Daylight, a Timeless Series Novel (14 page)

Koda pulled me
to his chest and Skylar took hold of Koda. I inhaled a large breath. We made a rapid descent. They waited for a moment while I curled into a ball. I’d only have one chance to get this right.

Koda squeezed my arms
, and I waited as we cut through the water.

I burst from the lake and immediately began twisting my
wrists, forcing the air to obey. I glanced around. They hadn’t thrown me high enough, and I was falling too quickly! I pushed my arms out, and began spinning, twirling like a ballerina.

My free
-fall slowed, and I held myself just above the lake. I’d done it…now to control the water-logged whirlwind.

I moved myself and my handiwork further away from Callon and the others.
I wasn’t going to cause them harm this time. Now I just had to wait for the creature to appear again, which I knew would be soon. I couldn’t afford any delay; I wouldn’t have Brogan’s powers for much longer.

I hovered, waiting for it to strike when I saw ripples in the water nearby.
Suddenly the tentacles lunged from the water, straight for me.

I reacted quickly, pulling the funnel tighter, tangling the tentacles together
. I closed my eyes as I poured out more power. My skin tingled as the spray from the wind-whipped water slashed over my exposed flesh. I pressed the funnel even closer the creature, squeezing the life from it as it had done to me.

It
was my turn now to show my strength, to show Callon I was strong enough to fight Marcus and avenge Colt’s death. To prove to Maes I was no longer the weak link…to allow this beast inside me some freedom.

I squinted through the howling winds, and watched the creature rise
from the dark depths. It looked like a giant squid from my deepest nightmares. Black shimmering scales with thousands of razor sharp claws lining the inner side of its tentacles. Crimson eyes stared back at me, eyes filled with wrath, evil, and pure rage.

Crimson eyes…

It started out small, a high-pitched squealing that was more of an annoyance, and began to grow with intensity with each passing second. My body began to shake, vibrating with the noise the creature was pushing out. Pain began to radiate into my limbs, working its way up my spine and settling in my ears and head. I pinched my eyes closed, trying to fight through the misery, but it was no use, and suddenly I was underwater.

I opened my eyes, disoriented
, as I took in my new surroundings. The surface was nowhere in sight, and soon it became clear that I wasn’t even sure which way was up. The creature’s tentacle slithered over my arm, drawing blood, and soon a dizziness began to overwhelm me. It was poisoning me with its venom now. Before it had just been toying with me. I had to get to the surface, but where was it?

Suddenly I was being pulled through the water at a high speed. The creature had wrapped its
limb around my thigh. I fought to dislodge it, but Brogan’s powers were gone. As unexpectedly as it started, it stopped. Once again, I was left to float in the darkness. I spun around and began swimming towards a dim light. It had to be the surface, but the closer I got, I began to realize it wasn’t sunlight, but something glowing on the bottom of the lake.

How far down was I?

I swam harder, knowing I was running out of air. Where was the illumination coming from? It was similar to what I’d seen when Andre was attacked. Just like what Maes and I had seen earlier. I reached out and the loose debris began to cloud the glow as I fumbled around in the muck. My fingers latched onto something round and metallic, and I yanked hard, pulling it in front of me.

It was a ring.

The light began to grow brighter, and I squinted as I drew it closer, examining it. It had symbols carved into the sides. Where three ruby red stones should have sat, only two were present. Ruby red like the necklace Maes had given me.

My chest began to ache
for air. Timeless or not, I could still drown, and the creature wasn’t finished with me yet.

A muffled scream took the rest of my air as Skylar appeared and pulled me towards the surface. I gasped, pressing my eyes closed and clasping the ring firmly.

“Cheyenne!” Skylar’s voice trembled as he helped hold me up. “Cheyenne!”

“I’m okay,” I muttered
and fought to regain some strength.

“Callon!” Skylar bellowed.

I knew what I needed to do. It was now or never.

My fingers
wrapped onto Skylar’s forearm, and a warm tingling sensation filled my veins. “I’m sorry, Skylar.” I pushed the ring onto my thumb and pulled away from him, holding myself just above the water’s surface. I struggled to take a breath, and began to see two of him. No, I had to hold on, just a little longer!

Skylar tried to grab me, but
I disappeared beneath the surface.

I kicked my weak legs and flew down towards the dark depths
. I didn’t need to see the creature. I could sense it.

Even though I knew I could probably hold my breath as long as Skylar, his other senses underwater were incredible
. I didn’t see the black muck and debris, but instead there was a pattern of heat waves where the creature had been. I also moved through the water like a mermaid, quick and agile. I’d have a fighting chance now.

Coolness ran through my right side and then suddenly my left. This
thing
was circling me, waiting to strike. I stilled, waiting for it to make its move. By instinct, my legs kicked and I pulsed through the water, the creature directly behind me.

I veered to the right and down
. A tentacle brushed the already open sores on my thigh, and I forced back a scream. I stopped, twisting to face the crimson-eyed beast head on. I lifted my hands, the ring illuminating the darkness.

Red eyes stared at me
from the blackness, at the ring. Was this the treasure it guarded?

A
limb rose slowly and a pulsing began to vibrate the water, penetrating down to my core. This creature wasn’t going to win. Two could play this game.

I stretched out my fingers, forcing my arms down
, and felt my own beast come alive within me as the lakebed began to shake.

Lightning
quick, a razor-edged tentacle whipped across my cheek, and I cringed, feeling the warm blood flow. Blows to my thigh, calf, and forearm caused bile to rise in my throat. I pressed my eyes closed to prevent the spinning sensation and pulsed more power out. The hits were coming fast and furious as I held my ground. The boulders below me began to move. The water was clouded with debris as I opened my eyes.

My body began to shake as the power poured out of me
. The creature’s shrieks grew louder as more rocks and boulders lodged themselves into its scaly skin. I could feel the power draining from its life form as it fought to move away.

A tentacle lashed out against my neck
, and I lost my momentum as another crashed into my side, tossing me aside like a pebble. I righted myself immediately and moved to a safe distance. It began emerging from the rubble. No time left for my own safety…I had to finish it, now!

I swam closer and
dug deeper, pushing harder for the dark beast inside me to give me more strength. I was strong, stronger than this creature before me. I wasn’t giving up till it was gone.

The
high-pitched screams shook me, breaking my rage-driven trance, and I covered my ears. Hit after hit tore my clothes to shreds, and I opened my mouth to bellow out my pain.

Then a
high and deafening shrill began to grow with each moment. The water began to pulsate, pressing in all around, crushing the creature. Red rage-filled eyes met mine, and then without warning, a blast sent me flying backwards and into the rocks on the lakebed. My head made contact, and intense pain crackled through my skull. My body was drained, and Skylar’s powers were fading quickly.

I stared at the ring,
when the darkness closed in and everything faded to black.

Chapter 8

Rage, pure and hot
, flowed through my veins. My body pulsed with energy as I focused in on the one who’d killed my Colt—Marcus. He was standing there on the ravine, his eyes darkening with pleasure as he pointed his hand out towards Colt again.

“No!”
My voice bellowed over the rocks and grasses.

Power, raw and uncontained flowed from my hands
, and I watched Marcus fall to the ground. He wasn’t going to win. I was going to save Colt! I moved forward, keeping the deafening flow of air focused on Marcus. I just had to move closer to Colt.

“Cheyenne!” Callon’s voice broke my trance. “Stop! You’re going to kill us all!”

“He’s not dead!” I screamed back as I dropped the winds and ran towards Colt. “Colt, get up!” I yanked hard on his arms as he began to move. “Get up! We have to move!”

“Cheyenne!” Strong arms came around me
, pinning mine to my sides. “Cheyenne, stop!” Warm breath puffed against my cheek, and I began to shake.

“He’s alive…he’s alive…” I choked. “He’s alive.”

“It’s not real, sweetheart. It’s not real.”

I blinked
, staring out in front of me. Colt was rising from the ground. He was okay. “He’s alive, Callon. He’s alive!” I cried.

“No, it’s Koda. It’s not Colt.”

I blinked again, trying to clear my vision. Brogan and Dex were helping Koda stand, while Skylar and Clayton were nearby, blood running down their cut cheeks. Daniel appeared, his face showing an impending bruise below his left eye.

“It’s okay, Chey. It’
s going to be okay,” he said.

A
hand brushed my arm. Lilly was there, her eyes misted with tears.

In the distance
, I heard Andre’s frantic cry.

“It’s Maes!” She wav
ed towards the forest. “He’s hurt!”

Dex and Brogan took off
, leaving Koda to stagger to a tree stump and sit down. His lip was bleeding.

What had I done?

I lowered my head, suddenly weak. Callon caught me, and lifted me into his chest. Warm blood began to flow down my cheek. What was happening to me?

“Callon, she’s bleeding badly
.” Lilly’s voice shook.

“I’ve got her, Lilly. Daniel, take
Cheyenne back to the estate. Nakari, take me back and then help Dex with Maes.”

I pressed my eyes closed as everything began
to spin.

“I’m
gonna help you, Chey,” Daniel said, taking me from Callon. My body began to shake from the cold. “We’re almost there.”

Warmth suddenly surrounded
me and gasps echoed at our arrival. We were in the sitting room.

“Layla, clear the
dining room table,” Callon ordered. “Bree, go get blankets and towels.”

Footsteps
rushed off in different directions, and I was laid onto the cold hard wood. It was difficult to breathe, and when I opened my eyes, I saw two of everything. I pressed them closed again.

“What do you need?” Daniel asked.

“Get my medical bag and then head to my office and get bandages and supplies,” Callon replied. He began ripping the shredded clothes from my body.

“Is she going to be okay?” Bree
asked as she dabbed my forehead.

“
There’s some sort of poison in her system, a venom. It’s causing her to hallucinate.”

“Is that what happened out there?”
Bree asked.

“Yes.”

Her breathing hitched. “Did anyone else get hurt?”

“Yes.”

My heart sank. Once again, I’d caused those around me to get hurt. When was this nightmare ever going to end?

More voices
rumbled in the sitting area and moved into the dining room.

“Have them sit there.
Dex, I need your help.”

“Koda!” Bree squealed.

“I’m fine,” Koda said. “How is she?”

H
ands began pressing against my wounds, but I was numb now. My thoughts scattered, and I felt myself slipping away into that dark abyss, but I wasn’t scared. I had a piece of hope to hold onto. I had what I needed to make it another day, to survive this battle.

“Colt’s alive,” I whispered. “He’s alive.”

A damp cloth was pressed onto my forehead. The scent of fresh morning dew and wildflowers drifted in the air. My eyes fluttered open. In the dim lighting, I caught Layla’s beautiful blue-green eyes. She smiled at me.

“You’ve been sleeping a long time, Cheyenne,” she said.
“How are you feeling?”

I tried to
speak, but my throat was too dry. Coughing, I tried to sit up, but my head began to throb. Every muscle and joint seemed to contract at once, throwing me into a spasm. I cried out, and Layla pressed me back into the bed.

“Don’t try and move right now,
” she said. “You’ve been through a lot, and your body still needs rest.”

I nodded and caught my breath. I glanced around the empty room.

“Where’s Callon?” I’d have thought he’d at least be here.

“I sent
him, and the others, to rest. They didn’t want to leave your side, but everyone was weary after what happened.”

My brows creased as
I tried to remember events, but only bits and pieces came forward. One image stuck out, giving me hope: Colt.

“Are they okay?”

She dabbed my forehead again. “They’re going to be fine. They’re more concerned about you than their own injuries.”

I
’d injured them…

“What did I do?” I
looked away, not sure if I truly wanted to know.

“From what I can piece together, after your battle with the creature, it left behind a venom in your system. You weren’t seeing things how they really were.
Maes hit his head…”

Maes
!

“Is
he alright?” I grasped her hand. She squeezed my fingers.

“
He’s going to be fine.”

“Going to be?”

She looked away and rewet her cloth. “Nothing to worry about, Cheyenne. He’s had worse wounds in battles, I’m sure.”

But this wasn’t a battle
. This was me out of control again. And she said I wasn’t seeing things how they were. What did that mean? Colt wasn’t alive? But it had felt so real. I’d felt Colt’s presence. I still felt it now.

I rolled to my side and stared into the dark
ness outside my window. I wasn’t as afraid of the night anymore, but the lack of light still brought me chills. A tear rolled down my cheek, and I brushed it away. As I did, something cold and metal caught my skin, and I glanced at my thumb. A thick silver ring with ornate carvings rested there. I ran my fingers over the red stones that ran in a perpendicular line to each other. The center stone was missing, but the rubies seemed oddly familiar.

I fumbled
at my throat, my fingertips touching bare skin. My necklace was gone. I sat up, then winced as the pain shot to life.

“Cheyenne, lay down.” Layla pressed her hands on my shoulders, but I pushed her off and stumbled towards the bathroom.
“Cheyenne, please!”

My hands slipped from the bedding
, and I tumbled towards the floor. Layla caught me.

“You’re not strong enough yet.”

“Just help me to the bathroom,” I groaned.

Pulling my arm around her shoulder, she helped me stand.

“Callon said you weren’t to get out of bed.”

“I have to find something
. Just help me.”

We staggered towards the marble floor
. I sat on the edge of the claw-footed tub, catching my breath. I looked down and realized I was a mess. Not only did I ache everywhere, but green and black bruises riddled my body. One open wound on my leg began oozing. Why hadn’t it healed?

“Just tell me what you’re looking for,
” Layla offered. “I’ll find it.”

I pointed towards the sink. “A red stoned necklace
. I need it.”

She moved away cautiously,
keeping an eye on me while she searched.

“I don’t see it.”

I tried to stand, and promptly fell onto the white marble.

“Cheyenne!” Layla raced towards me
. Another set of pounding footsteps approached outside. “Brogan, is that you? Help me!”

Moments later
, Brogan appeared. He jerked me into his arms and whisked me off towards my bed.

My thigh began throbbing as Layla and Brogan began cleaning the wound.
The room went spinning, and I pressed my eyes shut.

“Why’d you let her get up, Layla
?” Brogan growled. “Callon said she was to stay in bed. I was only gone five minutes.”

“Go get Callon,” Layla
snapped. Brogan frowned, but said nothing as he disappeared out the door. “It’s going to be okay, Cheyenne. Take deep breaths.”

I heard her words, but at the moment they meant nothing.
The searing pain was growing, and I couldn’t catch my breath.

“What’s going on, Layla
?” Callon stormed forward and pushed her aside.

“She got up…”
Lilly trailed off.

“She wasn’t supposed to move!”

“I know. She wouldn’t listen to me…”

Callon sighed.

“Grab my bag on the table,” he ordered.

The scenery around me began to change.
The walls and curtains switched to sky and trees. I was back in the forest, but it wasn’t in Idaho or Montana. It was here, near the lake. Rustling in the brush caught my attention, and I turned to see Colt emerging.

“Colt?” I called out.
He looked towards me, smiling in relief. Tears welled in my eyes, and I lifted my hands as I ran towards him. “Colt! You’re here, you’re alive!”

“Cheyenne!” Callon bellowed. “Cheyenne!” A stinging sensation radiated over my cheek
, and I blinked. “Breathe!”

I sucked in a breath and stared into hazel eyes, Callon’s eyes. But I
’d been in the forest with Colt. “Colt’s alive,” I whispered.

“No.” He shook his head. “
It’s not real.”

“I can feel him.”

“No, sweetheart, it’s the venom. It’s making you think it’s real. It’s not.” His hands grasped my cheeks, and I closed my eyes.

“Look at me, Cheyenne.” He kissed my
cheek. “Look at me. I’m real. I’m here now.”

“But…”

“I know, but it’s not the truth. Look at me,” he whispered.

My heavy lids opened
, and I saw the weariness he was holding back. He didn’t believe me. I glanced about the room as it began to fill with the others. Their faces were sober, almost pitying. They didn’t believe me, either.

“He’s alive,” I murmured.

“Shh, now, love. He’s alive in all our hearts.” Callon pressed in closer, his breath soothing against my ear. “Rest now.”

A dark shadow neared
.
Maes.
His presence seemed to clear the haze, and I fought back tiredness. Even in the dim lighting, I spotted the outline of a scar on his temple. Had I done that? He was also holding something in his hand. Wait…that was my necklace, the one he’d given me in Montana at Christmas!

“Maes
!” I pulled the ring I’d found in the lake from my thumb. “The stones on the necklace, this ring has the same ones.” My shaking hand lifted the ring. Before Maes took it from me, he stopped. His jade-rimmed eyes were wide. “Do you know what this is?”

Maes didn’t answer. He just kept staring.

“Where did you get that?” he said at last.

“The creature in the lake had it,” I said, blinking. “What is it? Is it related to the necklace you gave me?”