I opened my eyes and I was back in the field I was in when I fainted. Sunlight poured down from the sky and made everything warm and sleepy.
I sat up, expecting to see the man from before sitting on the rock, but instead there was woman, well more like a girl.
She had black hair down to her elbows. Her skin was russet colored like the man from before and she had almond shaped brown eyes. She was covered by a buckskin dress.
I honestly expected her to start singing "Colors of the Wind." I'm not being offensive, this is a dream and people in my dream do odd things and the only reason I could think I'm dreaming about her is because she some version of Pocahontas that my mind formed to entertain itself while my body rest.
"Hello dear child." She said in a pleasant voice as a smile spread across her face.
I blinked. I don't think is a dream.
"This isn't a dream, is it?" I asked with dread.
"We are on a dream plane, but I've guided your dream self here, so I could see you." She said quietly.
I blinked. "Who are you?"
"Darika." She said. "You've met my father, Mayur."
"He didn't seem to like me." I said.
Her eyes look sad. "It's your father, not you alone dear child, that he dislikes."
"Who is my father?" I asked. My tone was sharp. I was tired of these games. I wanted to know who he was.
She sighed. "He tried to get into your dreams tonight." She said to the sky. "But I took you away before he came. He'll probably give up soon and visit A-ya's dreams."
I blinked. "Wait, wasn't A-ya the dirt doll that imprisoned Kalona?"
She nodded. "She has also been reincarnated."
"Also? I asked.
She looked back at me. "I am your mother, your mother from your first life. The mother of your spirit."
I felt chilled. I mean, she kinda of looked like me. Her dark hair did have a slight blue sheen to it like mine and her face was built like mine too. "Why does every one keep saying my first life?" I realized I knew the answer, I was just in denial.
"This is your second life. You've been reincarnated." She said.
"Why? Shouldn't have I just stayed dead?" I asked.
She sighed. "Your grandfather was afraid that you would have become a monster like your father and brothers. He thought it was better for everyone if he…"
"My grandfather killed me?" I said.
She looked down at her feet. "Yes. Nyx decided that you deserve another chance at life since you never really got one in the first place."
"Why did he kill me?"
"Because he was afraid you would become your father."
Okay, I'm about to go ape right now.
"Who is my father?" I said evenly.
She looked at me. "I believe you already know. You're just denying it."
Something crawled along my gut. I did have an idea, there signs were there, but…it couldn't be true.
"You are the only daughter of the fallen Immortal Kalona." She said.
I jerked into an upright position. Snap grumbled when I moved. I sat there panting.
I put my hand over my eyes.
I'll admit I didn't know much about Kalona, only what they told me. But it was easy to see and sense that he was not the good guy.
I rubbed the back of my neck. Another chilling thought was that I was related to those Raven Mockers.
My stomach rippled. I weaved in between Zoey and Stevie Rae and slipped out of the room. I sensed Snap following at my heels. I went into the kitchen and grabbed my coat and Eeyore hat.
I made my way back to the ladder and climbed up it.
Erik sat on guard and glanced up from a book as I walked by.
"Hey, you okay?"
"I need to go out for some air." I pulled my phone out. No service.
Snap went over to door and slipped through.
"Do you need-"
"I'm fine." I didn't want start bawling in front of him. I didn't know him enough to let him see me in tears.
I slipped through the door after my cat. There were frozen rain pellets falling from heaven, but Eeyore deflected most of it. I focused trying not to slip and break my arm on the ice.
Snap didn't seem to mind, but she does have pretty thick fur. I glanced at an overgrown tree. My heart ached for it. If it got even one more pelt of ice it was going to snap.
There was a croak. I looked up and saw the raven flying around me. It landed on a low wall and I walked up to it.
"So you know."
Was it obvious? Did I have 'Kalona's baby girl' tattooed across my head?
"No thanks to you." I said. "Why couldn't have just told me and forgoed the lame suspense?"
"Your mother wanted to tell you." He said. "She was afraid I wouldn't be as gentle with about it."
I snorted. How do you be gentle with the fact my father practically Satan?
"Who are you anyway?" I asked.
"Your uncle."
I moaned. How much stranger was my family going to get?
"On your mother's side. I was reincarnated as well, but I asked to come back as a beast." He ruffled his feathers. "I didn't deserve to come back as a human."
I blinked. "Wh-"
There was a loud croak. The uncle raven bristled and Snap hissed. I whipped around and saw one of those Raven Mockers in the tree.
My back prickled. Its red eyes glowed from its hiding stop. My eyes were drawn to a truck below the tree. When did that get there?
Of course while I was too busy looking at the truck I didn't notice the Raven Mocker fly off the branch land right in front of me.
My heart started pounding so rapidly I thought it would explode.
Snap was hissing in between my ankles and my uncle raven was squawking behind me.
"Your blooood, sweet one." Its eyes widened in surprise.
"What about it?" Run, run, run, run! God my instinct needs to shut-up, couldn't it see I couldn't run?
"Yooooou are the girl."
"Maybe." I said.
It evidently didn't like my answer because suddenly one of its talons was wrapped around my throat. Snap went ballistic and charged at it and latched onto its ankle. It hissed with rage and flicked her off.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" I kicked him in between the legs. I'm not sure if I was expecting it to collapse in total agony, but that's what it sorta of did. I mean, it wasn't complete agony, but it was in enough agony for me to run.
I ran for the door. I didn't bother yelling, it stole too much oxygen and it was unlikely that anyone would hear me in this storm. Because I hadn't hit anything that impaired him too much, he skidded across the ice and blocked the door.
I tried to stop, but ended up slipping and crashing down onto my butt.
"Ow!"
"Move Raven!" My uncle raven began flying around the Raven Mocker's head shrieking in its ear and pissing it off.
I tried to stand up, but I just ended up slipping. I gave up on trying to get up and settled for crawling toward the door. My fingers began to numb and my knees too.
There was a shriek of pain. I turned and the Raven Mocker grabbed me. Its talons dug into my stomach, not hard enough to pierce skin, but it sure as hell hurt. I decided that right now would be a good time as any to scream bloody murder or for help, which ever you prefer.
His talon clamped over my mouth. I winced at the smell of carrion. He wrapped his arm around me tightly and spread his wings. I struggled against his hold and tried to break free.
"Raven!"
His wings beat the air and we lifted off the ground. My stomach rippled with fear. He grunted as his wings swept down.
My uncle raven swooped at him and pecked at his eyes. The Raven Mocker screeched and lost his grip.
I grabbed wrist. Raven Mocker or going splat on the concrete below, I personally am going to take my chances with the creature, who would probably be a little more merciful than the concrete.
My uncle raven pecked at him again and the Raven Mocker lifted his talon to swat him causing me to lose my grip.
My hands reached out and tried to grab something. My stomach found a tree branch.
All the breath was knocked right out of my lungs and my chest immediately began aching. My fingernails dug into the ice-covered branch. Luckily for me instead of being slippery the ice stuck to my coat and my hands. My legs churned empty air.
The branch bobbed a bit. I looked over and saw the Raven Mocker had landed on my branch.
Well, don't you wish you'd run when I told you? My instinct said or made me feel.
Shut up!
"Raven!" Zoey shouted.
The Raven Mocker turned and shrieked at Zoey.
"Zoey, what's going on?" A male voice I didn't recognize asked.
The Raven Mocker perked up.
"Zzzzzoey?" Oh boy. "We've havvvve been loooooking for you and Raven." Chills ran down my spine.
"Get back inside Zoey!" I shouted. I glanced down. I was low enough I could survive if I fell, but I would probably break something. I swallowed. I was screwed, but he couldn't take both of us. Zoey would escape.
It hissed at me. But I could see it in its eyes, indecision. It knew that it could take only one of us too. It flicked its gaze to Zoey. Damn.
"My father will be very pleasssssed when I pressssent you to him." He began to spread his wings.
"I'll have to say 'hell no' to that little messed-up plan of yours." The strange guy said. I tried to look over my shoulder, but I couldn't see much.
"Puny human! You think to sssstop an Old One?"
The branch shook violently as he took off. The branch let out a loud crack and dropped a few inches.
I heard Zoey scream, but it was in terror. She was pissed.
"No!" The Raven Mocker shrieked. "He wantssss you alive!" He sounded panicky.
"Zoey! Oh, God, Zoey! Get behind me!" The strange boy said.
Oh God! She had to be hurt and hurt bad too if the Mocker was flipping out. The branch creaked ominously again.
"Raven!" This time it was a female voice.
It creaked again and I looked over to see splinting wood. Well, either I fall, break something, and get crushed by the branch or drop and break something, but not get crushed.
I took a deep breath and as carefully as I could, I slipped off the branch.
My feet hit the ground and every bone in my body was jarred. Then one of my legs buckled out from under me with a sickening snap.
I screamed as I collapsed on the ground, clutching my knee tightly. Pain throbbed from the middle of my calf. I was going to puke. I was so going to puke.
"Help! We're over here! Zoey needs help!"
Oh, fine then. Ignore the girl with the broken leg who has just screamed her lungs out. Something furry rubbed against my elbow.
"Snap?" I asked.
"Shit!" I glanced over and saw Erik pressing his shirt against Zoey. My stomach turned at the sight of her in a pool of blood. Okay, maybe this leg wasn't so bad.
"Oh, Goddess! Sorry, Z, sorry!" He said. There was a strange boy beside her. He had blonde hair and a football player's build.
Erik glanced over to me. "We have to get them to Darius."
The other guy looked over. "Shit! What happened?"
"I fell." I choked out.
"I'll carry Zo." The guy picked up Zoey and carried her back to the depot.
"I'll get Raven." I heard Erik say. He jogged over to me. I clutched Snap tightly to my chest. This was going to hurt. This was going to really, really hurt.
Erik carefully slid his arm under the bend of my knees and under my shoulders and lifted me up.
I bit my lip and crushed Snap to my bosom. She purred.
He carried me into the depot. I looked at my leg. My foot was just dangling in air like it wasn't attached solidly to my leg. Okay, I'm not kidding, I'm going to puke!
"Don't look at it." Erik hissed. "Don't think about it."
"The pain makes it kinda of hard." I said. The boy was standing at the grate that led down to a ladder. Erik stopped.
"Put me down and help Zoey first." I said. I was not looking forward to the pain that this would cause. But she looked like she was dying, as far as I knew, no one has died from a broken leg.
"Sorry." He set me down on the chair he had been reading the book. I just hugged Snap to my chest.
I winced when Zoey screamed as they lowered her down into the tunnels. It felt like an eternity before the strange boy returned.
Okay, I was wrong. This was going to hurt.
The strange boy carefully picked me up and carried me over to the grate.
"Is Zoey okay?" I choked out.
He was silent. He held me out over the empty space and then carefully lowered himself onto his stomach. I slide into Erik's arms.
I just squeezed Snap.
"I'm sorry." They both said.
"It's not your fault." I muttered. They carried me down to Stevie Rae's room, but there was a mass of people blocking the way.
"Move!" Erik said. The red fledglings parted like the red sea. Tee-hee.
I saw Zoey on the table. I gasped. There should not be that much inside stuff showing.
"Darius."
Darius glanced up from the first aid kit. "Set her on the ground."
Erik set me on my sleeping bag. I'm pretty sure that I am an unattractive gray. I looked over and watched Erin, Shaunee, Damian, Stevie Rae, and Aphrodite cast a circle for Zoey and Zoey feed from the guy, whose name was Heath. Wasn't that a type of candy?
"Hey, am I done almost dying?" Zoey asked Darius.
"You are done dying." Darius said. He walked over to me holding some bandages. "I need something to make a splint for Raven."
I swallowed. This was going to hurt the most.
"But?" Zoey prompted.
"There's no but about it." Stevie Rae said. "You're done dyin'. Period." Jack slipped in with a broom in his hand.
"Will this work?"
Darius nodded. Stevie Rae took the broom and with one shift kick knocked the sweep part off the broom.
"I'll need someone to brace her leg while I splint it." Darius said.
Stevie Rae walked over and knelt down. I dug my fingers into Snap's fur.
Darius looked at me straight in the eye. "This is going to hurt a lot."
"I have not doubts about that." I said.
Darius took some wire cutters and cut my pants up along the side seam. I swallowed. My leg was swollen and I could see a bump where the bone was even though it hadn't broken skin yet.
I bit my lip till I tasted blood and I held Snap so tightly I was sure I was suffocating her while they realigned my femur, I think that's my calf bone, and bounded the splint to it. Snap purred all the way through it.
"Finished." My forehead was beaded with sweat and my hair clung to my face. I fell back on the pillow and panted. Snap wriggled out of my grip and padded over to the side of my head to lick my forehead.
"Foolish child."
I blinked. That voice. I looked at Snap.
"Sh, rest now. I'll explain later." She said.
I looked over at the others. They hadn't heard her speak. Was it all in my head?
"So we don't really have a choice." Darius said. He looked from Zoey to me. "Raven will need medical attention as well. We have to return to the House of Night."
No body liked this idea me including me.
"I'm fine." I didn't really didn't want to go back. I didn't want to run into my fa-Kalona or his sons.
"You'll be in a great deal of pain for many days." Darius said.
"They can't go back. That creature said they were looking for both of them." Heath said.
I closed my eyes. I was going to beat that kids brains in. How was I going to explain why Kalona wanted me so bad? I could just imagine their reaction if they found out I was his daughter.
Aphrodite narrowed her eyes at me. "Why are they are looking for you?"
Snap hissed at her.
I shrugged. "Maybe I am a witch. Or maybe because his draw didn't work he's wants to study me and figure out how to fix just in case he comes across someone who's like me." I felt my face and ears grow hot at the lie.
They started arguing about whether or not it was a good idea for us to go, whose fault it was that we got hurt, and who was coming with us. I was in a daze throughout this debate. Having your calf bone realigned was tiring.
I jerked awake, I didn't realize I actually fell asleep, when Darius lifted me up. Snap hopped into my lap and glared up at Darius. I wrapped an arm around her. Erik was carrying Zoey behind us. We came to the ladder.
"You're going to have to let go of your cat." Darius said.
I kissed her head and shoved her off me. She grumbled and climbed up the ladder. Darius carefully swung me around so I was piggy backed on his back. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and my legs around his waist. He climbed up the ladder. He swung me free and handed me over to the Twins.
I wrapped an arm around both their necks and leaned against them as we, well I, hobbled to over to a Hummer.
"Put Raven in the back, she'll be able to stretch out her legs."
The back door of the Hummer opened and the Twins helped me into the back. Snap hopped into my lap. I tickled her ears as the door shut.
I braced myself as the Hummer rolled forward. We went at a slow pace. I leaned my head against the back of the back seat and closed my eyes.
I felt a presence wrap around me.
"Be careful my dear daughter."
I jerked when we stopped. I shifted up and saw Raven Mockers crouched down. I hoped these windows were tinted, I think they are.
I heard a door open and saw Darius outside.
"Greetings, Aristos. I have several fledglings, including a young priestess, with me." He didn't mention me, then I realized Aphrodite was human too. "The young priestess and a girl are in need of immediate medical attention."
Why didn't we drop me off at a hospital? I didn't need a coven of vampryes.
"Which priestess returns to the House of Night?" My skin crawled at the sound of a Raven Mocker's voice.
"Creature, I do not know you." Darius said.
"Son of man, you may call me Rephaim." Rephaim said.
Rephaim went on about the Red One, Stevie Rae, before he let us pass.
"Erin, Shaunee, can you get Raven."
No! Just leave Raven in here. She's perfectly safe!
Erin opened back door and I carefully slide out. Snap hopped onto my shoulders and bristled.
"What were they thinking, bringing you here!" She said.
I threw my arm around both their necks again. My spine prickled. I could hear the Raven Mockers' feather rustling and they whispered excitedly. I looked up and held gazes with the biggest one, Rephaim. He jerked and then I could see surprise spread through his eyes.
He knows, or he's thinks he does. My stomach clenched.
Aristos looked back at me. "If you want, I could carry the girl."
"I'm perfectly fine." I told him. If he was in league with these guys, no way was he even going to get to breath on me. Snap hissed and growled on my shoulders.
I hobbled with the Twins to a large building. Before we even entered, I knew he was there.
I swallowed. What would happen now? Would he give me away? Would the others shun me for having his blood?
"Stop worrying. There's no reason to worry about what could happen." Snap said.
My mouth felt dry. Darius glanced back at us. Every cell in my body was telling me not to turn the corner. I wondered how far I could get on my busted leg?
I swallowed and turned the corner.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
Muhahahahahaha! Cliff hanger! Although you guys could probably guess what's going to happen next.
Anyhoo, thanks for reading and if you reviewed extra karma points for you! Yay!