Hunting Souls: The Ring of Shadows

Souls-5

**Alanna's POV**

I understand that Mase wants to protect me... but really? Caleb saved my life! Give him some gratification. He does not seem like the type of guy who would hurt me. Seeing him once he rescued me, well, I can't get his smile out of my memory. Not to mention seeing his eight pack! Wow, he's athletic. How did this manage to get over here and save me?

I felt myself instantly drawn to him when I met him. I think he had an interest in me because he had been very alluring and flirtatious. Not to mention he seemed disappointed or at least extremely tense when Mase came up. I was trying to tell him that he and I weren't a thing, but Jose had cut me off. Maybe when I wake up I can talk to him about that... even though we haven't even known him more than a few hours. But inside I have a sense that he's a good guy, but there's something he's not telling us. I can see it in his eyes. It's just difficult seeing what it is.

People have told me that I'm good at profiling people since I was young. I never understood that until I met my friends. I can always tell when something's wrong even if they don't say anything. Something about Caleb screams adventure! I wanted to know what sort of adventure we were in for if he stuck around... Could he be assimilated with the thing that had been in the water? The thought of that made me tingle with excitement. Maybe I was right after all, maybe he was a pirate. Even though he wasn't dressed like one, he could have been a stowaway on the ship, wherever it is.

I stopped thinking about "fairy tales" is what my friends called it and realized someone had put a jacket on me while I was sleeping. For whatever reason, I was shivering and I felt a dull ache in the back of my head. It was like someone was throwing a brick on the inside of my head.

A small groan escaped my lips and I felt my heart flutter when I heard his voice.

"Alanna what's wrong?" Caleb asked holding me close.

A blush crept onto my face as I recalled him kissing me and wished he would again. Had he been the one touching my lips earlier? I opened my eyes and stared into his ember colored eyes that held concern.

"My head is killing me."

Caleb shifted me and prodded his fingers on the back of my neck.

I flinched and Caleb said, "sorry" before lightly touching the spot again.

"It's okay," I whispered and flinched as he touched it again and he raised my hair to one side seeing how bad whatever it was looked.

"Um, Alanna, you have a cut... There's something in it I think. It looks infected."

Mason walked back with the others and said, "what's infected?"

Caleb pushed my hair to the side and said, "this."

Raegan gasped and cried, "oh Alanna!"

"What? Raegan what is it?"

Jose gaped and said, "can we clean it up at least?"

"I think so, and it looks like a shard of glass is in the cut Alanna," Caleb said to me.

I froze. "Wait, can we take it out? Will I bleed to death?" My heart was racing and I felt myself become lightheaded.

"You should be fine Lanna," Mason reassured me and looked at Caleb. "What do we do?"

Caleb carried me over to a rock and instructed, "lie down."

I laid on my stomach and pulled my hair to the side. Caleb touched the cut and I flinched again.

"Sorry Lanna," he said and asked Raegan if she had tweezers.

Something poked and pulled at my neck. It took everything within me not to scream from pain and Raegan grabbed my hand so I could squeeze it.

"Stop," Jose said when I heard the clink of glass and felt nauseated. The smell of blood consumed me and I heard someone say, "don't let her sleep."

I think Mason was in front of my face but his voice seemed miles away.

Something was put on my head to keep the pressure and I cried out in pain as tears forced themselves out.

"Alanna I'm sorry," someone said but I couldn't focus anymore. Everything was moving too fast and I couldn't keep my eyes open.

"Alanna stay with me," a voice cried. "She needs a doctor!"

'Well too late for that,' I thought and squeezed the ring tighter in my hand not wanting to let go of it. Something bright appeared but I couldn't place what it was. I felt the pressure leave me and swore I was being suspended in the air. That couldn't be right, I was still lying on the rock. Maybe I was dying.

"What's happening to her?" Jose asked and Caleb sat me up even though I was disoriented.

"Alanna can you hear me?" Caleb asked me looking at me.

I shook my head, still disoriented and unsure if I was dreaming or not. "What happened?"

"You were about to pass out and then the cut healed itself. Is your ankle better?"

I looked down and saw it was normal and felt only a scratch where my cut had been. What was going on here? I looked towards Caleb, "I saw a gold light when I was unconscious... It's like the ring created it or something... Sorry I sound delusional don't I?"

He looked at me and I could tell he wanted to tell me something but not with the rest of them here. Maybe later he would be able to answer all of my questions.

We had to move into the opening of the cave because the wind picked up and it started sprinkling again. I couldn't stop shaking and I desperately wanted Caleb to hold me but he hadn't since I was sleeping. Mason, Raegan and Jose were asleep so just Caleb and I were awake.

"What does the ring do," I whispered cutting right to the chase.

Caleb looked at me and said, "how do you know about the ring?"

"I don't know anything other than you believed my story of what I said earlier. There's something you haven't told us and I'm trying to figure out what it is."

Caleb crept closer to me and said, "Don't. You won't like what you find out probably."

I felt dismay but pushed it aside determined to figure it out. "You're full of adventure Caleb, I want to be apart of that."

He faltered and held my hand that held the ring in it. "Come with me," he whispered.

We stepped out into the rain and I walked with him waiting to see what he was going to show me. Through the rain I saw a tall looming object and I stopped.

Caleb looked at me and said, "what?"

"I saw that when we were diving... No one believed me. Then when the thunder hit, I thought it was a cannon.. is that a ship? No, is that you're ship?"

He looked at me clearly taken aback that I figured all this out. "Are you sure you're human?" he asked joking and I punched him lightly.

"Is it yours though?" I inquired and he nodded. "You're a pirate," I breathed and he flashed me a smile.

"I'm not just any pirate Alanna, I'm Caleb Souls, Captain of The Nightlock and the ring that you found my dear, is something I have been searching for, for ages."