Page 35 of Touch of Evil

The pain vanishes and all I feel is peace.

This is it. This is death, calling me away from the darkness.

But it’s not my time.

I barely think the words when a tiny flicker within me sparks into glorious light.

It wakes me with a jolt. I see it, through all the emptiness I left behind, there it is, showing me the path out.

My body explodes with pain and I’m flung like trash onto the shore.

Each cough, each sputter of water, is torturous and glorious at once. I roll onto my back and prop myself into a sitting positing, slapping at my eyes to see what exactly I’m fighting.

The fight doesn’t arrive.

The limb that held me doesn’t try to snatch me away.

No evil army awaits.

It’s just me.

Whatever stole me away is gone. For now.

My body cannot consume enough air fast enough, nor does it stop screaming at me to lie down. But I can’t lie down. I can’t be vulnerable. Not if I want to live and see my family again.

My family. Do they know what’s happened?

And Bren…what’s happening to him?

My surroundings suggest I am in another smaller bubble. Like the one before, dark stone encases the perimeter. As disoriented as I am, I work through my thoughts, picturing how the creature that grabbed me moved. Down and across. Up. Down again. Into the water. And up once more. This entire underwater cavern is one giant labyrinth that leads to multiple pockets of air.

A shaky glance up proves I remain at the bottom of Tahoe. Instead of sand and more insects scurrying along, moonlight peeks through what feels like a mile away from the surface.

A fish swims by, and another. Neither bothering with me.

I’m okay with it. I’m not excited about joining them. There’s no way I can reach the surface alone. Even if I could, I’d never make it to shore without drowning. The waves are rough, and I can barely do more than tread water. Aric taught me as much last summer. He didn’t like that I didn’t know how to swim. It worried him. He was always kind.

The tears I cry from the pain morph into those of a final goodbye. No matter what happens, I know Aric will take care of Celia and their little one. He won’t let anything happen to them. Taran…she’ll always be fine. With her verve, and Gemini there to comfort her, she’ll be okay.

Shayna, my funny and carefree sister, she’ll take it the hardest. Her pep is second only to her heart and the close bond we share as sisters and friends. Koda will hold her and love on her. He won’t let her go, won’t let her hurt alone. Eventually, she’ll make it.

I wipe away my self-pity along with my tears, even though it’s excruciating to do that much. I want to live. I want to see my family and Danny.

And Bren.

Always Bren.

My hand presses to my side as I take a few more painful intakes of air. I’ve never been too hurt to heal. I am now and I need a moment.

No, it was a rough ride. I need more than a moment. I need my magic.

Breathe, I tell myself.Just breathe and get that air you need to focus.

My thoughts are a spiral of emotions and ache, battering me as harshly as that creature did. It’s hard to concentrate and I’m unsure I’m seeing everything I should.

I’m deep beneath Tahoe, of that much, I’m certain. Knowing so doesn’t help me formulate a plan and nothing around me offers a means of escape.

There’s always a way out. All the hardships my sisters and I have endured have taught me that much.

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