Page 76 of High Noon

Slowly, the buzzing in my ears faded and the world realigned. My eyes snapped open.

I stood up. Enoch watched me rise, still on his knees where I’d fallen.

Kohana stared at me as though I was his nightmare come true because I was, and now there was nothing he could do to stop me. Enoch wouldn’t let him.

The scene shifted. I was in the woods. Alone. Spinning in a slow circle, I whispered, “Where are Maru and Titus?” Terah emerged from behind the trunk of a tree, wearing a dress of wide, alternating purple and white stripes that stretched from her nape to dust the toes of her boots.

She lunged at me.

I went invisible.

She spun in a circle, eyes darting as she waited for me to emerge. I clasped my stake and was already swinging it when I reappeared in front of her.

“Eve, no!” someone screamed, but it was too late to stop me.

She sucked in a watery breath as her shoulders caved toward the wound like a pair of broken wings.

“Eve, what have you done?”

My eyes cleared as Terah fell to the dusty ground and a pair of strong hands wrapped around my upper arms. They squeezed tight. Shook me. A cloud of dust stung my eyes and I blinked the dust away. Enoch appeared through the haze.

“What did you do?”

“What?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.

Asa let out a wail. “She’s dead.”

My lips parted. I wasn’t in the woods anymore, I was outside the saloon. Kohana was still slumped near the back door. Where did Terah come from? My stomach vibrated violently. I looked up into Enoch’s feverish green eyes.

“I don’t understand.”

Terah’s feet pushed at the ground as she tried to suck in a breath. Her wounded heart was still trying to beat around the stake, but couldn’t. Her lips parted like a fish out of water, then she let out a final, long sigh, going limp in Asa’s arms.

Asa looked to Enoch with a look of terror and awe, then locked eyes with me. “You killed her?”

I shook my head. “No, I...” Tears filled my eyes. “Did I?” I asked Enoch, who could only nod.

Shaking my head rapidly, I pulled away, confused. “She wasn’t even here!”

“She just stepped out the back door. You went invisible and staked her before any of us could find you,” he answered, his voice haunted.

“I didn’t mean to…” But I did. I meant to. I struck her to protect myself. She came after me in the wood… no, here. She must have attacked me. “I’m sorry,” I offered weakly, my voice saturated with tears.

Asa left his sister and was in front of me in a flash. “Sorry does not bring her back!” he roared. Spittle flew into my face.

I covered my mouth. I don’t understand what happened! “I didn’t mean to, I swear. I… we were in the woods, but then we were here. I thought I was dreaming again, but this time Maru and Titus weren’t in it.”

“You asked where they were,” Enoch answered quietly. “Your eyes were glassy and unfocused.”

“She wasn’t dreaming,” Asa snapped.

“I was, I swear! I was in the woods, and then she came out from behind a tree. She lashed out and I swung the stake, not expecting it to connect.”

“But it did!” Asa shouted. He began to pace. “I never should have bitten you. I should have let you die!”

Enoch pinched his eyes closed.

“I’m sorry, Enoch,” I pleaded.

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