Shadowed (Unbound, Book 2)

Chapter Five

I didn't wait to see Calin leave before racing to the break in the clearing I hadn't yet explored. Wanting to run, I forced myself to keep my pace slow, savoring everything that I passed. The smell of fresh grass and wildflowers, the lush emerald of the leaves, and even the gentle breeze that kept me cooled without chilling me.

The view ahead revealed itself slowly with each step I took forward like the curtain of a play revealing its first act—more like the encore when actors receive their accolades from their audience. It wasn't until I neared its edge that I realized the hillside was a misrepresentation to disguise a cliff. The rocks at the bottom could have proven fatal if I'd fallen.

The breeze abruptly settled, leaving within me a sense of calm.

I sat with my legs dangling over the cliff's edge, spreading my hands behind me as I filled the space meant for no more than two. It was unbelievable. I looked around and smiled, feeling at ease as the view trumped that of the clearing. It made me feel as though I was dangling over the edge of a diving board—tethered but free. Though falling off wouldn't get me wet, it would get me dead. Wickenton sat to the right and rolling hills, just as bright as the grass of the clearing, sprawled to the left. Straight ahead was a lake, calm and shiny with no breeze to ripple its surface, the sun like the reflection of light in a mirror upon its center.

I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, lost to the tranquility of its fresh smell filled with the scents of rain and nature and... lavender? Where was that coming from? It was so intense but there hadn't been any fields close by—I certainly didn't see any now—and I hadn't caught the fragrance in the clearing.

Suddenly, the image of a smiling woman appeared behind my closed lids. She looked so young and happy and carefree, I was instantly jealous of her and the dog she played with. Was this me? No. The woman was in her twenties, maybe thirties. But she was so familiar.

She laughed, the sound chiming in my head like musical triangles tinkling in harmony. She was happy and I felt her elation through some sort of transference, the roof of my mouth itching until it tickled the inner part of my ears as the memory tried to surface. The chiming grew louder and louder, the memory closer and closer.

A crunch of leaves behind me snapped my eyes back open. All of my progress was lost. I turned in anger, ready to blame the transgressor for its interruption, but realized the chimes in my head hadn't been musical at all. The woman wasn't laughing. It had been the timer on my watch reminding me of my limits.

"I've been waiting a half hour, Nora," Calin accused. He was standing over me so his body shadowed me, but I couldn't make out his features through the glare of the sun. "You promised ten minutes."

"I set my watch." I held out my arm to show him the beeping timepiece and he pulled me up, turning the alarm off as he lifted. "I didn't hear it."

"Obviously."

I brushed off the seat of my pants and looked up at him, but his gaze was transfixed to a spot on the ground. I followed his stare and sucked in a deep breath. No wonder lavender had overpowered me—I'd nearly sat right on top of a small patch of it.

"Huh. I didn't even notice that when I sat down. Isn't it beautiful? It smells amazing," I said but he didn't look back up at me. "Calin? Hello?" I snapped my fingers in his face. "If you don't answer me I'm driving the rest of the way."

"What?" He jerked his head to look at me, darting his eyes back to the lavender and then to me.

"Finally! What's your deal?"

"I'm sorry. We should go."

I rolled my eyes and studied him as his eyes once again darted to the ground. "Dude, it's lavender. Let's go."