Searching for the Key

Chapter 24

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked.

Katia took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah. I can't sleep anymore. Do one of you want to rest?"

"You can go," Nathan offered to Damien. Damien gave Nathan a knowing look before he walked to where Celia was lying soundly. He closed his eyes and was out in minutes.

Katia sat down next to Nathan and soon got lost in her thoughts.

"You okay?" Nathan asked reaching out and touching her arm.

Katia jumped slightly then calmed down when she saw it was just Nathan.

"Yeah I'm just thinking," she said as she pushed her hair back. She hadn't combed it properly in days. She didn't even want to think how messy it looked.

"Did you have another nightmare? Do you want to talk about it?" Nathan asked.

Katia sighed, thinking back on her dream. She told Nathan, feeling totally comfortable telling him anything. He was the only person she felt this way about.

"It was actually a happy dream. It was summer and me and my family were swimming in our pool. My mom was lifting me on the water and she'd drop me and my dad would catch me. He was also lifting Jason up so that he could fall and splash in the water. We were all laughing and playing around."

While Katia was talking, Nathan reached over and brought her to his chest so that her head could lie on his shoulder.

"That sounds like a great dream," he said quietly in her ear.

"It was," Katia said with a smile. "But it just made me miss them more. I used to have these dreams but I never knew they were my parents. It just makes me sad that I never got to know them."

Nathan hugged Katia tightly. "In a way these dreams are a way for you to know them. Those things really happened. They loved you."

"I'm so happy when I see them but each time I wake up I just have this longing in my chest," Katia said sadly.

"I know how you feel. I miss my parents too," Nathan told her. "But I know they are proud of you and are always looking out for you. And we'll finally be able to defeat Akur so no one else will have to go through the same thing."

"Thanks Nathan," Katia said smiling up to look at him. "You always know the right thing to say to make me feel better."

"No problem," Nathan said smiling back. "Hey Katia there's something I've been meaning to tell you."

Nathan suddenly looked nervous. He was avoiding making eye contact with Katia. He just kept staring at a bug on the ground like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Katia was just able to make out a slight blush that made its way to his cheeks in the dim firelight.

"Really what is it?" She asked.

"Well ever since I me-" Nathan started to say but all of sudden he stiffened.

Katia felt her necklace turn ice cold. The fire crackling and Nathan's breathing went silent in that familiar feeling. Her hearing came back in a rush, and Nathan and Katia immediately jumped off from the ground and sprang into action. They quickly ran over to wake Celia and Damien up.

Katia and Nathan shook them awake violently. Both of them jerked awake. They stood up quickly and drew their weapons from their waists. Celia was looking around groggily but Damien look alert.

They were still in the igloo but Katia knew there was no use hiding so she slowly melted the walls back into the earth. The four of them stood back to back as the Hunters emerged from the surrounding forest and stalked into the clearing. There were at least twenty of them. They were outnumbered five to one.