Unforgettable (OLD COPY DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 41

"Diana? Diana talk to me," Garret pleads as he grabs Diana before she can fall off the table.

He takes a small flashlight out of his pocket and pries open one of the eyelids as he frantically waves it over her pupil.

"She still has a pulse but she might shift at any moment," he warns as he looks from me to Ava.

"What do we do?" Astrid whispers as she eyes Diana's motionless form uneasily.

"I have a boat, we can take her out to one of the islands in the harbor, I know the owner of one of them and it's mainly used for nature conservation so no one lives on it," Garret says as he looks at each of us in turn. "Shawn, if you could help me carry her, Astrid if she starts to shift you need to have a spell ready to put her back under, but only as a last resort, she needs to stay awake for the shift."

"I'll stay with Indigo and Connor," Ava volunteers and I'm instantly grateful.

"Thank you," I say in a low voice and she nods.

"Get her out of here," she tells me.

I slip out of the room, nearly running into Indigo in the process as she wraps her arms around me and pulls me to her chest.

"I love you," she whispers as I squeeze her back.

"I love you too," I murmur as she pushes me away from her.

"Go, you need to hurry," she says in a voice that is tight with anxiety.

I nod as I run for the car to open the back door for Garret and Shawn who are carrying Diana's motionless form between them.

"Astrid and Shawn get in the back, Kara, you're up front with me," Garret instructs us as he approaches the car.

I do as he says and get in the front seat and buckle in before he follows and climbs into the driver's seat.

"Astrid you need to be ready to cast that spell if we don't get to the island in time," Garret says as he starts the car and speeds onto the street.

"I am," she assures him.

"If her eyes start to turn gold that's when you'll know it's time," he instructs, "but only if you think she's shifting."

I glance over my shoulder to see that Shawn is staring at me, his face pale as he sits with Diana's calves draped across his lap.

"How are you holding up?" I ask in a low voice.

He swallows and nods a few times before he speaks, "I uh...I was aware of witches but not werewolves? I feel kind of dumb since I've said that, if witches exist then why not werewolves too?"

I can't help but offer a halfhearted smile, "It's okay-."

Diana's leg twitches then, her booted foot nearly coming up to kick Shawn in the face as she thrashes briefly.

"How's she looking?" Garret demands.

"Her eyes are still blue," Astrid assures us.

"G...Garret," Diana rasps.

"I'm here," he replies.

"Trying to-, to hold on," she whispers.

"We're almost there."

The engine roars as we speed down the street, passing many dark buildings in the process as they whip past. There are no cars out, just parked cars along the edge of the street much to my relief.

"So what happened? Where's Clayton?" Garret asks as his eyes remain on the road.

"Diana stunned him, he's back at Tessa's house," I say as the realization dawns on me, "I almost forgot about him," I admit in a small voice.

"I wish I could forget about him," Astrid pipes up but I can hear the pain in her voice.

"Call this number, tell them what happened and they'll be there to pick him up," Garret says as he fishes his phone out of his pocket.

He nearly swerves off the road and my heart stutters as he unlocks his phone and passes it to me. A number I don't recognize is on the screen as I hit the dial number.

The person on the other side picks up immediately.

"What's the emergency?" a female voice asks calmly.

"My friend was attacked by her uncle, he escaped from prison his name is Clayton Hallewell."

"And where is he now?"

I can tell by the tone of her voice that I have her attention as I relay Tessa's address to her then before she replies.

"Okay, we'll send a unit over to pick him up, is there anything else you need?"

"No, thank you."

"Goodbye."

She hangs up without another word and I stare blankly at the dark screen for a moment.

"Are they on their way?" Garret asks.

"Yes."

"Good, get ready," he says as he takes his phone from me and slips it into his pocket.

We've reached a small harbor and Garret is parking the car in a gravel lot and leaping for the dock before I can realize that he hasn't shut off the car. I reach across and turn the key, the car shuddering as the headlights shut off and the engine dies.

I get out to help Astrid as she and Shawn maneuver Diana so they can limp her towards the boardwalk. I take the keys with me, making sure to lock the car as we start walking down the dock. I can feel Garret's running footsteps making the boards vibrate, as it's too dark to be able to see him.

"P-put me down," Diana suddenly says and I look over my shoulder at her.

There's a single security light on a pole further up in the gravel parking lot that gives me just enough light to see her eyes. One of them is turning a light shade of yellow rather than being blue as sweat trickles down the sides of her face.

"We're almost there," Astrid reassures her, but she shakes her head lethargically.

"Not...going to make it."

Garret calls out to us then, the boards vibrating as he runs up to us.

"The boat's this way," he says before he spots Diana, his expression falling blank.

Without a word, he hefts her into his arms and starts back down the boardwalk at a brisk jog.

"I need one of you to untie the line for the boat," he calls over his shoulder.

We run after him and as we near the end of the dock, he climbs into one of the boats tied to it. Astrid expertly undoes the knot tethering the boat to the dock as I climb up and help Garret lower Diana to the floor. Her hands are cold and clammy as I take one of them in mine and the engine for the boat rumbles to life.

"Just hold on," he assures her over the sound of the motor as we drift away from the dock.

She nods, her eyes fluttering shut as she tilts her head back and rests it on the deck.

I realize then that Shawn is at the controls as he turns the wheel of the boat and guns the engine. I squeeze Diana's hand as a way to reassure her as the boat cuts through the dark water and into the black expanse of the ocean.