Page 48 of Deck of Scarlets
“Where are you taking me?” I questioned. The once beautiful meadow I arrived at did not compare to the gloomy, almost death-like atmosphere now.
“Autumndare Lake. The Blessing isn’t complete,” she clarified.
All at once, the tree’s leaves fell from the now-dead branches, coating the cobblestone path in blood red. Soon, the way widened into an oval-shaped lake, the water lapping against jutted rocks along the shoreline. The path ended with a set of stone stairs, where we stopped, her hand still clasped with mine.
A cold breeze sent loose strands of my hair dancing in the wind. I wanted to run the other way, but my body was cemented in place. “How is it not completed?”
I never got my answer, as the water lapped aggressively against the rocky shoreline, spilling on the dead grass, spraying my feet. The wind picked up, nipping at my cheeks, making the dead leaves fly around, creating an almost mini tornado. A once peaceful oasis veered in the opposite direction, representing the very pits of the underworld.
“The final purification is in Autumndare Lake.” She let go of my hand then, waiting for me to enter the water.
But I hesitated, not on board with the plan. “And if I say no?”
Her hand squeezed my shoulder, just enough to indicate she understood my fear, but instead of comforting words, she guided me herself into the ice-cold water.
The water lapped on my thighs, and my breath hitched from the freezing temperature, goosebumps coating my skin. We walked until it touched just below my breasts, my teeth chattering.
She turned away from me abruptly then, gazing off into the distance, and said, “She who wields, the rest shall follow.”
Puzzled, I watched her attention come back to me. I had no time to respond, as the water began to swirl around my body, pulling me into the current.
Without warning, she put two fingers in the middle of my forehead. “Remember when you need to, not when you have to.”
My vision started to become hazy. “Wait! Please!”
“Remember when you need to.”
Blackness began to creep in, clouding every sense, the water coming in bigger waves, submerging my head. When I broke the surface, I gulped a lungful of air, shouting, “Stop! Please!”
She barely moved an inch, the waves avoiding her altogether. “Not when you have to.”
I got sucked under, my air supply cut off, the memory of her stone face engraved inside my head. I tried to swim to the surface, my arms thrashing along with my legs, but the water was too strong no matter how hard I fought against it. All at once, my strength withered, the last of my oxygen dissipated, and I started to sink, water entering my mouth. The outer edges of my vision turned black, closing in, ready to face the unknown, or most likely death, but before I succumbed to the comfort of nothingness, beyond the veil of haze, a soft, golden glow illuminated before me.
I sank deeper, my hand outstretched, as my eyelids closed with the final memory of the golden glow coming from my fingertips.
Chapter Twenty
Jerking forward, I threw up water all over myself, coughing until air passed through my lungs. Hard intakes of breath left my throat raw and dry, while I regained my sense of awareness. Leaning my head back, I stared at the ceiling, counting backward from ten. The front of my long, white night grown was soaked, the water dripping lazily down my legs. What the fuck just happened? My nerves were shot, and my body shook in a way it never had before. I needed to get a grip, otherwise I might pass out. Counting backward one more time, trying to steady my heart, I was able to lift my head enough to get a sense of where I was.
The room was furnished with multiple beds lined neatly in a row, with machines ready to be used. White bedspreads identical to one another covered every twin-sized bed I could see. I wiggled my toes and fingers, ensuring mobility and that my limbs were intact. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different about me. Soft light entered the room from a nearby window, dust dancing in the sunshine. Where the fuck was Heather? Was she in a different room? I hoped everything was okay, and maybe her reaction to the Blessing was less intense than mine.
My mind felt murky, almost like a thin sheet covered something important I couldn’t grasp right away, or at all, and that left an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Sitting up, a slight sting came from my left arm where I noticed an IV drip was inserted. I tugged, feeling where the needle was embedded. Breathing through my nose, I counted backward from three and ripped it from my flesh, a pool of blood spilling from the small wound down my forearm. Swinging my legs over, I planted my feet on the cold tiles, the chill running up my spine. Adjusting the nightgown, I braced myself, standing, surprised to find solidarity within.
Not a second thought crossed my mind as I made my way across the room, heading to the first door I saw, the taste of freedom on my tongue. If I could locate Heather, then I could get us the hell out of here and find a safe place to hide. Victory sprang forward when I reached for the golden doorknob, only to open it to find Josh standing just outside the threshold, a water bottle in hand.
He was wearing jeans and a casual shirt, his hair in disarray. He had sun-kissed skin and flushed cheeks from the heat of mid-September. Brown locks of loose curls dangled on his forehead, his eyes as blue as the sea squinting in suspicion.
“You’re awake and wet,” he said. It didn’t go unnoticed how his eyes traveled down my body, especially to the exposed wound where the IV was previously stationed, a dried line of blood down to my wrist. “And bleeding.”
My eyes darted from the small space beyond the door to Josh, contemplating kicking him straight in the balls to flee. If I aimed it just right, I’d have enough time to slip right by before he could catch up.
Between where I stood and the tiny escape route was enough to take the leap of faith. I lifted my leg without remorse, heading straight for his manhood.
He caught my ankle before it reached its target. “Easy, killer.” Josh’s reflexes were quicker than I expected.
I hopped backward, his grip tight around my ankle in midair. “Let go of me!” I used the door for leverage, trying not to lose my balance, unsuccessful in trying to shake him off.