The Jotun's Daughter

Chapter 20

"Get up! Kayla!" I grabbed the persons arm and, in one fluid motion, judo-flipped them over me, landing on their back. My mother had often taught me things later at night-or at uncanny hours in the morning, purposefully messing up my sleeping schedule just so I could be trained at any particular time. Half-asleep me could easily take on someone.

        "Hey!" I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead and peered down at the person beneath me.

        "It's a bit hot to be wearing black in the middle of the Amazon," I said. But I hadn't expected the dry feeling in my throat, or the shaking of my hands, and I doubled over coughing as I shifted my weight off of the male so he could move. Nico pulled himself out from under me, and took in the sight before him. I could only imagine what I looked like.

  "How are you here?" I asked, when I caught my breath. I looked up at the boy standing above me, his dark eyes glistening, dotted with flecks of purple. I could nearly see my reflection in them.

        "You summoned me." He replied quietly. I squinted at him, not sure that I heard him right.

        "Your dreams were so forceful and powerful that you shadow-traveled me right to you. I was in the middle of something, too." The annoyance in his voice trickled off to confusion and alarm as he studied me. I waved my hand, dismissing the matter, and motioned for him to help me up. When I stood, I glanced at the direction of the sun and started walking.

        "You're kidding, right? Night's coming."

        "So is cooler air."

        "You're bleeding from multiple places, fatigued, weak, and you need to be taken to-"

        "I'm fine," I snapped. He inhaled sharply.

        "Then why do you need me?" He said angrily.

        "I don't. I don't even know why you're here."

        "I told you why."

        "So dreams can be powerful. Go Shadow-travel back to your girlfriend, sorry to interrupt you."

        "Kayla!" The raw anger in his voice mixed with desperation made me turn to him. He looked at me with such an odd expression that I couldn't place it.

        "Nightmares are dreams too," He hissed. I started, staring at him. Then I remembered the cold sweat, and shaky limbs when I hadn't been fully awake.

        "Yes, di Angelo," I replied softly, firmly, "They are." He ducked his head, and then started to follow me. 

"What happened, anyway?" He asked gruffly. After a beat, I replied. 

"The plane was shot down-probably by the Chitari." He glanced at me.

        "They're...creatures. Not from around here," I added lamely, "Because their remains were buried near where my mother found a portal, Simmons thinks that the radiation coming from the opening may have rebooted their systems." When I finally did look over at him, his face was grim, but he wasn't looking at where we were going. 

        "What?" I asked.

        "You're bleeding again," He replied quietly. I glanced down at the wrappings around my side. So I am. I sighed and sat down on a nearby log and began to unwrap the dirty fabric.

       "Here." He worked in silence. The only time I heard anything from him was when he sucked in a breath at the sight of the Lichtenburg scar that wound its way down my right side. After he re-tied the bandage I pulled my shirt back down over my stomach and stood wearily. His eyes watched me closely, and my mind swam.