True Fate (34 page)

Avery was getting tired fast and knowing they
would soon leave and drive without stopping, she was determined to get some
sleep and enjoy the comfort of a bed. Eric was almost finished briefing Isabel
and he stretched.

"I'll be going to my room now. Thanks for
letting us use your room Avery.” he said with a smile.
'Sorry Ave, I got to
go. She has to room with you. We'll figure it out a little better tomorrow.’
Eric
sent through the bond.

Avery nodded. "Oh sure, don't forget this
stuff.” She said motioning to his duffle.

"Oh, thanks.” he said hoping Isabel wouldn't
realize it was his belongings and not equipment.
'I love you.’
Avery
sent back in a pouty voice. And with that Eric was gone.

Avery sighed, "You can take that bed. We
leave early in the morning.” Isabel nodded.

"Thanks Avery.” she said and went into the
bathroom to change. She summoned her pajamas from thin air and got changed.
When she came out the room was dark.

'Guess it's off to dreamland.’
she thought with a smile. She got comfortable in the bed Avery had told
her that she could sleep in and she quickly went into a dream to spend precious
time with Brennan.

Chapter 18

Nia heard blood curdling screams and she could
hear Aaron's voice calling her name but it sounded muffled. Her pulse was
beating at a thousand decibels, pounding her head like a jackhammer. She woke
abruptly her eyes fluttering, being shaken like a rag doll. She blinked away
tears she didn't even know were there and the room was spinning in and out of
focus.

"Stay with me Nia!” the voice commanded.
Aaron's face came into focus slowly. He was as pale as the white sheet and
tears stained his beautiful face.

"Nia, thank God!” he said breathlessly.

"What happened?” she screeched out. Her
throat felt really scratchy and raw, she coughed. She began to feel a hot sting
accompanied by a burning pain somewhere on her body.

Aaron had been applying pressure to her arm and
she had just realized it. "I don't know. I woke up to you screaming and
crying. Then I noticed the blood.” he choked out.

A frantic knock sounded on the door as fast as
hummingbird wings. A muffled voice came through,

"Open the door!” Eric commanded.

"Put your hand here Nia and hold it tight.”
Aaron instructed.

She placed her hand on the reddening towel and
pressed as hard as she could. The pain and pressure quickly took over making
her stomach lurch. Nia summoned her composure, closed her eyes and took a deep
breath, nodding for Aaron to open the door.

As soon as the door budged Eric came barreling
through, immediately going to a bag in Nia's room and pulling out a first aid
kit.

Aaron rushed back to Nia's side in a flash and
took the soaked towel she had used away from her arm and placed a clean one
underneath her injured appendage.

"Go to Darragh's room and get more towels
don't bother Avery's room.” Eric barked at Aaron.

Nia's open wound was starting to go numb but it
scared Nia more than it relieved her.

Aaron moved without question and headed for the
door giving Nia one last glance before he exited.

Pulling a clear bottle from the kit Eric uncapped
it as Nia watched her blood fill the wound and spill out onto the white towel.
"This is going to be cold and it's going to sting.” he informed her just a
second before he doused her wound with the clear, thick, liquid.

He irrigated the gash while Nia gritted her
teeth.

Darragh and Savannah came through the door
quickly with towels and a small bag. Aaron locked the door behind them.

Nia was feeling woozy like she could pass out
seeing her own blood, but she really didn't want to.

 
Eric
opened a packet and sprinkled the contents over her wound. She felt a low hum
reverberate through her as Eric gritted his teeth. Feeling a mild sting she
gasped and then she felt nothing else for the moment.

"I can filter out a little pain at a time.”
he explained grimacing.

Nia's eyes wouldn't cooperate going in and out of
focus. She saw a glimpse of Savannah using hand sanitizer and coming closer to
her.

Eric moved aside and she placed her hand just
above the wound. Nia sat up a little bit and saw an open deep red gash that was
still losing blood at a pretty rapid pace.

"Losing too much.....” she barely made
Eric's voice out as her heart beat took over her hearing. But why was it
pounding so loudly? Nia thought.

"The artery...” was all she could make out
after that from the female voice she was sure was Savannah.

Eric looked at Aaron and they both nodded. Aaron
disappeared from her view and she slowly began to panic. Trying to form his
name on her lips she realized that she wasn't going to be speaking right now.

Savannah put on gloves and reached for the small
bag. Taking a syringe out she leaned close to Nia's ear, "This is going to
sting, but we have to put you under at least a little, it's safer, the pain is
too great. You will still be awake, just numb, don't worry.” she moved back a
little and shined a light into Nia's unfocused eyes.

She nodded then lifted the syringe and flicked it
bringing it to Nia's arm and then there was a burning pinch right above the
intense throbbing.

Aaron grasped her right hand and gave it a small
squeeze,
'I'm right here, Baby.’
he sent through the bond. Nia steeled
herself with the comfort Aaron was sending her way. She was glad for the
intrusion, she was on the verge of passing out.

Nia didn't want to lose consciousness for fear of
not waking again, at least not until she found out what the heck happened. Her
heart rate steadied and the pain subsided slowly but surely. Risking a glance
at her arm she was shocked to see a small metal clamp sticking out of one side
of the wound. There were bloody hemostats in Savannah's hand and sutures at the
ready.

"Don't look Nia.” Eric pleaded. "What
happened?” he asked looking her over.

"I don't know.” Nia croaked breathing
heavily.

Aaron spoke up then, "I woke up and she was
screaming and crying. My hand touched a warm liquid and that's when I saw the
blood. I had a really hard time getting her to wake up. I just started applying
pressure.” he told Eric
.

'What the heck?’
Nia
thought.

"I have to fish out other end of the artery
then I can reattach it. After that we'll close it up and start you healing.”
Savannah said looking confidently into Nia's eyes.

"Have you done this before?” Aaron asked.

"A time or two.” she said exchanging a
knowing glance with Darragh. Aaron sighed and Eric got up and paced.
'I can
help you find out what happened Nia, if someone is suppressing your dream, I
can help you unlock it. Don't answer now just think about it.'
Savannah's
voice said infiltrating her cloudy mind. Nia nodded a nearly imperceptible nod
at Savannah.

She would definitely think about it. If there was
no other way to find out, but she would ask Avery if she thought it was a good
idea.

Aaron was mortified watching Savannah dig into
Nia's arm searching out the pulsing artery. If she didn't find it soon they may
have to go to the hospital. Savannah kept taking a deep breath and hovering her
hand over where she was digging like she was taking x-rays. Irrigating when the
blood pooled too much.

Aaron felt Nia's pulse and began to worry, her
breaths were ragged, and her eyes kept fluttering. She was twitching and her
fingers were beginning to turn blue. Just in time Savannah clamped the artery,
grabbed the stitches and began to close the tiny vessel back together.

Hovering her hand over the wound once she had
clipped the end of the suture and wiped her hands on a wet towel Darragh handed
her. He scooped up the blood soaked towels in a hotel laundry bag and placed it
by the door.

Savannah was definitely finished with the artery,
Nia could tell. For one by the heavy sigh that escaped from Aaron.
'She
stopped the bleeding.’
he sent Nia along with comfort and strength. And two
by the diminishing pounding in her body.

Savannah smiled at Nia and turned to Eric.
"Now for the interesting part. Has she ever been healed before?” Savannah
asked.

"No not really, but she is a fast healer. I
assume her affinities have something to do with that.”

"Yeah I'm pretty sure it has something to do
with that. I'll teach her how to do it too.” she explained catching Nia's eyes.

"Aaron, we should go for a walk, burn those
towels and get some ice. She's going to need it anyway.” Eric told him.

Aaron looked at Nia and she smiled at him
reassuringly, "I'll be right back okay, just reach out and I'll come
running.” he told her leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"Okay," Nia whispered, she felt so weak
the effort to get the words out was taxing. Eric gave her a smile behind him
and they both headed for the door. Aaron turned to give an odd look to Darragh.
Eric grabbed the bag and they closed the door behind them.

"Sorry man but they both need to focus for
this to work. Plus we don't know how powerful Nia is really. It's safer for you
this way. At least until we figure out what you have in the way of abilities.”
he told Aaron matter of factly.

Aaron nodded he couldn't say much after what he'd
just seen. Nia's screaming cries echoed through his mind sending shivers down
his spine.

"Eric. I had a hard time waking up myself.”
Aaron said swallowing a lump in his throat. "I heard her cries and
struggled to pull myself to consciousness. I was stuck in a black void and
every part of me felt heavy, but I had to get to her! It was really weird.” he
confided.

Eric took a deep breath, "We’ll figure it
out man. I'm positive. Me and Darragh will reinforce the glamour ourselves.” he
tried to say it as reassuringly as possible, but you could hear the worry
coming through.

Savannah laid out fresh towels covering the
sticky puddle that was under Nia's arm. "Nia close your eyes and relax
completely. Your heart rate is weak but getting closer to normal and your
vitals are good considering. Now, I need you to take a few deep relaxing
breaths good thoughts in, bad thoughts out.” she added.

"Okay, once you are centered let me know by
squeezing my hand.” Savannah said softly in a monotone voice. Nia took a deep
breath and then another halting her racing mind. All she could hear were their
breaths echoing each other. Darragh nearly startled her when he spoke up,
"Just like we practiced Nia.” he told her.

Nia called on her strength and a peace engulfed
her. "Open your eyes and stay calm. Now think about water and how soothing
it can be. The smell of rain and the cooling sensation it brings.” she cooed.
Nia was doing as she was told eager to get this over with. She swore she could
smell rain and feel a light buzz in her senses. "Okay hang onto that
water, that buzz.” she instructed and Nia nodded
infinitesimally.

"Great, now
I need you to imagine a
cool breeze wafting through a fragrant flower. Take a deep breath.” Savannah
coached.

A giggle escaped Nia's lips and she swore she could
smell her mother's gardenias. She relaxed further. "Now imagine you are
trapping the water you smell and the fragrant air in a bubble. Good, now encase
them fully with it. Bring the bubble to your arm, make it smaller, smaller.”
Savannah coached again.

Nia couldn't believe her eyes but she had no
doubts she was seeing a small bubble filled with a swirl of water and air. She
smiled as the instruction kept coming from Savannah. "Make the bubble
slightly bigger than your wound. Now press it into the wound like you are see
through.” Nia gasped in surprise as warmth filled her wound and the bubble
disappeared in her skin. "Great! Now I'm going to bring the skin together
gently and I'm going to place my hand over it. You put your hand on mine.”
Savannah said impressed at Nia's quick learning. "I'm going to let you
into my mind, no fair poking around.” she warned in a sarcastic tone,
"Just watch and learn.” Savannah closed her eyes. The scent of fresh cut
grass filled the room along with the rich smell of freshly turned dirt. There
was a hint of what smelled like citrus too.

Nia could see her skin on the edges where the
wound was visible practically sticking together like there were magnets there.
Savannah moved her hands to hover above the wound that was just open a
centimeter now. Nia smelled the unmistakable smell of fire, smoky and sweet.
Her skin heated up as well as her hand and she watched in awe as her skin
melted together and formed a pink puffy line where it was open just moments
ago.

Nia placed her hand on the bed and Savannah
reached in her bag and pulled out a small tin, "This is a salve, it's
homemade, so it's the good stuff! You'll have to put it on twice a day. Once in
the morning and once at night, it will get rid of the scar in a few days.” she
said handing it to Nia, after putting a small amount on her finger and rubbing
it over the tender scar.