Page 67 of High Noon

“Well, that much is true. Still, I know you’ve considered it. There are obvious benefits. I mean, even if she gets mad, she won’t stay that way forever. And you could certainly influence her to get over it.” Asa grinned as he swept shards of broken glass from the bar top to the dusty floor.

“I would never control her emotions that way,” I sniffed.

He snorted. “Again, I think you would, if the situation was dire enough.”

“It isn’t.”

Asa suddenly stood in front of me. "Then prepare yourself, brother. Because you’ll soon know the pain of losing the one you love most."

I had apologized to him. If he refused to accept it, his hatred was no longer my problem. When he started to laugh, I shoved Asa hard. His back broke a section of the bar top off, but it didn’t slow him down. As he quickly rebounded and ran toward me, I eagerly awaited the impact.

In a flash, Eve scrambled down the steps. Her nose was pink and I could still see the trails her tears had carved, but she was fearless as she stepped between me and Asa. “Stop!” she yelled.

Asa reared back like he was going to hit her, however, before he could twitch closer, I had him pinned to the wall by his throat. I’d swiped one of Titus’s stakes on my way to him and dug the tip into the flesh just over his heart. “If you ever…” I panted.

“Enoch. Stop,” Eve pleaded. I flicked my eyes to her and she shook her head. “He’s your brother.”

“We haven’t been brothers for a very long time,” Asa corrected, pushing the stake away from his chest. I let him go and he jerked his shoulder away as I took a measured step back. “I want you all gone,” he seethed, stalking into the back room.

Eve staggered to the right, catching hold of a table to keep herself upright. I was at her side in an instant, holding her up. “What’s wrong?” I begged, looking to her for help, then to Titus, Maru, and Kohana. I scooped her up into my arms. A sheen of sweat glistened on her brow and upper lip and she mumbled something unintelligible. My heart cracked at the sight of her. “Help her, please.”

Titus’s eyes were red from tears. Maru’s as well. “Take her upstairs,” Kohana finally said. “Let her rest.”

Asa shouted from the kitchen. “I told you to leave!”

Much to Asa’s chagrin, I fired back, “We aren’t going anywhere! I’ll pay you for anything we use and for the room.” I carried Eve up the stairs and gently laid her in bed. Kohana fetched a bundle of damp cloths and situated himself in a chair beside her. He withdrew some herbs from his pouch and told Titus to run downstairs and fetch hot water and a spoon.

“She’ll be okay, right?” I asked, desperate to hear him confirm it. I held her hand in mine. Her skin was clammy. Kohana simply shook his head. “This can’t happen,” I said, my voice breaking. “She was just fine. You saw her. She was just… She just broke up a fight. She can’t leave now.”

Maru crouched beside her. “Eve,” he commanded sternly. “Listen to me.” She stirred, almost as if it were a reflex. “Don’t give in. Fight. Do you hear me?” His voice cracked on the last word. “Keep fighting, Eve.”

Titus returned with a spoon and a bowl of hot water, the steam wafting from the surface. Kohana added herbs to the water in varying amounts until he was satisfied. The pungent aroma floated above our heads and filled the air.

Eve began to mumble, “… go home… Titus… fight… Maru.”

“That’s right,” Maru soothed, stroking the hair at her temple. “Fight, Eve. Come back to us.”

She exhaled deeply and then took a deep inhalation. Her eyes fluttered.

Kohana used the spoon to pour some of the liquid into her mouth. She swallowed it weakly, but with each spoonful, she stirred.

Blinking slowly, her eyes focused on me. I squeezed her hand tightly. “Eve.”

Her lips curled up on one side. “Enoch…”

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