Mason - Archaic #4 (Sample of Published Book)

Chapter 5 - Part 2

Pierce grunted as his hold on my wrist relaxed. Then I heard him groan. Confused at what was happening, I tried to open my eyes but, when I did, everything was blurry. I turned my head to the side to see if I could see anything but all I could see was an array of blurry blotches.

Someone else groaned and then I heard the distinctive thud that sounded like a body hitting the ground. I closed my eyes tightly. When I opened them again the blurriness began to fade and the scene in front of me began to focus.

Jared. He was on the edge of the clearing, fighting his way to me.

I scanned the area around him and he was on his own. He had no backup. He was going against his own rules.

I closed my eyes as the panic began to build up inside of me. Like me, he wouldn't be able to fight them all off. Dread began to build up inside me, swirling and entwining with the panic.

I managed to extend my hand as I watched Jared take a hit from Steven. He flew backward and hit the ground on his side. Ash extended his hand to Jared.

Jared wouldn't be able to block a hit he couldn't see coming, so I had to do something. As weak as I was, I pulled everything I had and exerted it. It hit Ash square in the chest and he flew back.

My brother got up and aimed a streak of energy at Pierce.

Jace was on his feet again. Fear gripped me, its cold fingers wrapped around my heart as I watched him extend his hand toward Jared. I had nothing left in me and I slumped backward in defeat.

From somewhere behind Jared, a ball of white energy slammed into Jace's chest. Relief flooded through me as I looked up to see Tyler and Danny standing on either side of Jared, blasting energy from their hands at the Hue.

The last exertion of energy completely wiped me out. I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore. I allowed the darkness to take me because I knew Jared would be safe.

*************

When I awoke, I felt awful. I groaned. I struggled to swallow because my throat hurt. My body felt stiff and I ached all over. I shifted in the bed to try and get comfortable.

"Shh, it's okay," I heard a voice whisper to me. It sounded familiar. I opened my eyes to see I was lying in my bed in my bedroom. My head was pounding. I touched my forehead to try to ease it.

Soft hands touched my bare chest and I felt energy enter my body. I looked to see the very feminine hands belonged to Neve. The sight of her made something flutter inside of me. I wasn't sure what it was but I'd never felt it before.

I lay back and allowed her to heal me. The pounding in my head eased as well as the soreness in my throat. I still felt weak but the ache in my body was gone. She removed her hands from my chest but I felt a tingle on the surface of my skin where her fingers had been, and it had nothing to do with the after-effects of the energy.

Her eyes looked at me. They were beautiful even though they were filled with worry.

"How are you feeling?" she asked quietly. I was held by the look of concern in her fine features.

"I'm okay," I replied. Nothing some rest wouldn't help.

And in that instant she went from worried to a firecracker.

"You scared me," she lectured angrily. Her reaction took me by surprise. I was trying to understand why she was acting the way she was.

"I'm fine," I reinforced, not sure how to handle her because I couldn't understand where her anger was coming from.

"But you could have been taken by the Hue, or worse!" she said, raising her voice. When I realized why she was so angry with me, I couldn't stop my lips from tipping upward in a smile. And she looked like she wanted to hit me.