High Noon - Casey Bond Page 0,33

I may never get those memories back, but I do know terror when I see it. I know that some of what you went through was traumatizing, at least temporarily, and I also know that whatever you saw was worse than anything you’d actually experienced. Also, I’m your closest friend. Of course I know when you lie. And I know the scale of the lies you try to tell.”

“Maybe I should stop lying altogether,” I pouted.

“You can’t. You only lie to protect, and you’re a natural guardian, Eve.”

“I’m not a guardian. I’m a monster.” My voice broke on the word, but it was true. I didn’t want to become a bloodthirsty thing that had only to see Enoch to cut down anyone standing between her and him.

Kohana stood over us, arms crossed. “You would share your vision with him?”

“Of course,” I answered.

“But you would not share it with Enoch?”

“Because I don’t want to hurt him.” I remembered how he tore at his hair before I jumped from Asa’s roof. I didn’t want to give him another reason to feel like that because of me.

Kohana crouched down in front of us. “Hotah, bring my bag.”

Hotah muttered something under his breath, but set about the task as the horses peacefully grazed on the wistful grasses that bent to the will of the wind.

He threw a leather bag at Kohana, who withdrew a simple leather strand. “Sit across from her,” he instructed Maru, who shifted into the position. Kohana moved to sit beside us. He held a hand up and told us to meet palms, and then tied the leather around our wrists.

“What is this supposed to do?” I asked skeptically.

“When will you learn to trust me?” he asked.

“Trust is earned,” I mumbled.

“And I have not broken your trust once. If anything, I have given more trust than you deserve to receive from me.”

He was right. “I’m sorry.”

“This will allow you to share your vision with Maru. I know you’re in pain, Eve, but can you lean forward and rest your forehead against his?”

I nodded. The pain in my shoulder was nothing compared to what I felt in my soul. I didn’t want to show Maru what I’d seen, yet I couldn’t fathom keeping it from him. I trusted Maru. Maybe he could somehow figure out how to prevent it from happening, and in the process, save me.

We bumped foreheads as I clumsily slumped forward. “Are you okay?” Maru said, his eyes looking up to meet mine.

“I’m fine. Sorry about that.”

“Close your eyes,” Kohana ordered.

He asked Hotah to sit opposite him and the two brothers began to chant words that seemed both lyrical and beautiful. “Eve, let your mind focus on the vision. Do not think of anything but what you saw.”

How could I not think of it?

I let the scene overwhelm my senses until I was there again. Until I saw Kohana floating in the spring. Until Hotah was dead. Until I left to hunt Enoch.

When I couldn’t take the intensity of the vision anymore, I opened my eyes.

Maru slowly opened his and sat back.

“Did you see anything?” I asked, looking between Maru, Kohana, and Hotah.

“My God,” Maru breathed.

I lost it. I tore my hand out of the leather band and pushed myself up to stand. My head swam, but I couldn’t stay there another moment. Couldn’t stand to see him look at me that way.

“Eve!” Maru shouted.

“Leave me alone!” Swiping tears, I stumbled down a small knoll.

He caught up to me as the ground evened out again. “Hey,” he said, touching my elbow.

“Hey? That’s all you got? It’s all My God and then Hey?” I fumed.

“Don’t run from me,” he warned. “You may be faster, but I have the stubbornness to match. I’ll chase you to the ends of the earth.”

“You would, you jerk. I know you would.”

“Then save us both the drama and stop running away,” he challenged. “Face me, and this, head on. Like a warrior.” He lifted his head. “You and me? We’ve never met a problem we couldn’t tackle. True, this one might be the biggest we’ve had, even bigger than traveling through time, or falling for your target, or the small issue of going home and what we face in our time. This is huge, but it’s vital that we figure this out, because all those things hover around you. They affect you. The girl in the vision? She was you. We can’t lose you like that. I can’t lose you… like that.”

“That was only one