There is nothing interesting about the ceiling of the guest bedroom at Sam's and Emily's house but I find myself staring at it longer than expected. Jacob went with Sam and a few other pack members to survey the border of their territory. After my brother's warning of more Gods, more enemies, they went off almost immediately after his departure, leaving me alone with Emily and two other pack members.
Emily became busy with cooking, providing food for the change in shifts of wolves that entered the house so that they always have something to eat. I can't remember if I know how to cook but until I get my memories back, I don't plan on trying and getting in the way. Emily was kind enough to mention that I could never get in the way and that she'd love to teach me if I'd like but with Jacob gone, I feel heavy.
I haven't been without him except for when I was asleep since I arrived in La Push yesterday and since then, I learned how my father died. To actually see your parent be killed before your eyes is tremendously different than running away and hearing their screams in the background. I was ten when dad died. That was seven years ago but it still feels fresh as if it happened yesterday and in a way, it did. It happened yesterday for me.
I want to cry. Let it all out but nothing wells up inside me. I am not empty. I feel suppressed, like if I don't concentrate on breathing, I might choke. I wish Jacob was here. He'd know how to wipe away these emotions. Just being next to him is enough to make me feel light and safe.
A feeling of nausea rolls through me and something hardens in the pit of my body. I sit up, my hand falling to my midsection as I try to grasp what this sudden feeling is. The atmosphere around me intensifies like electricity and I glance around to see the cause but nothing is out of place. I look out the window that overlooks the forest behind the house. The house is quiet back here and I would think I could hear the pitter patter of the rain but it's somehow muffled.
Something's very wrong.
I swing my legs off the bed and open the door. The sound of Emily in the kitchen is still audible but it's quietened as well. I make my way down the hall slowly, my eyes darting at every single movement from the dining room and kitchen. The two boys are eating spaghetti and Emily lifts her head towards the glass doors. Her brows scrunch close together as if she's confused and walks around the island towards the doors.
I round the hallway and follow her line of sight to see an elderly woman with a charming smile on her face. She's hunched forward with a green bandana on her head covering the majority of what I assume is short gray hair. She doesn't look native, her wrinkly skin looks olive in color like mine and her eyes are so slanted that they look shut. She's wearing all black, like she came from a funeral, but it doesn't hide the black aura that is coming off her body like fumes of a flame.
Emily reaches for the door and I burst towards her knowing exactly with all the horror in the world what she's about to let in.
"Don't!" I scream but it's too late. She slides the door open and a burst of wind throws us all back throughout the house. The dining room table skids across the room and rams into the two pack members that were protecting us. They are slammed into the far wall. I lie feet away from them and am being pumbled down by the wind the woman is excreting. I shift my head back and forth in an attempt to gain some kind of control over my movement and see Emily by the kitchen entrance.
She's lying on her side, eyes open, and mouth wide. She's flailing a little, as if she's having a minor seizure but something is telling me that's not what is happening.
I look back at the old woman and see her eyes are open and they are red. Tears of blood drip down her cheeks but a menacing smile replaces any significance of sadness that the tears may have manifested.
A furie…
How'd they find me so fast?
It doesn't matter, I need to protect Emily and the two pack members. I struggle to roll onto my side but I make it enough to be able to fall onto my belly. Using all my strength, I crawl across the gusts of wind and over to Emily.
"Wake up, Emily!" I cry out, glancing from my wounded friend to the Furie by the door. Emily doesn't budge other than her convulsions. Something circles my brain, telling me that she's suffering from a guilty-ridden nightmare, a punishment given by a Furie but Emily, from what I know, has nothing to be guilty of. It's purely fiction.
I don't have a choice, I must combat this Furie to save Emily otherwise, she could die.
Asclepius didn't mention my other ability that I have. Maybe he didn't know. I control the adrenaline and fear that tries to outweigh me and force it into an energy. I transfer this energy to my left arm and it begins to glow the brilliant light of the sun. Lifting my left arm is like picking up a weight I can't fully lift with a single arm but I manage to struggle it through. My arm shakes as the energy slips down my arm to my palm and a blast releases cutting through the gusts of wind and striking the woman in the side.
A painful groan comes from the Furie as she doubles over and the wind comes to a stop. I get up as quickly as possible, grab the biggest knife I can find on the counter and step into the middle of the dining room ahead of the Furie.
"Furies are immortal but they are still vulnerable to godly powers."
It's the voice I recognize as my mother, but it's more of a memory than her speaking to me. I nod to the memory, thankful it chose now to come to me. Taking the energy that once was in my left arm, I move it to my dominant hand, the right and grasp the knife tightly.
It's not safe using a knife to kill someone. There is a chance, depending on the force, of your hand slipping down on the blade and cutting oneself. I take a glimpse over my shoulder at Emily and know, I have no choice. She's no longer convulsing and her eyes are closed. She's most likely still in her nightmare but not nearly as affected.
I glance back at the Furie who slowly stands straight. There is a crescent hole on her left side where her black clothes have been ripped and flesh has been scorched. Blood dribbles down her flesh. She's no longer smiling but her face contorts into pure rage.
"Supplicium eris pro peccatis tuis…[You will be punished for your sins.]" She mutters between bated breaths.
"Afferte [bring it]."
The Furie bursts into a black smoke and I don't hesitate to rush for her. I hold the knife where my thumb rests at the end of the handle to prevent me from cutting myself and aim for where the heart may be. As I am running towards the transforming Furie, the energy overtakes the knife. A pair of large, leathery wings wrap around me just as I slam the blade into her changing chest and I release the energy to expand into her body.
A hiss comes from above and a droplet of something hot, sizzling, and wet falls onto my shoulder. It burns into my flesh and I yell out in pain as it continues to slide down my collarbone but I don't stop.
I push the knife further into her chest cavity and use all the strength in my legs to shove her out the door. The feeling of the energy overwhelms my arms and without much control, the energy slams into her torso, throwing her out and across the yard. Her wings release me and I stumble to the ground, the knife no longer in my grip. My hands catch me before I fall to my face and I rest on my knees. Before me, the Furie whips back and forth on the ground, a yellow glow coming from her chest that expands and expands until it all but consumes her.
"What's going on here?" Someone asks from my left but I don't look, I watch the Furie squirm until she turns into ash.
"Furiae!" I hear Jacob's familiar voice reach me. "Are you okay?" He's at my left in seconds but I am unable to look away from the pile of ash.
"...Emily….help Emily…" Is all I am able to mutter.
"Emily!" The voice comes to me as Sam and I hear him run inside.
"What was that?" Jacob asks, he slides in front of me to take my eyes off the pile of ash and looks over my face. "Was…it?"
"A Furie…" I mumble. "I defeated…a Furie…"
Jacob looks behind him to what was the Furie and back at me. His lips part and worry takes over his expression. "I should have been here…"
"It's not your fault, you couldn't have predicted this…Besides," I slowly sit down on my backside. "...How'd it find me?"
"You saved me," Emily says between gulps of water. She's in bed, a cup of water in her hands. Regardless of her unneeded punishment, she seems fine. She woke up seconds after the Furie was killed and was crying from whatever nightmare she was living through.
"I owe you," Sam says, sitting next to Emily on the bed but not quite looking at me. His eyes remain on his imprinted, watching, and waiting for any other possible sign of symptom the Furie may cause. "You can stay here as long as you want."
I stand in the doorway with Jacob behind me, his hand on my lower back to reassure me that he won't leave. Even having killed a Furie and saving Emily, I feel awful. It's my fault she got hurt. My fault the pack members have a few broken ribs.
"It's my fault…My fault that she came here. No one is safe no matter where I am."
"Don't say that," Jacob whispers into my ear. "You can't run forever. You need a homebase. People to love. To protect you."
"I don't want anyone hurt because of me."
"You're staying," Emily says. "Like Jacob says, you can't run forever. We'll fight."
"Furies aren't vulnerable to what weapons you guys have. Only Gods or godly powers can work against them."
"Then I guess we should get your memories back so you can be a worthy fighter, besides, we can handle the vampires," Sam says.
"But a vampire who can kill a God?"
There is silence between the four of us and Jacob breaks the silence by wrapping an arm around my waist. "We need to get you patched up."
I forgot about the wound on my shoulder. I frown and nod, allowing Jacob to pull me from out the door and I slowly close it behind me.
"To your bedroom," Jacob orders and I listen, walking solemnly to the room. He splits off to the bathroom and I sit on the edge of the bed. After a second of waiting, he walks into the room with a first aid kit and closes the door.
I groan slightly as I peel the leather jacket off the wound and throw the jacket down into the corner of the room. He opens the first aid kit and uses a gauze to wipe away the blood and goop from my shoulder and wipes my wound with an antiseptic wipe. He places a clean gauze on top and tapes it down.
"You were very brave."
"I felt nothing, just the need to keep Emily safe."
"Sometimes that's all we need," he closes the first aid kit and places it on the floor. "I won't be leaving your side from now on."
"What about your father?"
"He'll have to deal. You're my reason for living, if I lose you…" He trails off and I look up at him to see that he's frowning while gazing down into my eyes. "I wouldn't be able to handle it."
"I don't plan on going anywhere, leaving or dying," I promise. I take his hand and press his palm against my cheek. The smallest of smiles breaks the frown and he leans in and places a tender kiss to my lips.