Blood Land by J.R. Lawson (top ten ebook reader TXT) 📖

influence told him to open his eyes.  As he did so, the face of his dad seemed still fresh in his mind and it was as if he could still see it right in front of him.  It comforted him and he felt at peace.  However, as soon as it had appeared was also how quickly it faded and he was now left with the image of the tree tops above him, the faint light of dusk enveloping everything around him.  Kale tried to clear his head and remember what had just happened as his eyes adjusted to the dark.  Eventually, he attempted to sit up.  He felt stiff as he did so and he shivered slightly as he realized the cold sweat that covered his body was now quickly evaporating.  It wasn’t but a second later that Kale then had a sudden recall.  He immediately felt his neck where he remembered Dagon’s bite had been.  To his surprise, there was nothing.  No more gash.  All that was left was some dried blood on his skin.  What had happened?  The last thing he remembered was…Nora.  She had tried to heal him but he…had died.

All of a sudden, a soft noise caught Kale’s ears.  He looked to his right where it was coming from and noticed a small red cardinal pecking at the snow.  It was beautiful and it was its beauty that allowed Kale to stare at it for as long as he did. It was then, though, that he noticed something unusual about the bird.  It had a long scar that fell across its eye, of which was cloudy and seemed as if it had once been damaged.  However, the bird seemed to be getting along fine as if nothing had happened to it.  It was in that moment while observing the small bird that Kale had a realization.  He remembered the story Nora had told him, back at her house when he had found her after she had run away.  She had told him about when she had found her ability; the one where she talked to animals.  She had said she hadn’t been able to heal that bird; the one she described that seemed so eerily familiar to this one now.  It all was clear now.  She had healed that bird and this was it; and if she had healed that bird than she had healed him too.

Kale couldn’t believe it.  At first he felt slightly angry and betrayed that Nora had lied to him about her ability to heal.  However, he could somewhat infer why she had done it.  She was trying to protect him and her and if he were really honest with himself, he knew he probably would have done the same thing.  It was then that he knew what he had to do now and that was to find Nora and help her.  They had a job to do—to take Dagon down.  He only hoped nothing bad had happened in the time he was gone.

After quickly getting to his feet, Kale proceeded to wonder around amongst the many trees to see if he could find someone nearby.  He tried his hardest to be quiet in case he came in contact with the wrong person.  Soon, however, he heard voices nearby and he then proceeded to walk in their direction.  He hadn’t realized it until now, but his body was taking some time getting used to moving around again.  He wondered to himself just exactly how long he had been almost dead for.

Finally, after some searching, the source of the voices made their appearance.  Kale could see the image of Caroline and Jay in between several tall trees.  Caroline was sitting and Jay lying down.  They both looked injured and Kale wasted no time in making himself known to them. “Caroline!  Jay!” he called out as he approached them and came into view.

The two of them became extremely startled at Kale’s sudden presence. “K-Kale?!” Caroline stuttered in a both startled and frightened tone.  Kale noticed her expression as one similar to someone who had just seen a ghost and he held up his hands in order to try to appease and calm her.

“It’s o.k., Caroline.  It’s me, I’m alright.”

“Alright?!” Caroline shouted as she attempted to get to her feet.  Kale noticed she winced slightly as she put weight on her left foot. “You were dead!  You are dead!  I mean….how?!  Is it really you?!”

Kale chuckled slightly. “It’s really me.  Nora must have healed me.”

Caroline shook her head. “No, she tried but…it didn’t work….didn’t it?”

“It must have,” Kale responded as he strained his neck slightly to show her that his bite wound had disappeared. “See…all gone.”

Caroline hobbled a few steps up to him and, with a slight bit of hesitation, finally put her hand on his neck, feeling for herself that it was really healed.  Also, Kale suspected that she probably wanted to make sure he was really there in front of her.

Tears immediately welled up in Caroline’s eyes as she made eye contact with him.  “You’re really o.k.!” she cried as she then suddenly hugged him without awaiting any permission, “We really thought you were dead!”

“Speaking of ‘we’,” Kale then said as he broke free from Caroline’s hug and looked at her, both of his hands resting on her shoulders, “Where’s Nora?”

Caroline then looked down.  Kale noticed as he looked over at Jay as well, that the two of them almost looked nervous to tell him something.

“Caroline?  What is it?  Is Nora o.k.?!”

Caroline heaved a heavy sigh as she nervously tucked some of her fallen yellow locks behind her ear. “Nora’s fine.  She…got Dagon to heal her.”

“What?!” Kale frustratingly asked, “Why would she do that?!”

“Well,” Caroline said, “You were dead.  And she wanted to reach full hybrid.  So she could…fight Dagon.”

“She’s fighting Dagon?!” Kale then anxiously asked, “I’ve got to go to her!” He then immediately turned in an effort to a hasty retreat.

“Wait!” Caroline then exclaimed, causing Kale to cease his attempt to depart. “There’s something you need to know about Nora.”

“What is it?”

“She’s…” Caroline hesitated to say for a moment as she then slightly looked away from Kale before continuing, “Really strong.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” Caroline explained now looking back at him, “She’s got this power…along with the healing.  She can…manipulate things…with her mind it seems.  She threw me and Jay over here.  Broke my ankle and hurt some of Jay’s ribs.”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Kale argued, “She wouldn’t hurt you!”

“I don’t think she did it on purpose, but she’s acting different.  She’s…almost frightening.  I’m really worried this power is consuming her.” Caroline looked up into Kale’s eyes with pleading and compassion. “You’ve got to find her and help her.  She’s…almost out of control.”

“Where is she?” Kale now sternly asked in response.

“Last I saw she was on the opposite side of the fairground.  She was fighting Kari.  You better hurry.  Last thing we heard only a bit ago was…Kari screaming.”

“I’ll find her.  Don’t worry,” Kale firmly reassured as he then wasted no time in spreading his wings and taking off in the direction Caroline had told him.

Kale made careful consideration to fly amongst the trees instead of above them.  He still wasn’t sure where Dagon was at this moment, and he couldn’t risk him finding out he was alive already.  At least, not before he found Nora. Eventually, Kale came to where Caroline had directed him and once there, he followed the sounds of whimpers and cries that he supposed were coming from Kari until finally, he found them.  It was the sight he had come face to face with had made him freeze momentarily.  The scene he stared at from between two trees consisted of Nora, standing on the ground and looking up at a frightened and tearful Kari who was floating above her.  Kari’s arms were to her sides, she didn’t seem as if she could move at all willingly and Kale even noticed both of her wrists were bent at an odd angle.  Kari was whimpering and begging and pleading Nora to let her go, but Nora didn’t seem to be paying attention to her cries for help at all.  It didn’t take long for Kale to realize that he needed to step in.

“Nora!” he suddenly found himself shouting as he approached her from behind.  Nora immediately turned her head to look at him.  Kale stopped momentarily for a hesitated second as he saw Nora’s face.  It was completely pale and very vampiric; something to be expected from the fact that she was now a full hybrid.  However, there was one thing Kale noticed was different—her eyes.  Of course her iris was no longer hazel like it used to be but completely red.  However, the difference was the whites of her eyes.  They as well, were almost as red as the rest of her eyes.  Kale couldn’t understand it.  What was going on with her?  He also noticed a chilling feeling as he stared into her eyes.  Not a warm feeling like he usually got when he looked at her.  She felt cold; emotionless.  He would be a fool if he said it didn’t frighten him.

“Nora?” he then softly questioned, hoping to get through to her.

Nora narrowed her eyes at him in a confused way as she then stuttered, “K-Kale?” she seemed groggy almost as if she was waking up from a nap.

“Nora, it’s me,” Kale attempted to assure.

Nora blinked a few times and then took a step back from him.  The way she looked at him now was the same way a frightened animal looks at its predator.  “No…” she then said, “No, it can’t be.  You’re dead…”

“No, I’m not.  I’m alive, Nora…thanks to you. You healed me.” Kale now took a step toward her in an attempt to reach her further.  However, Nora only recoiled more.

“No, you’re not here!  You can’t be here!” Nora now screamed at him.

“Will you stop it?  What’s wrong with you?  I’m here damn it!”

“No!  No!  You died!” Nora now began to breathe heavily as if she were slightly hyperventilating.  She grasped the sides of her head, gathering bunches of hair in her hands as she shook her head.  She closed her eyes as well and kept saying, “No, no, you’re not here!  You can’t be!  You’re in my head!  Go away!  I can’t do this!  It’s too much!  Go away!” Tears began to run rapidly down her face and Kale frantically moved closer to her to try to help her.  Still, she pulled away.

All of a sudden, Kari’s voice could be heard above them as she took a moment to plead, “Please!” she shouted down at Kale, who now looked up at her fear filled face. “Please help me!”

No sooner had those words left her lips than Nora turned her gaze toward her as well.  Her stare at Kari was not the one she had given Kale only a second ago.  This stare was an evil and angry one and it only took one second of it for Kari’s head to then jerk sideways on its own, a snapping sound accompanying.  Kari’s body then fell limp as Nora now released her invisible hold on her and she fell in a heap on the ground, motionless and lifeless.

“Nora!  Holy fuck what did you do?!” Kale shouted as he looked at her, utterly bewildered.  He had never thought Nora was capable of such things.  He suddenly became afraid as he watched Nora stare coldly down at Kari’s dead body.  This was what he had been afraid of when he had said he didn’t want her changing.  He hadn’t wanted her good nature to disappear and that was exactly what he was terrified was happening now.

“Nora…god….” He then uttered as he kept staring at her.  It was then that Nora brought her head up and turned to look back at Kale.  She shook her head again and said, “No. You’re not here.  Go away!”  She then turned to leave.

“No, Nora please!  I’m here, I