The River (Book 3 of The Claiming Series)

Chapter Fourteen

I know my mother is here before I open my eyes.

The familiar stinging smell of disinfectant is here, too, but my mother's scent is the strongest and most familiar. My whole body seems to sigh with relief.

I blink my eyes, squinting at first, and then let them adjust.

Bright white walls and machines and a light wooded door. I'm lying in a narrow bed, slightly raised up, wearing a loose-fitted cotton gown.

I know exactly where I am, and despite hating hospitals and the IV attached to my arm, I'm so thankful to be home.

My mother is sitting in a chair beside my bed, leaning over onto my thin mattress and using her arms as a pillow for her head. She's sleeping.

I crane my neck to the other side of the room and see a large window with the blinds open.

It's night.

I turn back to my mom. She's always been so pretty, so young-looking. She's only thirty-six.

I was born when she was my age.

I can't imagine that fear—being so young with a child to look after. She had my father, though. Still has him.

I reach out with my arm, and wince, remembering the infection in my hand.

But when I look at my hand, it's unwrapped, bandages gone, coloration normal. Only light scars remain. I touch my mom on the shoulder with no pain.

She gasps awake, sitting upright. Her eyes lock on mine, and she smiles so big I want to hug her. "Mave!" She hugs me first with her lean, gentle arms. She holds my hands tightly when she sits back in her chair. "You're finally awake," she says with absolute relief in her voice.

"Finally?" I say, my voice coming out as a rasp. My throat hurts. It's so incredibly dry.

Mom can tell, and she reaches behind her towards a little table that folds down from the wall. She picks up a small plastic cup of water and hands it to me.

As I drink, she smiles sympathetically. "You've been out for around five days."

I nearly choke on the water.

"You're okay, though! Your doctor said it was your body's defense mechanism. You just shut down from exhaustion."

"For five days," I whisper in disbelief.

Mom pauses for a moment, something shifting in her eyes. "Eli brought you back, straight here to the hospital. He called us as soon as he could."

Eli.

"You were so mangled, I—I almost lost it. I was so mad at him at first... but I know who to really blame for this whole mess. I apologized to him the next day when he came to visit you."

"Who are you mad at," I whisper. "Is it me?"

Her eyes round. "No! No, honey! No. You did something incredible for Eli's sister," she says in a low voice. "You sacrificed so much just so she could have a life with someone she loves. No, I'm angry at Eli's parents. The people who used to be our friends."

"Whatever happened?" I ask in a small voice.

Mom takes my cup and pours more water from a small plastic pitcher also residing on the table. She hands it back to me and I drain the cup again.

"When you guys were all kids, I guess when you were ten, Eli's parents told me the plan for the arranged marriages between Eli and Adressa's daughter, and Lily and some rich boy. When we found out, we left immediately." She shakes her head. "I never told you because I never imagined you'd end up falling in love with him!"