Careless Magic book 1

Chapter 44

Eden.... Where are you?

Something stirred me from my unconsciousness. I fought wakening, and attempted to once again fall into the deep abyss of sleep.

Damn it. Eden, where are you?

A sharper, irritated memory lifted me once again from sleep's grasp. The memory felt strange, like it wasn't mine, and even stranger like it was stumbling through a wilderness. I rolled over, and concentrated fully on finding sleep again.

Sticks and rocks jabbed into my side, poking through my oversized sweatshirt. My cheek was wet and grimy from damp leaves that had become my pillow. Gross.

I sat up; realizing the memory that awoke me was not actually a memory but Avalon stumbling through the wilderness trying to find us. I rubbed my bleary eyes surprised by the light of morning. The forest was brightened by daylight, but it must have still been early morning because the sun was just barely shining from the peaks of the eastern mountain tops.

"Eden!" Avalon shouted through the trees. Apparently he got tired of waiting for me to figure out where his voice was coming from.

"Over here," I struggled to shout back through a hoarse and scratchy morning voice. I cleared my throat and tried again, "Over here."

I heard Avalon not far away, making his way noisily through the thick trees and underbrush. Someone was with him, although it was hard for me to determine the identity of their magic when I felt like I had just been run over by a bus. I was not sure how long I was asleep, but it wasn't nearly long enough.

I stood up to brush the leaves and dirt off of me. My legs and back were incredibly sore and I heard several of my joints make a cracking noise as I fought to get to my feet. I didn't have the patience to deal with tired muscles and aching bones this morning; I sent my magic surging through my body, heating my blood and relieving the tension in my exhausted appendages.

I felt instantly better, the magic did its job and my bones and muscles felt better than normal; I wasn't sure if there was any hope for my external appearance however. I did my best to pick off the damp leaves and wipe away the dirt, but I began to think they had become a part of me. I reached my hand up to the top of my head in an attempt to deal with my hair, but after feeling around for a few seconds, brought it back down. There was no hope. I wouldn't be surprised if I had to shave it off when I returned to civility.

"Holy crap...." Avalon blurted out as he made his way over the top of the last hill that separated us. "What happened to you?" he confirmed my obvious suspicions.

"Ugh," I grunted back, not knowing where to even begin.

"Good morning, Eden," Jericho called in a very chipper voice, following close behind Avalon. I waved at him irritably, remembering I had been the one to tell Avalon to bring him and bent over to tug on my ruined clog.

"Where's Amory?" Avalon asked and I looked around confused. I didn't remember when he left, or if he left; I didn't remember anything. I must have been sleeping hard.

"I don't know," I said, feeling out of it.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Avalon demanded, his defenses suddenly on high alert.

"They wouldn't take him without her," Jericho, the voice of reason, chimed in.

"You don't know that. They could be hoping she leads them to the rest of us," Avalon retorted, irritated and anxious.

"If anything it would be the other way around and you know that," Jericho rolled his eyes and walked over to shake my hand. "Your brother is such a drama queen," he joked.