from her back and fanned out behind her.
That was my brain’s limit. My fight-or-flight mechanism kicked in, opting to run. I tripped over my own feet and landed flat on my backside. The being extended a hand to me. I frantically crab-crawled away from her. Pine needles and rocks cut into my hands, but didn’t slow me down.
“Celeste, wait.” The creature spoke in a soft and whimsical voice.
It knows my name! My brain screamed. I flipped over on to my hands and knees. Scraping at the ground, trying to get enough traction to bolt. A hand touched my shoulder and I screamed for all I was worth. My body tensed. This was it, I was about to die.
The soothing voice tried to comfort me, “Shhh…I am here to help you.”
Like heck you are. I thought. Finally, I got my feet under me and ran. I made it two strides before an exposed tree root hindered my retreat. My foot caught. I went down. Hard. My head cracked against something rough and unyielding. Warmth ran down my forehead as my vision swam in and out of focus. The blurred face of the woman came into sight.
“We’ve been looking for you, Celeste. Your blood on the carving confirmed your identity. The changes will begin now. Not just for you, but for Gabe and Kendall as well. There is no stopping it. I am here to guide you, to help you.” Her voice grew faint, like she was calling to me through a tunnel as I moved further and further away.
Then everything went black.
CHAPTER 5
“Celeste, can you hear me?”
Fabric ripped, water sloshed, then dampness touched a spot on my forehead that sent darts of pain shooting through raw nerves.
My heavy eyes struggled open. “Alec?” I croaked.
“There you are.” For reasons unbeknownst to me his voice was riddled with urgency. “Can you tell me what happened to you?”
“I…was… taking…a nap.” My tongue felt thick, causing my words to come out slow and slurred.
“You were taking a nap in the middle of the woods?”
I focused enough to make out the silhouette of trees above me. When had night fallen? I turned my head and nausea rolled my stomach. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping it would stop the forest from spinning.
“Easy, now. No sudden moves, you may have a concussion. Do you know how you hit your head?” He dabbed at my forehead again, which sent fresh shock waves through it.
“Don’t know. Had a weird dream…” I trailed off, unable to recall what it had been about.
“We need to get you out of here and have someone look you over. I’m going to pick you up. Will you be okay to move?”
The idea of motion angered my upset belly. “No — think I’m going to be sick.”
“I know you feel like crap, but the gash on your head is bad. You’re going to need stitches. Did you drive here?”
I tried to nod, but even that slight move caused another groan to escape me.
“Good. We’re gonna head back to your car, okay?”
“Kay.”
“Do me a favor,” Alec said as he slid one arm under my knees and one under my shoulders. “Warn me before you puke. Here we go. Ready?”
“Mmm-hmm,” was all I could muster.
As gently as he could, Alec lifted me up. My head rolled against his chest. The night breeze brushed over my skin and cooled my sore head. He did his best not to jostle me as he walked. But my stomach still gurgled in protest of the motion. As a frequent sufferer of motion sickness I knew it would help to open my eyes. Alec’s face was close enough to mine for me to notice a light dusting of freckles across his nose and the tops of his cheeks. I liked them. Almost as much as his pretty eyes.
“What were you doing out here?” I knew I sounded drunk, but could do nothing to correct it.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been home.” Alec tossed me up a little bit to get a better grip. “I really missed hiking in the mountains. So, I decided to take advantage of the situation. I didn’t even realize how far I’d gone until the sun started to set. I brought water, but no flashlight. If you hadn’t been in the clearing, I never would’ve seen you.”
His mention of the clearing brought the flutter of a memory. A light so bright I had to shield my eyes. Then — nothing.
“Do you want me to try