“Ann, are you okay?”
Ann mumbled something inaudible.
“What’s wrong with you? Could you hand me my towel?” Sam wrapped her arms around her body, shivering and doing her best to cover herself.
Ann didn’t blink. “S-sorry, S-sam,” she slurred. Ann handed Sam her towel, extending her arm with a shaky hand. She stumbled out of the bathroom in a groggy trance-like state. Sam wrapped her towel around herself and followed Ann into her room, but the dormitory door slammed shut. Ann had disappeared into the hallway.
Sam hurried back into her room, feeling desperate to speak with Chase. She slipped on a pair of skinny jeans, an eggplant-colored long-sleeved shirt that dipped in the front, exposing a hint of Sam’s not-so-voluptuous cleavage, and a pair of black ballet flats. She threw her hair back, not bothering to dry it, and dabbed on concealer, blush, mascara and an application of her rose-colored lip gloss.
Chase answered, wedging the door open only enough to peer out at her. “What, Samantha?”
“When are you going to stop being mad at me?”
“I don’t know,” he said flatly.
“You’re being ridiculous.” Sam used her shoulder to put her weight into the door. Chase held it securely. She pushed harder. He resisted even more. “Stop acting like a child.” With a deep breath, Sam channeled all of her energy into the door, hurling herself into it. It flung open, sending Chase flying onto his roommate’s bed, both feet in the air with his back flat against the mattress. The door smashed into the closet door with a loud crash and bounced back into Sam. She shot her hand up quickly, blocking the door before it hit her.
“Shit, Samantha…you’re strong! And your reflexes! That door should’ve swung back and hit you.”
“I’m stronger than you now.” Sam smiled, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Hardly,” he grunted. Chase pulled himself upright and balanced on the wadded ball his roommate had made out of his comforter. “I let you push the door open.”
“Seriously, are you okay? I didn’t mean to.” Sam shut the door, wanting to check if she’d hurt him, but also not wanting to invade his personal space.
“I think I need a hug. My shoulder hurts.” Chase pouted, rotating his shoulder in backward circles.
Screw personal space. He was acting like an ass. “Aren’t you supposed to be a tough football player? And you don’t get a hug. You lied to me. You never told me that you spied on me at Evrik’s.”
“Yes, I did.” He fell backward attempting to roll off the comforter mound and got tied up into the sheets. “I told you I was the bat.”
“The blue-eyed deer?”
“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell you. Trust me, I told you before you lost your memory. We’ve already had this conversation, Samantha.”
“You still lied by omission.”
“So I’m supposed to tell you everything I’ve done since we’ve known each other. That might take a while.” Chase finally freed himself from the wadded cotton nightmare his roommate called bedding.
“I guess you’re right,” Sam accepted. “Are there any other things you want to tell me about before I remember them myself?”
“No—” He teetered off of his roommate’s bed, grimacing as he removed a pair of worn boxers from his lap. “You should know that I stood frozen in the cold for hours. And thanks for your help, by the way. Yeah—I saw you that day. You just left me there, frozen. You could’ve at least thrown a blanket around me.”
“It serves you right for spying on—” her words snapped. Everything suddenly went black.
Sam stumbled over a pile of laundry and dropped to her knees, landing on the cushion of khakis, a long-sleeved Polo, and a heap of stinky socks.
She felt like razor blades were slicing through her head. Damn Vicky. She was probably upstairs roaring with laughter, delighted by the pain the memories created. Her memories were becoming more intense and occurring more frequently now. She clutched her head tightly at the tidal wave of smells, images and sounds…
“Sam—Are you okay? You don’t look well. I’m really worried about you.” Chase paced back and forth from one side of Sam’s dorm room to the other, finally stopping right in front of her.
“I’m fine, Chase.” She stood firmly between her bed and Lauren’s.
“Don’t tell me you’re fine. You don’t ever leave the dorm without Alea or Evrik, except to eat and go to class. What’s going on? Is it Evrik?” His brows dipped accusingly.
“No, Evrik hasn’t done anything.” Sam turned away, placing her stare on the bathroom door, anywhere other than Chase’s disappointed frown.
“Don’t lie to me, Samantha. If you aren’t with him, you’re with Alea. They’re strange. There’s something off about both of them. Haven’t you noticed?”
Sam ignored Chase’s comment. She walked over to her bed, pulling down her comforter and fluffing her pillow. “Chase—is there something you need? If not, I’d like to get ready for bed.”
“Get ready for bed?” his voice growled—literally growled, like Sam’s childhood pet German Shepherd. “It’s a Saturday night and you want to go to bed at eight.” His irritated growl turned into a persuasive whisper. Sam felt like her friend was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, only Hyde was an angry dog, not a misanthrope. “Samantha—please come out with me. We can go get something to eat—off campus, or walk around the mall, anything to get you off this campus.”
Walk around the mall. He must really be desperate, Sam thought.
“I can’t. You don’t understand. Evrik will be here soon. Please—Chase—just leave,” Sam pleaded.
“Evrik—” Chase’s face turned beet-red and he started to shake. “Come to think of it, I’m going to stay right here with you tonight. We can all hang out—the three of us. I have a few things I’d like to discuss with Evrik anyway.”
Sam had to laugh. “You have totally lost your mind. Get out. Go do whatever jughead jocks do on Saturday nights and leave me alone to spend time with my boyfriend.” She pointed to the door, stomping into the bathroom to compose herself. Moments later she reentered her room, but Chase was gone. She had obviously hurt his feelings.
Evrik only came by for an hour. Sam really did want to go to bed. She told Evrik she would be going to Chase’s game Monday night. Sam felt really bad about how she’d treated him. Chase was only trying to help, and he was right—she did feel trapped.
Evrik was much more understanding than Chase was, as always. “Whatever you need to do,” Evrik had said. “Chase is right. You need to leave this campus and experience your college life. I was wrong to trap you in my own fears. I’m sorry.”
“But what about the Kavari?” Sam had asked.
“Don’t worry about the Kavari. I’ll deal with them.” Sam could tell he was torn between protecting her and wanting her have a normal college life.
It was Monday night. She hadn’t spoken to Evrik or Chase since Saturday. English class had been canceled, so her hopes of seeing Evrik were crushed. Sam felt torn in two. Lauren and Ann offered to go to the game with her. Vicky was not as understanding. Sam wondered why Vicky even cared. Sam wished she could tell her human friends the real reason for her hermit-like behavior.
The game started at seven. Sam, Lauren, and Ann chose seats near the front of the stands, right behind the team. Sam hoped Chase would see her. She needed him to see how sorry she was.
After the team entered the field, Chase gave her a nod from the sideline, indicating that things were okay between them. He played really well, running the ball into the end zone for the winning touchdown. Sam was amazed at how he plowed through the defensive players like they were standing still—and they were big guys.
After the game, Chase met Sam next to the entrance of the stadium, wearing a goofy smile. “Hey, you,” he said.
“Hey yourself.” They shared a laugh.
“Are we talking again?”
“I hope so. Who else is going to barge into my room every day
to bother me with his continuous rambling?”
“Where did everyone go?” Chase asked.
“They left. I told them I was going to wait for you.” She touched his arm.
“I’m glad you did.” He smiled warmly.
“Me, too.”
“Where’s Evrik?” he asked briskly.
“I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to him since Saturday night. He’s probably just giving me my space.”
“Good, I’m glad to have you to myself,” he said, looping one arm around her and guiding her into his chest. She was relieved to hear his playful response.
“Don’t get any ideas,” Sam replied. “I’m still spoken for. Plus, you smell like sweat.”
“Yeah—yeah, you know you like my sweaty arms.” His arm felt damp across her cold back.
“Eww…you’re such a boy.” Sam tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge.
Sam sank deeper into his one-armed hug. “By the way, I’m sorry for what I said to you Saturday. You’re not a jughead jock. You were just concerned, and I overreacted.”
“Don’t worry about it. Can I walk you back to the dorm?”
“That’s what I was hoping. I’m not walking through this creepy campus alone at night.” Sam’s smile widened. Sometimes she felt so torn between the human and the magical worlds. At the moment, she was content in her human world.
The sun set much earlier now. The winter months crept in with the darkness. She had sudden chills; the temperature had taken a nosedive. On campus, the overhead lights shone down on the deep crevices in the stone buildings, casting eerie shadows and intensifying Sam’s goose bumps. She moved closer to Chase; the campus was oddly quiet. They reached the path leading to the dormitories. The towering trees blocked the moon’s cast, causing the forest to look black. As Sam’s pupils adjusted to the darkness, an unsettling tingle inched up her spine.
Chase grabbed her hand and began swinging her arm, making her forget about her uneasy feeling. He didn’t seem to be bothered by the darkness. “So, Sam Spam, what are your plans for the evening?”
“Sam Spam. I don’t think so. Don’t call me that again.”
“What? It’s cute.” He smirked.
“It’s mystery meat…gross.” She wrenched her hand from his and made a gagging noise.
“That’s attractive.”
“Don’t make me hurt you, Chase Andrew Flynn.” Sam lunged for his arm, but he retracted it quickly and she missed, falling directly into him. He threw his arms around her.
“Truce, I give up. Now let me go.” He squeezed her tighter and released his firm grip.
She turned to continue walking, but something in the trees made her stop. Fear immobilized every part of her body. Then she realized what it was.
The red eyes were angry and fixed on her. Her fight-or-flight instinct rose to the surface of her cool skin. She wasn’t sure whether to run or scream. Not that it mattered—she was unable to move. Sam remembered the night in the woods, at the reservoir. It was the first night she learned about the dangerous creatures. She couldn’t let Chase get involved in this. He could end up hurt or even killed.
“Is everything okay?” Chase questioned, interrupting her thoughts and standing a few feet in front of her.
“No—” She shuddered. “You have to run. It’s not safe for you to be here,” Sam gasped as loud as she could, but her voice sounded muffled through her short, rapid pants.
“Samantha, I’m not leaving you here alone. What’s wrong?” Following her gaze, Chase looked out into the trees. “Is there something out there?”
Before Sam could answer, what she assumed to be a Kavari jumped out of the woods, taking Chase down to the ground in one swift movement. The wild monster slashed his long, jagged nails through Chase’s chest, hammering him backward onto a rock, knocking him unconscious.
Sam stood alone, waiting for the same fate. Another Kavari appeared from behind a thick tree trunk, standing only a few feet from her. Both creatures watched her with their fierce red eyes. She wondered which one was going to devour her. She was trapped; danger stood in both directions. Even if she tried to run, they would catch her. There was nowhere for her to go. They were too fast.
The creature behind her fell backward, as if he had been pushed, but there was no one else around. He flew into the same tree trunk he had been hiding behind, emitting an unholy howl. The other Kavari sprang at her. Sam dropped to the ground, ducking. He was immediately thrown into a tree, keeping him from landing directly on top of her. Her hands violently caught her fall. The skin on her palms ripped on the pavement. The pain raked through her arms and traveled up into her shoulder blades. She couldn’t figure out what was happening. Nothing had pushed the monsters, yet they had been thrown into the trees.
She lifted her head to see Draylan hovering in protection. “Sam, stay down,” he shouted.
“What about Chase? He’s hurt.”
“Everything’s going to be okay. The others are on their way,” Draylan assured her.
The two Kavari gradually stood up, stumbling onto their bare feet. They shook their heads, trying to process what had just occurred. The larger one, with horrible skin and lurid bright-green hair, grunted in the direction of his partner and retreated into the woods.
The smaller one, who appeared to be a very ugly female, stood in offense, ready to strike at any moment. Her clothing hung wildly and barely covered her unattractive body. She locked her red eyes on Draylan and then down to Sam, squinting in disgust.
A large roar erupted through the trees. Evrik swung himself from a thick tree branch, landing gracefully between the Kavari woman and Sam. He lifted his arms, displaying an enormous bow and arrow. With his massive arm, he pulled back on the string. Within a split-second, he released the arrow, slinging it forward into the creature. The woman hit the ground with the arrow pierced directly through her heart.
Evrik bent down and threw his arms around Sam. The hard, strong lines on his forehead crumpled.
“I’m okay,” she said. “Please don’t worry.”
“If anything had happened to you…” His words broke.
“Nothing happened.” Sam nestled her head into his chest.
Alea and Malachi arrived seconds later. Alea scooped Chase into a cradle hold. Sam was surprised by Alea’s strength. Chase wasn’t a small guy. Alea lifted her chin up and down slowly, assuring Sam that Chase would be okay and then carried him away. Malachi ran into the woods after the male, his nose in the air, tracking his sent. Draylan was right behind, the woman’s dead body slung over his shoulder. They disappeared into the shadows. It was the last thing Sam saw before breathing out one final sigh, permitting her body’s surrender to the numbing blackness—she fainted.
Sam’s senses began to return. She felt the coldness of the damp cloth on her forehead. It was an icy contrast to the heat tickling the left side of her body. The warm sensation felt comforting. Sam heard a crackling, popping sound against the backdrop of silence. She could smell the ashy scent of burning wood and realized the warmth and the smell came from a roaring fire. Sam’s sight returned last. The figure sitting next to her appeared as a black shadow within a sea of white, like a silhouette. Her pupils opened and the black slowly turned to lavender. She realized she was with Evrik in his home. The moonlight glistened through the window like a bright smile, illuminating his skin from above. She was safe.
“Evrik,” she mumbled, sitting up to see him clearly.
“Yes, I’m here.”
“Is everyone safe?” she asked. “Oh, God, Chase,” she gasped.
“Chase is safe. Alea went with him to the hospital.”
“Hospital!”
“Apparently, after he dropped you off at the dorm last night, he went back out to get something to eat and was attacked by someone, probably a drug dealer from the city. During the attack, he fell back and hit his head on a rock, so he’s suffering from a mild concussion and doesn’t remember what happened. Alea found him and pushed the
emergency call button on campus. He’s recovering and wants you to visit him tomorrow. He’ll only be in the hospital for a few days.”
Sam’s eyes widened. She fought to keep her mouth from dropping open any wider than it already had. Would anyone really believe this? Did Chase really believe this? He was right next to her when they were attacked—and it was not a drug dealer—it wasn’t even human.
Then she remembered about Evrik’s ability. He could make anyone, except for her, believe whatever he wanted. It was quite convenient if you had a secret to keep.
“And the others?” she asked.
“They’re fine. Alea’s keeping an eye on Chase over at the hospital. Malachi just called. He and Draylan followed the Kavari back to a town just inside Pennsylvania. He’s going to call when he knows something. They would’ve killed him, but they wanted him to lead them back to his clan. This should provide us with more information, let us know how many of them there are and where they’re hiding out.”
“Next time you speak to Draylan, please let him know how grateful I am to him for saving our lives.” Draylan was the last person she’d expected to come to their rescue, but he did, and she would forever be thankful that he’d saved Chase’s life.
“He knows. He was there to protect you.” Evrik focused on the plush brown blanket he’d thrown down to buffer the hardwood floor beneath them. The fire flickered just a foot away.
“Are you okay?” Sam asked.
“I should have been there to protect you.” He looked away, and then returned to meet her eyes. “Saturday night, after we talked, I didn’t leave you. Instead of going home, I stayed in the forest outside of your window. I stayed with you all day Sunday and into Sunday night to make sure you were safe. Alea came to find me Monday morning. She told me I had to get some rest and eat something.” He broke his stare, watching the embers flare red and dance in the fireplace. “I shouldn’t have listened to her.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Evrik,” Sam said, maybe a bit harsher than she’d intended. “How long did you think you could go without eating or sleeping? Alea was right. Without rest and food, you wouldn’t have had the strength to fight them. You can’t hold this burden alone.”
Emanare (Destined, #1) Page 16
