When the Raven Calls

Chapter 20

"COME ON," SOMEONE WAS SAYING, "I want to show you something!"

"Go away," I moaned, pulling the covers tighter around me. I hadn't managed to get to sleep until the sun was starting to come up, and I need rest, dammit.

"Come on, Sam!" Thomas said, as excited as a little boy waking up on the day of the Winter Festival.

"No. Go away," I mumbled. A second later, cold air flooded over me as the blanket was ripped away. I pulled my limbs in tighter, shivering.

"Get up!" he snapped, frustrated.

"I'm too tired for this."

"I'll make you coffee," he offered, and my eyes opened.

***

AN HOUR LATER, we were wandering down the street, steaming cups in our hands.

"This wasn't really make so much as buy," I pointed out, enjoying the bitter taste nonetheless.

"I would've burnt it if I tried to make it, you know that."

"Yeah. Wait, can you burn coffee?" I asked, taking another sip.

"I'm not sure," he said, getting distracted. "Oh, here!"

He grabbed my hand, dragging me to the side, where a line of bushes stood, and out of the pedestrian traffic.

"Chris and I were exploring one time," he explained as he dragged me through a nearly impossible to find gap in between two of the bushes, "and we found this, and it's really awesome."

"What is it?" I asked and he dragged me around a maze of twists and turns.

"You'll see," he promised. A few minutes passed with nothing but him guiding me and answering my questions in vague, unsatisfying ways, and then... well, then my breath was stolen by the beauty that surrounded me.

A lake lay before me, its surface steaming slightly where the water was colder than the air being warmed with the sun's rays. Ripples from fish danced across the water's surface, and a gentle breeze blowing by stirred the bright yellow flowers that lay nestled in small groups along the water's edge, carrying their wild, sweet scent to me. Across the lake, I could see a symphony of colors in the trees--flashing reds and glowing oranges, crumpled brown leaves scattered across the forest floor while still-yellow leaves clung to the trees in bursts of honey-gold and molten sunlight. Huge trees with dark wood and beautiful white-and-pink blossoms were scattered through, and as I watched, petals blew off in the autumn wind and landed on the lake, causing cascaded of tiny ripples.

"Thomas, it's... it's gorgeous," I breathed, afraid to close my eyes in case the serene scene would disappear on me.

"I thought so, too," he said, smiling down at me. We went and sat at the water's edge, and I watch the waves come in and out, smiling down as tiny purple butterflies fluttered across the yellow flowers and throughout the trees on the other side.

We just sat like that for quite a while, taking in the scenery, relishing the in fact that we were both alive and together. We took those precious minutes to enjoy the peace and quiet, and for once, to let our minds wander free from the tight grip of reality.

***

OF COURSE, WE had to snap back out of it sometime, sadly.

"Sam," Thomas said, frowning slightly. "What's that on your arm?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's probably nothing. I might have a bruise or something," I said, closing my eyes and enjoying the way the breeze felt against my face.

"No, see, that's what I thought at first too, but I've been looking at it for a while--"

"You've been staring at my arm for a while?" I asked, amused.

"Seriously, Sam. I don't know what it is, but I've got a bad feeling."

I sighed. "Where is it?" I asked, looking down at my arm. He point at a spot on the outside of my forearm, and I turned to see it.

I frowned. He was right--something was there, but it definitely wasn't a bruise. It was very faint, but it you looked close enough, it was almost like... like the veins were turning black.

But that was crazy. Nobody had black veins, not even the Tainted. I poked it once or twice, but it didn't hurt, exactly. It was more like a faint, indescribable sensation flew through my body.

"So? What is it?" he asked, looking at me.

"I don't know. I'm sure it's nothing, though," I reassured him, seeing his troubled look. "Besides, if the worst thing I have to deal with is an oddly shaped bruise, I'd say we're doing pretty well."

He still looked troubled. "I guess."

"Hey, don't worry about it," I urged him, pushing away a nagging feeling that this was something we should worry about. "We should be getting back soon--otherwise Macey gonna go all ninja on your butt and start attacking you because you kidnapped me or something."

That at least warranted a laugh, and we stood, gathering our things and turning back and away from the beautiful, peaceful lake.

It wasn't until hours later that it occurred to me that that was the exact spot Warren Yaxley's ring had touched my skin that night I was blasted away from him.