Bloodbond

Chapter 31

Gabriel still hadn't moved since the last time I'd checked on him. Seeing him so helpless felt...scary. He was this strong and controlled man who always knew what to do. Now that he wasn't here to back me up, I felt less confident in my decisions. How sad was that? I always hated girls who seemed to depend on a man. I may know very little about this world, but I was going to change that so that I could feel confident in the choices I made in the future.

"Go on," insisted Madame Lavoie. I took a few steps forward before hesitating again. I turned back to look at Madame Lavoie, not sure how to proceed.

"Do what feels right, Cassia. Don't overthink this; it will only lead you to second guess yourself."

Okay. What felt right. I closed my eyes and let my mind empty of thoughts. My body began to tingle and I felt an overwhelming desire to be near Gabriel. I took the hint and opened my eyes so that I could move closer to the bed. When I got to his side, it still didn't feel right. The desire to close as much space between our bodies was still there, so I decided to walk to the other side of the bed so I could lay down next to him.

I scooted as close to him as I could and I grabbed hold of his hand. A slight swishing sound alerted me that Madame Lavoie had also walked further into the room.

"Alright, Cassia. I can't really help you from here. Sleep and fight, but know that I will be here, supporting you every step of the way," she said softly. I nodded my head and relaxed onto the bed. Even though I was scared, it felt good to know that, while Madame Lavoie couldn't help me, she would at least be by my side to give me strength.

"Rest, my dear," came her distant whisper, as I began to drift off.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything was dark; so dark, that I couldn't tell where I was. All I knew was that I was outside somewhere. The air around me felt chilly and I could sense the goosebumps rising on my arms. I rubbed my eyes a few times to see if that would help my vision, but everything remained just as dark as before. Sometimes, I took comfort in the dark and the peace that it offered. Now, however, I felt only frustration, lined with a hint of fear.

Taking small, cautious steps, I began to move forward, as staying in one place would get me nowhere. I tried not to think about what might be under my feet, instead, choosing to focus on whatever might lie ahead.

After walking for ages, I finally noticed a change. It was starting to grow lighter with each step I took. I could begin to make out different shapes here and there. I was definitely outside, but it wasn't the forest, which had been my first guess. It was more like a huge grassy field that continued on for as far as the eye could see. There were a few flower patches and a stray tree here and there, but otherwise, all you saw were hills of grass.

I was only just reaching one of the hills, the sky lightening even more the closer I got. When I reached the bottom and began to climb, the dark melted away more quickly. As I crested the hill, everything was now clearly visible. Strangely enough, though the world was bright, there was no sun and no clouds in the sky to hide it from view. I couldn't even begin to imagine where the light was actually coming from or how it was possible. Then again, it was a dream and nothing was impossible.

Using this vantage point, I looked in every direction, trying to see if there was a clue about where I should go. All I saw were miles and miles of green grass with the occasional wildflower patch thrown in. How would I know which way was right? I needed to find Gabriel...or something, at least, and I didn't want to take the wrong direction and waste more time.