to tell Peter she’d talk to him later, but he had already walked away. The throbbing returned. Ava buried her head into Thomas’s chest to ease the pain, but it only got worse.
“My head.” She winced.
“Here.” Gillian reached in her purse and then dumped two pills in Ava’s hand. “Take these.”
“Do you remember anything at all?” Melissa asked.
“I sorta remember talking to Xavier. Trying to figure out what he was doing.”
“You shouldn’t have been talking to him,” Gillian said. “Why can’t you just leave it alone? It doesn’t concern you. We don’t need you to go disappearing on us and suddenly wind up in his court, okay?”
“Okay. But I saw him,” Ava said. “That day you fainted.” She looked up at Thomas. “He walked by at the same time. And then you couldn’t remember anything. Could he…could he be like us?”
“Like us? How?” Melissa asked.
“Wait, you fainted?” Lance raised his eyebrows.
They all looked at Thomas.
“It might have happened. I don’t remember.”
Ava rolled her eyes and removed herself from his crushing grasp.
Jeremy pushed his glasses up. “I don’t think he’s like us. I think he’s just some manipulative bully who persuaded Kristen and the rest to be his friends.”
“I don’t understand why he’s doing this.” Ava shook her head. “I’m going home.”
“I’ll take you.” Thomas took her hand.
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just see you later.”
He sighed. “Why won’t you let me help you?”
“Not now. I’ll call you later.”
Lance grabbed his shoulder. “Come on, man, we’ve got practice.”
Ava walked toward the door as the bell rang and out to her car. Who was Xavier Holstone? Was he like them? Did he have powers, too? Had the same thing happened to Thomas, Andre, and her?
Ava awoke to the sound of a car door closing. She raised her head to see the time. Five thirty. Sleep had erased her headache, for now at least. She yawned but then cried out. The side of her jaw throbbed intensely. Her hands flew to her face and it felt puffy and tight.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered and went into the bathroom.
Ava flicked on the light and gasped. The ghastly bruise
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