Casters Book Two: Shadow Caster

Chapter Thirty Six

Someone's hand ranks though my hair, a familiar hand. When I open my heavy lidded eyes I see the face of my mother. She smiles down at me. For a moment, I wonder if it was all some crazy dream. If I was never turned into a Caster, if I never went to Belmore, if maybe I just ate some bad sushi or something.

I stare at her in confusion.

"Hey there sleepyhead," she says.

"Mom?" I croak out.

"Time to wake up Emery..."

I shoot up, gasping for air.

"We got her, we got her!" Someone shouts.

Sounds of chaos all around me. A heart monitor going haywire. Nurses and healers left and right. Tubes running in and out of me.

"She's back!" someone shouts.

"Shh, just lay down." Someone pushes me back down on a stretcher.

"Stabilize her," I hear Kenshin bark orders.

Several healers move in and start casting spells on me.

One of those squeezy things is in my mouth and a nurse constantly pumps it to help me breathe. I glance around in confusion and panic, my eyes looking for something or someone familiar and comforting, but I find nothing.

Someone sticks a needle in me and everything goes dark again.

"Hey..."

Where is that voice coming from?

"Get up."

Why does it sound familiar?

"Get up!"

"Emery! Get up!"

I open my eyes.

Strange ultraviolet lights greet me. I blink my eyes, trying to adjust. The sound of a breathing machine fills the room. I sit up and gag at the tube down my throat.

"Don't—" a nurse says but it's too late, I pull it out.

It makes a wheezing noise and I struggle to breathe for a second. A second too long because I panic, but then my breathing evens out and I am able to breathe on my own.

"Geez, a tough cookie," the nurse pinches my cheek.

I rub my eyes with the back of my hand then wince at the needle in my arm. I pull that out too.

She sighs.

"Where am I?" I try to ask but my throat is so raw and so dry not a single syllable comes out. Even I'm surprised by the sound of my own voice.

"Don't talk," the nurse instructs.

I rub my neck, trying to soothe my throat.

I'm in some kind of hospital gown.

"It's late, I'm the only one on call for you right now. My best advice is just to lay down and get some rest until morning." She says.

I shake my head no.

"Please Emery, your body needs to rest. You died on the table yesterday. We had to bring you back. You've used way too much energy. You need to rest and replenish. No spells, no teleporting, no exerting your energy. Any little thing can land you back in the critical zone, do you hear me?"

I nod.

"Geez kid, I ain't never seen anything like what you did." She rubs my shoulder.

I motion drinking, forming a cup shape with my hand.