Chapter 26: An Unexpected Happening

Anxiety is gripping me as I stand outside the restaurant. I'm currently waiting for Summer to show up. I breathe deeply, trying to dispel my nervous energy. It's just a dinner. It's just a dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in the city, but it's just a dinner with Summer. With every second that ticks by, I find myself to anxious to stay still. Pacing seems to be the only thing I can really do, since I left my weapon at home, and this is a particularly public place. Can't go starting fights willy nilly about the upper class. They apparently take offense to that. I smile as I imagine the high brow diners inside scoffing at my rugged display of Hunter-ism. I giggle at the notion and the made up word.

I stop midstride upon spotting the woman that I love. Summer, in all her amazing beauty, is standing in a pastel yellow dress adorned with white roses. She, of course, still has her cloak on, but she doesn't have it over her face. Her eyes sparkle in the low light of the sunset, and I can't help but be taken breathless. That shy smile and slight scuffing of her flats against the sidewalk makes my heart flip. She's so beautiful and adorable and shy and cute and… Gah! I love her so much.

A quick inhale has my nerves melting away, and I end up smiling like a dumb ass. It's Summer. Everything will be perfect as long as it's her here. That's all I need. I wrap her in a hug and steal a quick kiss before guiding her to the door. "After you, my lady." I waggle my eyebrows at her, making her giggle.

"You're so silly, sometimes." She wraps her arms around mine as we walk through the entrance together.

I look up at the maitre d'. "Reservations for Branwen for two."

He scoffs before looking at his list, only to frown. "Right this way, ladies." He's silent the entire time, but I can feel some kind of aura from him, like a prejudice against us. What, we're not rich enough? I take a deep breath. As long as he doesn't ruin our night, I think I can let this go.

I pull out Summer's chair and let her sit. "Where did you even find that dress?"

She laughs behind her hand. "I have my ways, Raven. It's all toward a greater goal, so I just had to get it."

"It looks absolutely lovely and is so appropriate, considering your name." I smirk and wink at her. I'm being impossibly flirty tonight. It's kind of scaring me, just a smidgen.

She blushes and rolls her eyes. "Yes, well, I guess." She shrugs and starts to wring her hands together on the table.

Her fidgeting is so strange. I reach my hand across the table to take one of her hands in mine. "What's got you so nervous, Sum? I've rarely ever seen you like this." This is really worrying me. She's never been so nervous before. "Is it something to do with the council?"

She looks away from me and bites her lip. "No. It's definitely not that. I'm just really nervous for tonight."

I look at her skeptically. "What's to be nervous about?" It's just us. She knows that, right?

She smiles shyly. "It's just this place. It's nice."

Is that it? "Really?"

"Yeah."

I motion to the waiter for a menu, and I start to sort through all of the gobbledygook. "I'll have the poached salmon with the piccata sauce. No asparagus, please."

Summer looks at me strangely, but turns to her menu as well. "I think I'll have filet mignon with a potato on the side." The man leaves us to our own devices, barely looking at us throughout the entire ordering process.

I take silent deep breaths. This is getting more and more awkward by the second. I didn't know silence could be killing me this much, but after so long with Summer and the guys, I just can't imagine my life without all of the racket. It's become my subconscious solace, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

We ate in silence, and there's this strange itch that starts at the base of my spine. I don't know what it is, but there's this foreboding sense of danger that I'm getting all of a sudden. A waiter comes by and holds up a glass of wine. "Would you ladies wish to partake in the house wine. It's entirely complimentary." The strange man flashes a beguiling smile, and it's not something that seems overly threatening, so I nod. He pours each of us a small glass, and I nod in appreciation.

I raise my glass for a toast. "Let's toast a long life and a great adventure in our near future. I could really use something exciting happening right about now, especially with all this petitioning and shit."

Summer smiles. "An adventure sounds amazing." The glasses ching together, and I pull mine away to sniff at the delicious range of smells that the wine gives off. It's delectably fruity, with a small hint of something citrusy underneath. Before I could take so much as a sip, I hear glass shatter and look up to see Summer fall to the floor, clutching her throat.

My glass falls from my hand, and I rush to her side. I look at her hand around her throat and back at the glass as a small froth starts to leak from the corner of her lips. "The wine." It's a light whisper, hoarse from a sudden rush of panic. "Someone call an ambulance!" I shout at the waiter that had come near. I look down at the love of my life. "Please, Summer. Don't go. I love you. I need you." I swipe her hair gently from her face and place my forehead to hers as she writhes. I know she's in pain, and I feel so useless. "Please don't go." Tears gather in my eyes as her body stills under me.

My heart just about stops when I see blurs stop beside me and try to take her from me. I hold fast to her. I can't lose her. She's all that's good and bright in my life. I'm a selfish bitch when it comes to my Summer. I can't lose her.

A masculine voice makes me looks up. "Ma'am, you need to let her go. Right now, she's still alive, but we need to administer an Aura shot, so you have to let her go."

I look down at her, her cheeks wet from our combined tears. I release my hold slowly and nod. I stand to follow them after they get her on the stretcher. "Will she be alright?" I hardly recognize my voice as it comes out, that's how course it is from this emotional turmoil.

He gives me an uneasy smile. "With how strong her Aura seems to be, I wouldn't be surprised if she wakes up tomorrow." He turns to get into the back of the ambulance, and I'm not too far behind. I sit out of the way but not too far from Summer. I don't want to leave her alone. Something about the EMT's words make me entirely too skeptical about all of this.

I trail my finger across her cheek before leaning back and closing my eyes, fighting the new wave of tears that want to escape. I blink as a series of beeps fill the vehicle. They've hooked her to a heart monitor. The sound is reassuring, and I can't help the small smile that spreads across my face. Too bad my little bit of hope is diminished as she flat-lines, bringing my entire world crashing down around me. My breath stops in my throat and everything is so overwhelming that I start to blackout. I reach for her hand before I lose it and pray to every god I know that she'll wake before me. I can't lose her.

A/N: Sorry. Sorry. Really. I should have been able to put this out forever ago, but god bless it, I couldn't find any inspiration. Anyway, here's some suspense and whatever. Shh. Shh. It'll be okay. *pets any worried reader's heads* Death is but the beginning of all things good and right in the world. Shh. Don't kill me! *cowers behind couch*

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