The Claiming (Book 3)

Chapter 7

     Cera frowned as she stumbled over a rock and nearly twisted her ankle. She shook her head at her clumsiness and picked up her pace. She knew she was heading for the cave and wanted to get there before Brae could stop her. She had no doubt he would try, even after what they had talked about. Cera turned her head at Tarn's voice but knew she needed to ignore him and get inside. Unsure why she needed to get to the tree, Cera ignored everything around her and focused her eyes on the ground. Blocking out all sounds that tried to get through she stepped over a tree root and felt her heart skip a beat. Turning she looked one last time past Tarn, turned away, and walked faster towards the cave entrance.

     The moment she walked into the cave she knew something was wrong. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and a sinking sensation filled her to her core. Cera almost looked back at the entrance when she felt something slip through her upper abdomen, scraping her ribcage as it entered. She imagined a thermometer going into a turkey to check its readiness and coming in contact with the bone. Cera looked down at the hand connected with the dagger and then looked up into Pivane's eyes. She saw pure joy in their depths just as his lips turned up at the corners and he smiled at her. Pivane pushed the dagger in farther as he pushed her away from him. Stumbling backward she fell to the floor just as the pain radiated through her entire body.

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     Brae stood over his sister and lightly pushed her hair back from her forehead. Rayen was sleeping in the chair right next to her, at the ready if she should wake up and need him. Brae smiled, relieved that Rayen was the man she had fallen for and not some idiot who cared nothing for her wellbeing. He rolled his eyes as he remembered the countless boys that had tirelessly tried to get her attention.

     "If you wake her up, you and I are going to have a problem."

     Brae smiled at Rayen's words, "Oh really? And what would that problem be?"

     "Crina beating you up for waking her and me for not stopping you from waking her."

     "I won't wake her." Brae turned quickly towards the hallway as Cera let out a murderous scream and bolted for the room.

     Rayen jumped from his chair, "Although that might." After a quick look at Crina's sleeping form, he ran after Brae with Tarn passing him up just before he turned the corner into the hall.

     Cera shot up in the bed and screamed again. Brae was running through the doorway and jumping into the bed before he could blink. Cera had thrashed around and was pushing herself into the bed's headboard as she clutched her stomach. Rayen and Tarn were at the bedroom door just as Brae grabbed Cera's shoulders to still her.

     "Cera. Cera! Stop!"

     Cera swatted Brae's hand away and tried to move away farther without success.

     "Cera!" Brae grabbed her face and forced her to look at him, "Cera! Stop! Look at me!"

     Cera stopped as the dagger disappeared and Brae's face appeared in front of her, "The knife."

     Brae looked around, "What knife? Cera, there is no knife. No one is here."

     Cera looked down and lifted the shirt to expose her stomach. She rubbed her hands over the place the blade had entered her body, "I felt it. I looked right at it. He was about to laugh when I saw it after he pushed me."

     Brae pulled Cera's hands away and let the shirt fall back over her stomach.

     "It was a vision," Rayen spoke from the door.