Unfamiliar (Unfamiliar Series #1)

Chapter 30

I stand for a long moment in silence, or as much silence is available at a busy festival as Luke disappears around the barn, my lips unable to form words.

I don't even realize that I've been crying until I swallow back the lump in my throat and taste salt. Tears have streamed down my face and are collecting in the corners of my lips as they pool into my mouth.

I reach up and paw at them, my face itching as I rub them away and wipe my palms across my eyes. The Percheron nickers at me and I turn away, unable to look at it as I start walking, though where I'm going, I'm not sure. My feet take me back around the barn and, for a second, I almost hope that I'll see Luke standing there, still angry, but maybe open to listen to me.

He's not there.

I pull my phone out of my pocket, tempted to send him a text but my fingers hesitate over the letters. Instead, I stare at his contact photo, a picture I had taken after the last day of my eighth grade year. A boy that I don't know anymore who was smiling in the picture, a blissful, happy smile pasted on his face as he grinned at the camera.

Come on, Kara, you can think of something.

We've fought and bickered before, all of us have at one time or another, but this time it feels...different.

A couple of texts wouldn't fix this, no matter how thought out they are. I'd have to find him and talk to him in person and maybe get him to see reason.

Maybe I am selfish.

The thought digs itself in like a barb and refuses to let go as I continue to walk around the barn to the other side. There is a riding arena that sits empty in the near distance, though screams and music leak over from the festival as I reach up and scrub at the tears that are still streaming from my eyes.

I look at my phone again, deciding that I'll text Tessa.

Something abruptly hits me on the back of my head, sending a shock of pain jolting up and down my spine, like someone has shot a pinball into my brain as it bounces down the middle of my back. I drop my phone as my hands go limp, the screen going dark as it falls on its face in the grass.

I gasp in a breath when something wraps around my throat, crushing my windpipe and squeezing the air from me as I am left helpless and confused.

Someone...someone is choking me, I realize as I feel the brush of a fabric sleeve against the soft skin on my throat. I can feel the muscles and tendons running through their flesh as I realize that they're wearing black gloves.

I claw at the arm that is pinned around my throat as I try to scream, a choked 'help' escaping me, but the shrieking from the carnival rides and blaring music covers my cry. I tilt my head down to bite, but my attacker quickly jerks my head up as they grab onto my braid and pull me back, the pressure increasing around my throat as I gasp and choke.

Focus. Focus!

I close my eyes as I try to picture my familiar, even though the arm is slowly crushing my throat as my heart begins to pound in my head.

"You should have said that you were Finn's murderer," a raspy, masculine voice huffs as their warm breath brushes against my ear, "it would have made everyone's life-," he grunts as he tightens his arm across my throat, bringing with it a fresh tide of pain, "a lot easier."

Blackness swirls in my vision, threatening to drown me as I force myself to focus.

He's just trying to distract you.

There's a sudden, low growl that I recognize as Bastet's snarl and I open my eyes to see that she's crouched not too far away, her golden eyes flashing with anger. The arm around my throat abruptly loosens and I gasp in a deep breath as the arm disappears completely and I collapse to the ground and grip at my aching throat. Bastet springs past me, a guttural roar tearing from her as she hisses in anger.

I turn my head just in time to see that a black form is sprinting around the barn as Bastet gives chase and they disappear from my sight as I sit in a heap gasping and panting. Every cell in my body is poised and ready to attack, though I can't help but feel helpless without Bastet around.

I scoop up my phone as I dial Tessa's number and hold it up to my ear. I press my back against the barn, needing the solid wall to protect my blindside as I glance back and forth, not letting myself be vulnerable for a second as the dial tone hums in my ear.

At last, she picks up.

"Hello?"

"Tessa-, I...," I swallow several times when my throat stings from the throbbing pain that is hanging around my throat like a noose.

"Hang on a sec," she yells as there's a sudden scream, like she's near a ride that has spun up.

I wait in agonizing silence as the screaming fades, and in that time, Bastet returns, the fur on her back and tail prickled as she growls low in her throat and stands protectively by my side. She hisses when a horse peers over the stall next to us, the creature whinnying in surprise as she swats at it and I walk for the riding arena to get her away from the barn as she pads along behind me.

"Okay, what were you saying?" Tessa suddenly says from the other side of the line.

"Someone attacked me," I choke out.

"Somebody what?" Tessa repeats in a shocked gasp.

"They attacked me," I mumble as I look around, "I don't know where they-."

"Is Luke okay?" she interrupts. 

I force down the frustration and anger that wants to overwhelm me, "He wasn't here," I say, biting each word out carefully.

"I'll be right there, where are you?"

"I'm over by the horse barns."

"Got it, and Kara?"

"Yeah?" I croak.

I can hear the hesitation in her voice before she answers me.

"I think you're going to have to go to the police about this."